When it comes to getting your data into Excel or Power BI, M is your best choice. The M Language (A.K.A Power Query) is a powerful tool for self-service data preparation. However, it's not clear where it fits compared to tools like SSIS or TSQL. It's also not clear what it's limitations are. This session will cover the basics of M and when to use it.

In this session, we'll demonstrate how M is a linear series of transformations, just like a set of steps from a recipe. We'll show how 80% of what you will ever need to do can be done from the GUI. We'll also talk about how to write custom code for that other 20%. By the end of this presentation, you'll be able to take any manual cleanup you do today and turn it into a repeatable process with M.