github-linguist/linguist

Power Query (M)

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#7856 opened on Mar 16, 2026

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Description

Why this should be a language in Linguist

Power Query (M) is Microsoft’s functional data transformation language used in Power BI, Excel Power Query, Dataflows, and other tooling. It is a distinct language with its own syntax, keywords, operators, and evaluation model.

File extensions

Recommended (non-ambiguous):

  • .pq
  • .pqm

Notes on .m:

  • .m is heavily ambiguous on GitHub (multiple languages share it), so I am not requesting .m by default in the initial proposal. If maintainers prefer, .m support could be handled later via heuristics or limited contexts.

Existing TextMate grammar (for syntax highlighting)

Microsoft maintains an existing TextMate grammar for Power Query / M:

This grammar is actively maintained and intended for editor syntax highlighting consumption.

Proposed Linguist language entry (languages.yml draft)

Power Query:
  type: programming
  aliases:
    - powerquery
    - power-query
    - power query
    - power query m
    - m
  extensions:
    - ".pq"
    - ".pqm"
  tm_scope: source.powerquery
  ace_mode: text
  # color: "#??????"  # optional, can be chosen to match existing conventions

Contributor guide

Tech stack
None
Domain
tooling
Issue type
feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-3 hours
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
active
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
linguist contribution guidelinesYAML syntaxbasic testing with linguist
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
80
Research direction
Add a new language entry for Power Query (M) to `languages.yml` based on the existing YAML draft provided in the issue. Use the official TextMate grammar from https://github.com/microsoft/powerquery language. Test the changes by running Linguist's test suite and verifying that `.pq` and `.pqm` files are correctly identified. Consider leaving `.m` out due to ambiguity, as suggested.