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Verify data types and use the Power Query editor to validate the data on your Power BI dashboard.
Type:
Tutorial
Length:
4 min.
Transcript
00:03
When working with dashboards based on data exchanges within Power BI,
00:08
it is important to ensure that the information is accurate,
00:11
and that the quantities and elements correctly reflect the data exchanges.
00:15
This includes verifying data types and counting specific categories of elements in the exchange to compare with the dashboard.
00:23
First, check the format of the data.
00:27
From the Data pane, expand one of the loaded tables and select one of the column headers.
00:32
Then, from the contextual ribbon, review the Data type field.
00:39
From the sidebar, open the Table view to see the values of each row within each column.
00:46
Select each column to display and review its Data type,
00:49
and verify that each column is correctly classified.
00:53
Misclassification, such as something labelled text instead of a number, can lead to incorrect information.
01:01
This is especially important when quantifying numbers of elements or summarizing specific values.
01:07
From the Data pane, select a column with a sum symbol adjacent to its name to see how the data will be treated.
01:14
Review this information from the ribbon, in the Properties panel.
01:19
Expand the Summarization drop-down, if needed, to choose how to summarize the selected data.
01:26
You can also validate information in the Power Query editor.
01:30
Right-click any column in the Data pane and select Edit Query.
01:35
In the Power Query window, icons display in each column header to indicate the data type, such as text or decimal numbers.
01:44
To change a data type, right-click the column header, select Change Type, and then choose the appropriate data type.
01:53
To review how much information is filled in within a column,
01:56
observe the bar below the column header name.
01:59
For example, if there are rows with a NULL value, the bar does not extend across the entire header.
02:07
Here, in the Name column, only about one-sixth of the information is filled in.
02:13
To review the number of rows, on the Transform tab of the ribbon, from the Table panel, click Count Rows.
02:21
This adds a step in the Query Settings panel, in the Applied Steps group.
02:26
You also see the number of rows in the table,
02:29
which you can compare against the values on your dashboard.
02:33
Remove the Counted Rows step before returning to your dashboard
02:37
to avoid displaying information as a single number.
02:40
You can apply different filters and use Count Rows again to determine the quantity of specific information within the data.
02:48
For example, to check the number of elements for a particular family name,
02:53
expand the Family Name column header, deselect Select All to deselect all elements,
02:59
then select the desired family name, such as Recess Lab Linear LED.
03:05
Click OK, and then click Count Rows.
03:10
As you can see, there are 77 rows containing filtered information.
03:16
If needed, in the Applied Steps, you can click Filtered Rows to review what was filtered.
03:23
Before returning to the dashboard to compare the information with the results,
03:27
remove the Counted Rows step.
03:30
On the ribbon, click Close and Apply, and then open the Home tab.
03:35
The dashboard now displays only information about that specific family name.
03:40
To display all of the information on the Dashboard again,
03:44
open the Power Query window and remove the previously applied filter by deleting the Filtered Rows step.
03:51
As a reminder, if all your data is not visible on the dashboard,
03:55
always review the Applied Steps,
03:57
as filtering may prevent the dashboard from displaying all the data.
04:01
Click Close and Apply to return to the dashboard.
04:06
Removing this filter reloads the data, and now all information is visible from all family types.
04:12
As a best practice, always check for correct data types in your visuals
04:17
and validate the information in multiple ways via the Query Editor,
04:21
as well as the original data file, to ensure accuracy.
Video transcript
00:03
When working with dashboards based on data exchanges within Power BI,
00:08
it is important to ensure that the information is accurate,
00:11
and that the quantities and elements correctly reflect the data exchanges.
00:15
This includes verifying data types and counting specific categories of elements in the exchange to compare with the dashboard.
00:23
First, check the format of the data.
00:27
From the Data pane, expand one of the loaded tables and select one of the column headers.
00:32
Then, from the contextual ribbon, review the Data type field.
00:39
From the sidebar, open the Table view to see the values of each row within each column.
00:46
Select each column to display and review its Data type,
00:49
and verify that each column is correctly classified.
00:53
Misclassification, such as something labelled text instead of a number, can lead to incorrect information.
01:01
This is especially important when quantifying numbers of elements or summarizing specific values.
01:07
From the Data pane, select a column with a sum symbol adjacent to its name to see how the data will be treated.
01:14
Review this information from the ribbon, in the Properties panel.
01:19
Expand the Summarization drop-down, if needed, to choose how to summarize the selected data.
01:26
You can also validate information in the Power Query editor.
01:30
Right-click any column in the Data pane and select Edit Query.
01:35
In the Power Query window, icons display in each column header to indicate the data type, such as text or decimal numbers.
01:44
To change a data type, right-click the column header, select Change Type, and then choose the appropriate data type.
01:53
To review how much information is filled in within a column,
01:56
observe the bar below the column header name.
01:59
For example, if there are rows with a NULL value, the bar does not extend across the entire header.
02:07
Here, in the Name column, only about one-sixth of the information is filled in.
02:13
To review the number of rows, on the Transform tab of the ribbon, from the Table panel, click Count Rows.
02:21
This adds a step in the Query Settings panel, in the Applied Steps group.
02:26
You also see the number of rows in the table,
02:29
which you can compare against the values on your dashboard.
02:33
Remove the Counted Rows step before returning to your dashboard
02:37
to avoid displaying information as a single number.
02:40
You can apply different filters and use Count Rows again to determine the quantity of specific information within the data.
02:48
For example, to check the number of elements for a particular family name,
02:53
expand the Family Name column header, deselect Select All to deselect all elements,
02:59
then select the desired family name, such as Recess Lab Linear LED.
03:05
Click OK, and then click Count Rows.
03:10
As you can see, there are 77 rows containing filtered information.
03:16
If needed, in the Applied Steps, you can click Filtered Rows to review what was filtered.
03:23
Before returning to the dashboard to compare the information with the results,
03:27
remove the Counted Rows step.
03:30
On the ribbon, click Close and Apply, and then open the Home tab.
03:35
The dashboard now displays only information about that specific family name.
03:40
To display all of the information on the Dashboard again,
03:44
open the Power Query window and remove the previously applied filter by deleting the Filtered Rows step.
03:51
As a reminder, if all your data is not visible on the dashboard,
03:55
always review the Applied Steps,
03:57
as filtering may prevent the dashboard from displaying all the data.
04:01
Click Close and Apply to return to the dashboard.
04:06
Removing this filter reloads the data, and now all information is visible from all family types.
04:12
As a best practice, always check for correct data types in your visuals
04:17
and validate the information in multiple ways via the Query Editor,
04:21
as well as the original data file, to ensure accuracy.
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