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Power Query
February 3, 2021
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Has anyone worked out how to combine and transform multiple pdf files in a folder? The issue is that pdfs have many columns and an inconsistency of data layout and thus the sample file upload can’t handle differing layouts. Any ideas out there please?
Trusted Members
February 13, 2021
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What do you mean by differing layouts? Like different column headers names? A different number of columns? Different information? Could it be something as simple as a mapping table to correct differing information to make it the same?
Power Pivot
Power Query
February 3, 2021
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A different number of columns. System generated PDFs create inconsistent results which makes it very difficult to aggregate many pdfs from within a folder.
February 20, 2019
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I have done this before with bank statements. Without reviewing files, it is hard to say how to do it as it involves various steps.
Power Pivot
Power Query
February 3, 2021
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Jim - do you know of any books / websites that could help here? PQ works pretty well for individual pdfs but gets too complicated when there are multiple pdfs in a folder. I haven't been able to find relevant guidance on the web.
October 5, 2010
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Hi Gary,
The issue isn't that there are multiple PDF's, it's the structure in the PDF's differs. You'd have the same issue with workbooks, tables, CSV files etc if they contained different numbers of columns. PQ isn't designed to combine data that has an inconsistent structure like this.
You said yourself the PDF's present data inconsistently, the fix to this is to get the data in those PDF's structured in the same way. Same number of columns, same column names.
regards
Phil
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