Access to excel connection

Northwind Trading Company, a small wholesale food business, is doing quite well since they moved online. Retail merchants across the country buy everything  from salmon to granola and have it shipped quickly to their stores.

Their customer information is stored in an Access database, and now, the marketing team needs a better way to view it. In particular, they are interested in seeing where their customers reside so they can more effectively target their advertising dollars.

Create a data connection between Excel and Access

Luckily, the same features that Excel provides for viewing and organizing information in a spreadsheet, such as filtering, charting, and grouping, can be used to view and organize information in an Access database. But first you need to create the connection.

Note: We’ll use the sample Northwind Access database to demonstrate how Excel connects to data sources. You can download it here:  Northwind Web Database.

1. Go to the Data tab in Excel and click the From Access button.

2. On the Select Data Source dialog, go to the location where the Access database is stored, select it, and click the Open button

3. On the Select Table dialog, choose a table from the database to import.

4. Accept the default options on the Import Data dialog, and click OK.

Excel and Access are now connected, and the data from the Northwind CustomersExtended table appears in Excel.

Refresh data

Now that Northwind can now easily view and analyze the information in its Access database, they want to make sure they are reviewing the latest information.There’s a couple ways they can refresh the data in their workbook.

Forced Refresh

To force a refresh, click the Refresh All button on the Data tab. This will instantly import the latest Access data into Excel.

Customized Refresh

Northwind can customize the refresh behavior for their workbook in the following ways:

• Enable background refresh (this option allows them to continue working in Excel while the refresh operation executes).
• Refresh data after a specified time period (e.g. every 30 minutes)
• Refresh data when opening a workbook

1. Click the Connections button on the Data tab, and then click the Properties button on the Workbook Connections dialog.

2. On the Connection Properties dialog, select the desired Refresh control options and click OK.

All connected!

Northwind can now make better advertising decisions. Currently, they don’t have a single order from New York for their very popular gnocchi, and so they decide to focus their advertising on the the tratorrias of Little Italy.

Connection String Parameters for Excel Data Sources

Connection String Parameters for Excel Data Sources

In the previous article, I discussed how we can treat Excel and text files as if they were a database using DAO, and how we can open them without linking. Because they do not use ODBC drivers, their connection string will be formatted quite differently from what you might be accustomed to seeing for an ODBC connection string. There’s a dearth of documentation on the Excel connection string parameters. This is a best-effort to cover some of the gaps and discuss the ramifications of parameters.

Excel connection string parameters

Even though we have 3 different data source “types”:

1. Excel 8.0: 97-2003 xls files
2. Excel 12.0: xlsb files
3. Excel 12.0 Xml: xlsx files

They all use the same parameters.

Here are the list of parameters:

HDR parameter: Header row

YES: The first row is the header and should become the column names for the “table”/”recordset”
NO: The first row is not treated differently and is just a data. All column names will be named “FN” where “N” is a number starting with 1

IMEX parameter: Import/Export Behavior

This governs how the column data types should be defined, based on the content:
1: If the column contain different data types, treat it as a string. Otherwise, match the column to the best data type.
2: Always match the column to a certain data type based on the sample. That may cause an error in reading when we read a row that contains data that does not match the expected data type.

ACCDB parameter: Indicates that Access is using ACCDB file format?

By default, this is always set ACCDB=YES in an accdb file format. However, omitting it or setting it to NO seems to do nothing. It’s a bit of a mystery. If anyone can share what effect this parameter, post in comment and I’ll update the blog.

DATABASE: Path to the Excel workbook

The parameter should contain a fully qualified path, including the workbook’s name.

Minimum working connection string

Note that the DATABASE is the only mandatory parameter in addition to the data type source keyword. Therefore a minimum working connection string can be:

Excel 8.0;DATABASE=C:LinksProducts.xls

Specifying sheet or range in connection string

In the previous sample, you saw that a sheet represented a “DAO.TableDef“. However, worksheets aren’t the only thing that can be a “Tabledef“. If the Excel spreadsheet contains a named range, the named range will be reported as a “Tabledef” as well. Additionally, we can “query” an arbitrary block in the sheet using cell address. For example:

Dim db As DAO.Database
Dim rs As DAO.Recordset

Set db = DBEngine.OpenDatabase(vbNullString, False, False, "Excel 12.0 Xml;HDR=YES;IMEX=2;ACCDB=YES;DATABASE=C:LinksProducts.xlsx")
Set rs = db.OpenRecordsset("Sheet$1A1:A3")

Debug.Print rs.Name, rs.Fields.Count

It’s important to note that the cell addresses cannot exceed the sheet’s used range. For example, the Products.xlsx only actually has contents in A1:B3, that means if you open a recordset using Sheet1$A1:D5, you still get only 2 for fields count and 3 for record count. The extra blank columns/rows are simply ignored. On the flip side, if you dirtied a cell somewhere outside the A1:B3, the sheet’s UsedRange will be now as bigger and querying would then include blank columns and rows.

Therefore those are valid names to use in a query on a Excel “database”:

1. Sheet1$ – Entire used range of a worksheet.
2. Sheet1$A1:B4 – Only 2 columns and 3 rows (not counting header), providing that the contents are filled. Otherwise columns or rows may be less than requested.
3. ProductsRange – the named range with that name.

I find it much nicer to use named ranges where practical as this ensure that you are not hard-coding the addresses in your code especially if the range gets moved around due to user inserting new columns or rows but not altering the contents of the named range. However it is not always practical, especially if you are receiving spreadsheets from a 3rd party and therefore have no control over its contents or formats. In this case, writing a SQL query can work, too.

Querying Excel data source

Suppose we can’t control the format and we don’t want to rely on absolute address even though we are confident that certain columns and rows will be in fact present. In that situation, the best thing to do is to query. Here’s an example that select only one row:

  Dim db As DAO.Database
  Set db = DBEngine.OpenDatabase(vbNullString, False, False, "Excel 12.0 Xml;HDR=YES;IMEX=2;ACCDB=YES;DATABASE=C:LinksProducts.xlsx")

  Dim rs As DAO.Recordset
  Set rs = db.OpenRecordset("SELECT d.[Count] FROM [Sheet1$] AS d WHERE d.[Products] = 'Bananas';")
  Debug.Print rs.Fields(0).Value

Hopefully you can see this is much easier than iterating over each rows to find which one has “Bananas” and then reading the column to right to get the count. In this case, querying beats out automating Excel.

Conclusion

You’ve seen that DAO makes it very easy for us to work with Excel data source and pretend as if it was a relational data source and use our favorite querying language and familiar DAO objects instead of writing bunch of VBA code automating Excel to find the data we want. The connection string parameters are fairly straightforward and as long you have the path, you’re good for linking or opening an Excel spreadsheet.

In the next article we will look at text file connection parameters.

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How to Connect Access Database in Excel Macros?

Updating Excel Spreadsheet from Access Database using this step by step Excel VBA Access Macro code is just that simple. We are going to use a ADODB connection in this sample code.

Just copy paste this Excel VBA Access MDB conenction code to your VBA Project.

Excel To Access Connection – Simplest Code

Just change these two things in the code. It is enough for this to work better.

1. Database path – sDBPath : This should have the exact folder path & MDB Access file name that is being accessed with this code.
2. Query String – sQuery : The SQL query in this variable should match the Database Table & the fields exactly as how it is defined in the MDB database.

Once these two fields are edited, then this code will perfectly fine in a Excel VB Editor.

'--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'Code by author@officetricks.com (or) kumarapush777 (Fiverr)
'Visit https://officetricks.com to get more Free & Fully Functional VBA Codes
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sub VBA_Connect_To_MDB_ACCESS()

    'Make Reference to Microsoft AxticX Data Objects Library
    Dim dbConn As ADODB.Connection, dbRecSet As ADODB.Recordset
    Dim sConnString As String, sQuery As String
    Dim sDBPath As String
    
    'Define MDB ACCESS file path
    sDBPath = "D:OfficeTricksSalesOrders.accdb"
    
    'SQL Query String
    sQuery = "SELECT CustomerID, CustFirstName , CustLastName from Customers;"
    
    'ADODB Conenction String to initiate connection with MDB ACCESS
    sConnString = "Provider=Microsoft.ace.OLEDB.12.0; Data Source=" & sDBPath & ";"
    
    'Open Connection
    Set dbConn = New ADODB.Connection
    dbConn.Open ConnectionString:=sConnString
    
    'Execute SQL Query & Get Records matching the query to recordset
    Set dbRecSet = New ADODB.Recordset
    dbRecSet.Open Source:=sQuery, ActiveConnection:=dbConn
    
    'If Query Returned Values, Read them one by one
    If (dbRecSet.RecordCount <> 0) Then
        Do While Not dbRecSet.EOF
            MsgBox dbRecSet.Fields(1).Value
            dbRecSet.MoveNext
        Loop
    End If
    
    'Close Connection & RecordSet
    Set dbRecSet = Nothing
    dbConn.Close
    Set dbConn = Nothing
End Sub

Make sure that the MDB database Table has correct field names as specified in the query. Also it has enough data.

Note: Before executing this code, from your VB Edifor go to Tools in the menu -> References & add a reference to “Microsoft ActiveX Data Objects Library”. This is to make sure that ADODB object can be created from within the VBA Macro code.

The loop after that is present after the recordset.open command will get records from the table one by one, till end of the table. Make sure the replace the msgbox command with some assignment. If not you will end up in giving too many ‘OK’ clicks for the message box that pops up for every record fetch.

Apart from recordset.Movenext, there are other commands available to move the cursor or current position to First or last record or to any desired point as well.

In the next tutorial, we will see how to query Access database & load them to a list box in userform.

Import or Export Data from Access to Excel using ADO

Microsoft Access: ActiveX Data Objects (ADO), Connect with Access Databases from Excel using VBA.

Part 3 of 4

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Microsoft Access: ActiveX Data Objects (ADO), Connect with Access Databases from Excel using VBA:

1. Microsoft Access: ActiveX Data Objects Library (ADO).

2. Microsoft Access: Use ADO to Execute SQL statements.

3. Import or Export Data from Access to Excel using ADO.

4. Microsoft Access: ActiveX Data Objects Extensions (ADOX).

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Also Read:

Microsoft Access: Data Access Objects Library (DAO), Connect with Access Databases from Excel using VBA.

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Contents:

Use ADO to Import Data from Microsoft Access Database to Excel

Use ADO to Import data from an Access Database Table to an Excel worksheet (your host application)

Use ADO to Export data from Excel worksheet (your host application) to Access Database Table

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Use ADO to Import Data from Microsoft Access Database to Excel

In this section we show, with the help of practical examples, how to connect to Access Database from Excel (your host application) using ADO to: (i) import or retrieve data from Access database to Excel worksheet; and (ii) Export data from Excel worksheet to Access Database Table.

Range.CopyFromRecordset Method: This method is commonly used to copy records from an Aceess Table to an Excel worksheet. Syntax: Range.CopyFromRecordset(Data, MaxRows, MaxColumns).

Range is the worksheet range to which the records are copied, starting at its upper-left corner. Data is the Recordset (ie. set of records) in the Access database to be copied and the current row in the Recordset is the starting record from where copying begins. MaxRows and MaxColumns refer to the maximum numbers of rows (ie. records) and fields respectively to be copied and omitting these arguments will indicate that all rows and fields are copied. Data is mandatory to specify while other arguments of MaxRows and MaxColumns are optional.

Example 9: Using ADO to Import data from an Access Database Table to an Excel worksheet (your host application).

Refer to Images 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d and 9e as mentioned in the code.

The code is simple to understand, though apparantly long due to multiple options shown (reference to images 9a to 9e) as to how data can be imported into Excel. Each option can be treated as a separate code and run accordingly.

For i = 0 To lFieldCount — 1

‘copy column names in first row of the worksheet:
rng.Offset(0, i).Value = adoRecSet.Fields(i).Name

Next i

For i = 0 To lFieldCount — 1

‘copy column names in first row of the worksheet:

rng.Offset(0, i).Value = adoRecSet.Fields(i).Name

Next i

For i = 0 To lFieldCount — 1

‘copy column names in first row of the worksheet:
rng.Offset(0, i).Value = adoRecSet.Fields(i).Name
adoRecSet.MoveFirst

 ‘copy record values starting from second row of the worksheet:

n = 1

Do While Not adoRecSet.EOF

rng.Offset(n, i).Value = adoRecSet.Fields(i).Value
adoRecSet.MoveNext

n = n + 1

Loop

Next i

For i = 0 To lFieldCount — 1

‘copy column names in first row of the worksheet:
rng.Offset(0, i).Value = adoRecSet.Fields(i).Name
adoRecSet.MoveFirst

‘copy record values starting from second row of the worksheet:

n = 1

Do While Not adoRecSet.EOF

rng.Offset(n, i).Value = adoRecSet.Fields(i).Value
adoRecSet.MoveNext

n = n + 1

Loop

Next i

End Sub

Example 10: Using ADO to Export data from Excel worksheet (your host application) to Access Database Table.

Refer to Images 10a, 10b & 10c, as mentioned in the code.

‘start copying from second row of worksheet, first row contains field names:

For i = 2 To lastRow

adoRecSet.AddNew

For n = 0 To lFieldCount — 1

adoRecSet.Fields(n).Value = ws.Cells(i, n + 1)

Next n

adoRecSet.Update

Next i

End Sub