Working with Excel Power Query M Code in an IDE

While Excel Power Query uses M language for its queries, there are several methods to export and work with Power Query code in integrated development environments (IDEs) for better version control and code management.

In this tutorial:

Extracting Power Query M code
Setting up VS Code for M language
Managing Power Query scripts
Version control integration

You'll need:

Excel (2016 or newer)
Visual Studio Code or similar IDE
Basic Power Query knowledge

Working with Power Query M Code in an IDE

Extracting Power Query M Code

Access Advanced Editor

Open Power Query Editor and click 'Advanced Editor' in the View tab.

Copy M Code

Select all code (Ctrl+A) and copy it to your clipboard (Ctrl+C).

Setting Up VS Code for Power Query Development

Install Extensions

Power Query SDK
M Language Syntax Highlighting

Create M Files

Save your Power Query scripts with the .pq extension for proper syntax highlighting.

Organizing Power Query Files

Recommended Structure:

project/
├── queries/
│   ├── common/
│   │   └── shared_functions.pq
│   ├── data_sources/
│   │   └── database_connections.pq
│   └── transformations/
│       └── main_query.pq
└── README.md

Version Control Integration

Git Setup:

Initialize Git repository in your project folder
Create .gitignore file for Excel temporary files
Commit Power Query files separately from Excel workbooks

Best Practices

Do's:

Comment your M code thoroughly
Use consistent naming conventions
Modularize common functions

Don'ts:

Store sensitive credentials in M files
Mix query logic with data source configs
Ignore error handling in scripts

Common Issues and Solutions

Syntax Highlighting Not Working:
Ensure files have .pq extension and M Language extension is properly installed.
Connection String Issues:
Use parameters in M code instead of hardcoded connection strings.