Power Query: Fabulously Fiddly Fill Down
15 July 2020
Welcome to our Power Query blog. This week, I again look at the fill down problem I have considered for the past two weeks this time using a column copy solution.
You know the drill. I have some data on tents supplied by my imaginary company:
![](http://sumproduct-4634.kxcdn.com/img/containers/main/blog-pictures/2020/power-query/189/image1.png/e774d10cbbb9450fc45efbe51abdf434.jpg)
I would like to get this into a more standard format, by filling down the tent and awning types. I begin by extracting my data to Power Query by using the ‘From Table’ option on the ‘Get & Transform’ section of the Data tab.
![](http://sumproduct-4634.kxcdn.com/img/containers/main/blog-pictures/2020/power-query/189/image2.png/f32e5a15e2cf9c3e4d2d058458ce054d.jpg)
I accept the defaults and tick the box to indicate that my table does indeed have headers.
![](http://sumproduct-4634.kxcdn.com/img/containers/main/blog-pictures/2020/power-query/189/image3.png/f1140ff857fc3b6f5f97a6a24f4a6fc7.jpg)
I create a copy of the Awning column.
![](http://sumproduct-4634.kxcdn.com/img/containers/main/blog-pictures/2020/power-query/189/image4.png/72aa864d2854c6fefb1083fba0ab5792.jpg)
I fill down my copied column by selecting it and then right-clicking to choose ‘Fill’ and then ‘Down’.
![](http://sumproduct-4634.kxcdn.com/img/containers/main/blog-pictures/2020/power-query/189/image5.png/36776d1da4d05b45bb5a5d09375f407c.jpg)
Now, I may either use the value in Awning – Copy or Awning to create a new conditional column based on the value in Tent.
![](http://sumproduct-4634.kxcdn.com/img/containers/main/blog-pictures/2020/power-query/189/image6.png/23912d3b1671861e02bebcd5183f1607.jpg)
If the value in Tent is null, I am using the value in Awning – Copy, otherwise I am using the value in Awning. Once satisfied, I click ‘OK’ to create my Awning Rename column.
![](http://sumproduct-4634.kxcdn.com/img/containers/main/blog-pictures/2020/power-query/189/image7.png/6f49c288a0d88a66b427eaf4ece923d6.jpg)
I can now remove Awning – Copy and remove Awning, so that I may use Awning Rename as my Awning column.
![](http://sumproduct-4634.kxcdn.com/img/containers/main/blog-pictures/2020/power-query/189/image8.png/b9ee28d90e6b5bc92ea4aeafdad51628.jpg)
Finally, I select Tent and fill down, before moving Awning next to Tent.
![](http://sumproduct-4634.kxcdn.com/img/containers/main/blog-pictures/2020/power-query/189/image9.png/0485ccbc83bdeec1d741bad442a1ea5f.jpg)
I now have my data in the format I require.
Come back next time for more ways to use Power Query!