The M language, also known as the Power Query formula language, is a powerful and versatile scripting language used in various fields and industries such as data analysis, financial modeling, and business intelligence. It is a high-level functional language, making it easy to learn and use, even for non-programmers.
The M language is commonly used in Power Query and Power BI Service, two widely used Microsoft products in the business intelligence space. Power Query enables us to import and transform data from a variety of sources into a single clean and organized dataset. This can include data from databases, spreadsheets, and web services, among others. These processes, defined using the M language, extract data from sources, transform it, and then load it into a repository, are known as ETL (extract, transform, load) processes. The data, once properly transformed by these processes, will be read by Power BI Desktop to generate interactive dashboards.
In Power BI Service, it is also possible to create ETL processes defined by the M language. For example, we can create DataFlows that run in the cloud connecting to one or multiple data sources, reading the tables that interest us, transforming them, and loading the clean data into Datasets which will then be read by Power BI Desktop to generate reports.
One of the key features of the M language is its ability to handle complex data transformations. It is possible to manipulate and clean data quickly, accurately, and efficiently. The language provides a wide range of built-in functions and operators, allowing it to perform complex operations with just a few lines of code. Additionally, it enables us to create our own functions, making the language ideal for working with large amounts of data, as well as for automating repetitive tasks.
