Which programming language is used in Power Query ? Power BI interview questions and answers 009

 Which programming language is used in Power Query ?

The programming language used in Power Query is called M. It's a unique language specifically designed for data transformations and mashups within Power Query and Power BI. While it shares some similarities with other languages, particularly F#, it's considered its own independent language.

Here's what you need to know about M:

• Functional: M is a functional language, meaning functions are pure and have no side effects. This makes it predictable and easier to reason about.

• Declarative: You tell M what data you want and how you want it transformed, rather than explicitly specifying the steps. This makes it more concise and expressive.

• Dynamically Typed: M is dynamically typed, meaning you don't need to declare variable types explicitly. This can be easier to learn but can sometimes lead to errors.

• Partially Lazy: M uses lazy evaluation, where expressions are only evaluated when needed. This can improve performance when dealing with large datasets.

• Powerful: Despite its simplicity, M offers a vast array of functions and capabilities for data manipulation, cleaning, and transformation.

While learning M might seem like a separate hurdle, many resources are available to help you get started. The official Power Query documentation is a great starting point, and there are numerous tutorials and courses available online and in the Power BI community.

Remember, mastering M will significantly enhance your data wrangling and analysis capabilities within Power BI. It's an investment that unlocks the full potential of the platform and makes you a more proficient data analyst.