Date and Time Functions in Power Query

Introduction to Date and Time Functions in Power Query

Welcome to our beginner's guide on Date and Time Functions in Power Query! If you're just starting out with Power Query and want to learn how to handle date and time data effectively, you're in the right place. In this post, we'll explore some fundamental date and time functions that will help you perform essential calculations and transformations. Whether you need to add or subtract dates, calculate durations, or format date and time values, these functions will make your data manipulation tasks much easier. Let's get started and unlock the power of date and time functions in Power Query!

Tutorial: Using Date and Time Functions in Power Query

Example 1: Adding Days to a Date

One common task is adding a specific number of days to a date. Let's say you have a column with order dates, and you want to calculate the delivery date by adding 7 days to each order date.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Load Your Data: Import your data into Power Query.
2. Select the Column: Click on the column containing the order dates.
3. Add Custom Column: Go to the "Add Column" tab and click on "Custom Column."
4. Enter Formula: In the formula box, enter the following formula to add 7 days to the order date:

   = Date.AddDays([Order Date], 7)
   

5. Name the Column: Give your new column a name, such as "Delivery Date," and click "OK."

Example Data:

Order Date
2025-01-01
2025-01-15

Result:

Order Date | Delivery Date
2025-01-01 | 2025-01-08
2025-01-15 | 2025-01-22

Example 2: Subtracting Time from a DateTime

Another useful function is subtracting time from a DateTime value. Suppose you have a column with event start times, and you want to calculate the preparation start time by subtracting 30 minutes from each event start time.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Load Your Data: Import your data into Power Query.
2. Select the Column: Click on the column containing the event start times.
3. Add Custom Column: Go to the "Add Column" tab and click on "Custom Column."
4. Enter Formula: In the formula box, enter the following formula to subtract 30 minutes from the event start time:

   = DateTime.AddMinutes([Event Start Time], -30)
   

5. Name the Column: Give your new column a name, such as "Preparation Start Time," and click "OK."

Example Data:

Event Start Time
2025-01-01 10:00 AM
2025-01-15 02:00 PM

Result:

Event Start Time     | Preparation Start Time
2025-01-01 10:00 AM  | 2025-01-01 09:30 AM
2025-01-15 02:00 PM  | 2025-01-15 01:30 PM

Conclusion

By mastering these basic date and time functions, you'll be well-equipped to handle a variety of data transformation tasks in Power Query. Adding and subtracting dates and times are fundamental skills that will greatly enhance your data manipulation capabilities. Stay tuned for more tutorials and tips to help you become a Power Query pro!

Feel free to ask if you have any questions or need further assistance with Power Query!