Splitter.SplitTextByAnyDelimiter when some delimiters and their values are missing

[MFR]

Hi !

I need to split values into several columns, according to several delimiters, and have the resulting values go into the column corresponding to their delimiter 😵. The delimiters always appear in the same order {"$$b","$$e","$$a","$$j"}.

Problem: in some cases, the source value does not contain all the delimiters and therefore not all the values to fill the columns. This is not a problem in itself, except that the next value would have to be shifted into its "correct" column.

See the following 3 tables for a better understanding.

Source

Expected

The best I can do is the following table, using :

= Table.SplitColumn(Base, "Local Param", Splitter.SplitTextByAnyDelimiter({"$$b ","$$e ","$$a ","$$j "}), {"$5","$b","$e","$a","$j"},"")

In orange the values that are not in their "correct" column. They should be in a cell further to the right.

The best I can do

Any idea ?

Thanks for your help !

[PhilipTreacy]

Hi @MFR 

Download sample PBIX file

You can add several Custom Columns and use Text.BetweenDelimiters 

let
    Source = Table.FromRows(Json.Document(Binary.Decompress(Binary.FromText("i45WUlExVTA2NTCzNDUxMFRQUUkC8oBUooKLq66RgaGRrgGIm6WQrhSrg1N1qoKbS7CCl66vQgBYr1eAv6efXoiBqaUJTHMsAA==", BinaryEncoding.Base64), Compression.Deflate)), let _t = ((type nullable text) meta [Serialized.Text = true]) in type table [#"Local Param" = _t]),
    #"Changed Type" = Table.TransformColumnTypes(Source,{{"Local Param", type text}}),
    #"Added Custom" = Table.AddColumn(#"Changed Type", "$5", each if Text.Contains([Local Param], "$$5") then Text.BetweenDelimiters( [Local Param] , "$$5 ", " $$") else null),
    #"Added Custom1" = Table.AddColumn(#"Added Custom", "$e", each if Text.Contains([Local Param], "$$e") then Text.BetweenDelimiters( [Local Param] , "$$e ", " $$") else null),
    #"Added Custom2" = Table.AddColumn(#"Added Custom1", "$aCustom", each if Text.Contains([Local Param], "$$a") then Text.BetweenDelimiters( [Local Param] , "$$a ", " $$") else null),
    #"Added Custom3" = Table.AddColumn(#"Added Custom2", "$j", each if Text.Contains([Local Param], "$$j") then Text.BetweenDelimiters( [Local Param] , "$$j ", " $$") else null)
in
    #"Added Custom3"

Regards

Phil

[MFR]

Hi Phil,

Thank you very much for your proposed solution. I managed to get what I wanted !
My final query in Excel is as follows :

let
Source = Excel.CurrentWorkbook(){[Name="Tableau6"]}[Content],
#"Changed Type" = Table.TransformColumnTypes(Source,{{"ID", type text}, {"Local Param", type text}}),
#"Split Local Param by row" = Table.ExpandListColumn(Table.TransformColumns(#"Changed Type", {{"Local Param", Splitter.SplitTextByDelimiter("; ", QuoteStyle.Csv), let itemType = (type nullable text) meta [Serialized.Text = true] in type {itemType}}}), "Local Param"),
#"Custom$5" = Table.AddColumn(#"Split Local Param by row", "$5", each if Text.Contains([Local Param], "$$5") then Text.BetweenDelimiters( [Local Param] , "$$5 ", " $$") else ""),
#"Custom$b" = Table.AddColumn(#"Custom$5", "$b", each if Text.Contains([Local Param], "$$b") then Text.BetweenDelimiters( [Local Param] , "$$b ", " $$") else ""),
#"Custom$e" = Table.AddColumn(#"Custom$b", "$e", each if Text.Contains([Local Param], "$$e") then Text.BetweenDelimiters( [Local Param] , "$$e ", " $$") else ""),
#"Custom$a" = Table.AddColumn(#"Custom$e", "$a", each if Text.Contains([Local Param], "$$a") then Text.BetweenDelimiters( [Local Param] , "$$a ", " $$") else ""),
#"Custom$j" = Table.AddColumn(#"Custom$a", "$j", each if Text.Contains([Local Param], "$$j") then Text.BetweenDelimiters( [Local Param] , "$$j ", " $$") else "")
in
#"Custom$j"

Regards,

[PhilipTreacy]

Hi @MFR 

Glad to hear it.

If my answer solved your problem please mark it as the solution so others can learn from this.

Regards

Phil