Can I keep the file name column when Combine files in a folder with Power query?

daenos 

Both Power BI Desktop and Excel work exactly the same way, at least latest versions. To be sure

- we use From Folder connection and select folder on local drive

- select table or sheet for the sample file

- query returns 8 columns, from Content to Folder Path

- click on Combine Files icon to the right Content column name

 

If check steps, query generates, among others, these two

    #"Renamed Columns1" = Table.RenameColumns(#"Invoke Custom Function1", {"Name", "Source.Name"}),
    #"Removed Other Columns1" = Table.SelectColumns(#"Renamed Columns1", {"Source.Name", "Transform File"}),

So, it renames Name to Source.Name and returns this column with file names into result.

 

Another scenario if we, for example, select Content and Name and Remove other column. Or whatever else we do. Power Query recognizes that we transform source manually and doesn't insert above two steps automatically. Click on Combine Files and query generates only

    #"Removed Other Columns1" = Table.SelectColumns(#"Invoke Custom Function1", {"Transform File"}),

Transform File column is expanded and we have only transformed range without file names. However, if we would like to keep Name for this scenario as well, on the step

add Name manually in formula bar

and file names will be kept.