1. Create the database
2. File > Get external data > Link tables
3. Select files of type:  .xls spreadsheets
4. Navigate to your spreadsheet
5. Follow the prompts to set up the tables.  



Some tips about using spreadsheets for DSNs: 


It helps if your spreadsheet has named ranges covering only the actual
content in each sheet, or you'll be trying to link in your database to
tables that seem to have umpty-thousand records, each with a gazillion
columns.    So on your spreadsheet, on the sheet named "bets on the footie"
have a named range covering all the data and the column headings called
"tblLosingBets"   


Make the first row of the named range the one that has the column headings
in it.  These will become the field names in the DSN.

Make sure all your column headings are legal database field names - i.e. no
leading, included or trailing spaces, punctuation etc

Remove all font, colour, size, justification, bold, italic etc formatting
from all your columns and data.


If you have any columns that have numbers in the first few lines, but which
are really text, (e.g. I often get them with "warranty" columns that have
"12" as the value for many of the items, but half way down the spreadsheet
one will say "12 months but 3 years on motor") arrange the rows in the
spreadsheet so that there is a text item in the first 16 rows so the
database will recognise this column as a text field.  Otherwise that one
cell will show in the database as NULL.   The database scans down the first
16 rows to see what kind of data is in the column.  If it only sees numbers
in the first 16 rows, it will set the datatype of that field to float, and
further down the spreadsheet if you have non-numeric information it'll just
be ignored.


Hope this helps.



Cheers,
Michael Kear
Windsor, NSW, Australia
AFP Webworks.





-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Knott, Brian
Sent: Thursday, 19 June 2003 8:24 AM
To: CFAussie Mailing List
Subject: [cfaussie] RE: Excel datasources

Mike,
        How do I set up an Access datasource to point to an excel
datasource.

Brian

-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Kear [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Thursday, 19 June 2003 12:40 AM
To: CFAussie Mailing List
Subject: [cfaussie] RE: Excel datasources


I just did it ok with EXCEL and CFMX.  

Set up a System DSN using the control panel.  Use the Excel driver in
WIndoze.

In the CFMX administrator, use the ODBC Sockets driver.  In my case it found
the excel datasource I set up in the Win Control panel minutes before.

Select the excel datasource from the drop down list and select "trusted
connection" worked for me.  I guess if you can't use "trusted connection"
for any reason you can show the advanced settings and put a connection
string and/or Username/Password there.

But it worked for me ok.

Another way would be to set up an Access database as the datasource and link
it to the spreadsheet.  That would also have the advantage of being able to
change the spreadsheet easily without having to disable the datasource.



Cheers,
Michael Kear
Windsor, NSW, Australia
AFP Webworks.




-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Knott, Brian
Sent: Wednesday, 18 June 2003 3:37 PM
To: CFAussie Mailing List
Subject: [cfaussie] RE: Excel datasources

Seems that it needs a username and password in the cf admin, even though the
files does not require one.  Any seem to work.  Was able to do it without
the connection string.

Brian


-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Knott,
Brian
Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2003 3:10 PM
To: CFAussie Mailing List
Subject: [cfaussie] Excel datasources


Anyone know what the connection string is for an excel datasource in MX.

Brian Knott
QANTM Studio
Senior Database Developer
Ph (07) 30174331
Mob 0407572127





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