[AccessD] Excel and SQL Server

Also if you have XL2007+ have a look at the free power pivot addin.  Useful for doing exactly what you are considering.



-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Andy Lacey
Sent: Friday, 4 May 2012 2:46 AM
To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
Subject: [AccessD] Excel and SQL Server

Hi folks, long time no ask 

This is a bit OT and will seem a trivial question to many so I crave your forbearance (sorry but we're having wall-to-wall Shakespeare over here to tie-in with the Olympics and we all have to speak Elizabethan during daylight hours, forsooth). I've been asked to look at setting up Excel sheets to read a SQL Server database. Not rocket science but it's an age since I did anything like this before, so I've a couple of questions. 

1. What info do I need to make a connection - name of server, name of database, password, names of tables? that it? 

2. Are there better and worse ways of creating the connection in Excel? If so, what are the better ones and those to avoid? 

3. How do I practise? Can I get them to send me the db as a file or files?
What form does it (or they) take? I guess I'd then need to install SQL Server Compact (or is it Express) Edition so as to be able to read it, would I. Do both (Compact and Express) exist and if so what's the difference?

Any clarification/suggestions very welcome. 

Cheers

Andy


--
AccessD mailing list
AccessD at databaseadvisors.com
http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/accessd
Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com