Mastering the Art of Power Query Data Source Changes: A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Macro Code

Are you tired of manually updating your Power Query data sources every time the underlying data changes? Do you want to automate the process and save precious time? Look no further! In this article, we’ll delve into the world of macro coding and show you how to write a script that can dynamically change your Power Query data source in a snap.

What is Power Query and Why Do I Need to Change the Data Source?

Power Query is a powerful data manipulation and analysis tool within Microsoft Excel that allows users to connect to various data sources, clean and transform data, and load it into Excel tables. However, when the underlying data source changes, the Power Query connection needs to be updated to reflect these changes. This can be a tedious and time-consuming process, especially when dealing with multiple data sources.

The Importance of Dynamic Data Source Changes

Dynamic data source changes are crucial in today’s fast-paced business environment, where data is constantly evolving. By automating the process of updating Power Query data sources, you can:

• Save time and reduce manual effort
• Ensure data accuracy and consistency
• Improve data refresh rates and reduce latency
• Enhance data-driven decision-making

Getting Started with Macro Code

Before we dive into the code, let’s cover the basics of macro coding in Excel. A macro is a set of instructions that can be recorded or written in Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) to perform repetitive tasks. To write a macro, you’ll need to:

1. Enable the Developer tab in Excel (File > Options > Customize Ribbon)
2. Open the Visual Basic Editor (VBE) by pressing Alt + F11 or navigating to Developer > Visual Basic
3. Create a new module in the VBE (Insert > Module)

Understanding the Power Query Object Model

Before writing the macro code, it’s essential to understand the Power Query object model. The Power Query object model consists of:

• Workbook: The Excel workbook that contains the Power Query connection
• Query: The Power Query connection itself, which contains the data source and transformation steps
• DataSource: The underlying data source, such as a database, file, or web page

Writing the Macro Code

Now that we have a basic understanding of macro coding and the Power Query object model, let’s write the code to change the Power Query data source. We’ll create a macro that takes three inputs:

• wb: The workbook that contains the Power Query connection
• qry: The name of the Power Query connection
• newDataSource: The new data source URL or connection string

Sub ChangePowerQueryDataSource(wb As Workbook, qry As String, newDataSource As String)
    ' Declare variables
    Dim pq As Object
    Dim ds As Object
    
    ' Set the Power Query object
    Set pq = wb.SlicerCaches(qry).Query
    
    ' Set the data source object
    Set ds = pq.DataSource
    
    ' Change the data source connection
    ds.Connection = newDataSource
    
    ' Refresh the Power Query connection
    pq.Refresh
    
    ' Clean up
    Set pq = Nothing
    Set ds = Nothing
End Sub

Breaking Down the Code

Let’s break down the code to understand what each section does:

• Dim pq As Object: Declares a variable to store the Power Query object
• Dim ds As Object: Declares a variable to store the data source object
• Set pq = wb.SlicerCaches(qry).Query: Sets the Power Query object using the workbook and query name
• Set ds = pq.DataSource: Sets the data source object using the Power Query object
• ds.Connection = newDataSource: Changes the data source connection to the new URL or connection string
• pq.Refresh: Refreshes the Power Query connection to reflect the changes
• Set pq = Nothing and Set ds = Nothing: Cleans up the objects to free up memory

Calling the Macro Code

To call the macro code, you can create a button or a shortcut key. We’ll create a button in this example:

1. Insert a new button in your Excel worksheet (Insert > Shapes > Button)
2. Right-click the button and select “Assign Macro”
3. Enter the name of the macro: ChangePowerQueryDataSource
4. Click OK

Now, when you click the button, the macro will prompt you to enter the workbook, query name, and new data source URL or connection string.

Example Usage

Suppose you have a Power Query connection named “SalesData” in a workbook named “Sales Dashboard.xlsx”, and you want to change the data source to a new database connection string:

Sub ExampleUsage()
    Dim wb As Workbook
    Set wb = Workbooks("Sales Dashboard.xlsx")
    
    ChangePowerQueryDataSource wb, "SalesData", "OLEDB;Provider=Microsoft.Mashup.OleDb.1;Data Source=https://newdatabase.com;Initial Catalog=SalesDB"
End Sub

Conclusion

In this article, we’ve covered the basics of macro coding in Excel and demonstrated how to write a script to dynamically change a Power Query data source. By automating this process, you can save time, reduce manual effort, and ensure data accuracy and consistency. Remember to adapt the code to your specific use case and data sources, and happy coding!

Macro Code	Description
Sub ChangePowerQueryDataSource(wb As Workbook, qry As String, newDataSource As String)	Changes the Power Query data source to a new URL or connection string
pq.Refresh	Refreshes the Power Query connection to reflect the changes
ds.Connection = newDataSource	Changes the data source connection to the new URL or connection string

Frequently Asked Question

Get ready to master the art of Power Query data source manipulation with these frequently asked questions about macro code!