Although it performs some basic Transformations, Power BI is a reporting tool and needs different connections to connect with all kinds of data. This article shows the list of possible data connections we use in the day to day life and some data tweaks.
The first step to working with this reporting tool is creating a page to design a report. Next, under the Home tab, click the Get Data button to see the list of available data connections in Power BI. To show you a brief, they are Excel File, Text/CSV, SQL Server, Analysis Services, Web, OData feed, etc.
Please refer to the Download and Install Desktop article to understand the steps involved in the installation process.
Power BI Data Connections
Please use the following hyperlinks to connect with SQL, Excel, Text, and multiple data sources.
- Add, Rename, Duplicate, and Delete Pages
- Enter data or Copy and Paste from Clipboard
- Connect to SQL Server
- Connect to Multiple Excel Sheets
- Get Data from Excel Files
- Get Data from Text Files
- Load Data from Multiple Data Sources
Once the Data is loaded to the Desktop, the next step is to clean the data. We can use the Power Query Editor to perform both basic and complex operations.
The following is the list of some common operations that we perform on loaded data.
- Remove Unwanted Columns from Tables
- Change the Data type of a Column
- Combine Multiple Tables
- Reorder or Remove Columns
- Rename Column Names
- Rename Table Names
- Split Columns
For more Power BI information about the data transofrmation, check the Tutorial.