Using R and Python scripts

As you have learned throughout this book, Power BI’s Power Query Editor from within a dataflow or Power BI Desktop is a versatile tool that enables users to shape, transform, and cleanse data before it’s used for analysis and visualization.

While the built-in capabilities that have been highlighted in the previous sections are robust, sometimes you may encounter data manipulation tasks that require more advanced processing. This is where the feature of using R or Python scripts in coding languages such as R and Python, for example, comes to the rescue.

Before jumping into how you might go about doing this, it’s worth understanding why you might use these languages. Custom data scripts enable users to extend the capabilities of Power BI by leveraging the rich ecosystems of R and Python.

Although this chapter will not go into depth about how to code in these languages, here are some scenarios where you might consider using custom...