Microsoft Excel 2010 ® ® Tutorial 11: Connecting to External Data

Microsoft Excel 2010® ®

Tutorial 11: Connecting to External Data

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Objectives• Import data from a text file• Work with connections and external data

ranges• Define a trusted location• Understand databases and queries• Use the Query Wizard to import data from

several tables• Edit a query

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Objectives• Import data into a PivotTable and PivotChart• Create a Web query• Retrieve data from the Web• Use hyperlinks in a workbook• Access data from an XML document• Work with XML data maps

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Visual Overview

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Retrieving Text Data

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Exploring External Data Sources• Historical data, long-term trends (text files)• Current trend information (databases)• Up-to-the-minute data (the Internet)

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Importing Data from Text Files• Text files– Simple, widely used format for storing raw,

unformatted data (text and numbers)– Useful for sharing data across software programs

and computer systems• Ways to structure file contents– Use a delimiter• Columns of data are separated by a symbol

– Use fixed-width text file• Each column starts at the same location

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Understanding Text File Formats• Delimited text • Fixed-width text

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Importing Data from Text Files• Text Import Wizard determines whether data is fixed-

width or delimited format• Steps of Text Import Wizard– Start the wizard– Specify starting row; edit column breaks• Delimited format: delimiter determines column

breaks• Fixed-width format: wizard guesses locations of

column breaks– Format data in each column

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Starting the Text Import Wizard

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Specifying the Starting Row

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Formatting and Trimming Incoming Data

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Exploring Connections• Defined process of retrieving data from an

external file• Importing data creates a connection between

the workbook and the text file

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Exploring Data Ranges• External data range– Each location in which a connection is

applied• Each external data range is given a name,

which can be edited• Excel can update (refresh) data ranges and

connections manually or automatically

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Exploring Data Ranges

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Defining a Trusted Location• Once a trusted location is defined, Excel will

access the connection to the data source without prompting for confirmation that the connection is secure

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Visual Overview

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Excel Databases and Queries

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Introducing Databases• Excel can retrieve data directly from most

database programs• A common field can match information from

two tables into a single table

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Introducing Queries• Create a query to look at only specific

information from a database• A query can:–Contain criteria (conditions that limit the

number of records in the results)– Specify how you want the data to appear

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Using Microsoft Query• Excel supports two ways of importing

database data–Create a connection to the database and

retrieve all the information from a single table–Use Microsoft Query to retrieve data from

multiple tables

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Steps in the Microsoft Query Wizard

• Create a data source• Choose table and fields (columns) to include• Determine whether to retrieve all records or

to filter data to retrieve only records that satisfy particular criteria

• Specify how to sort the data

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Creating a Data Source• Choose Data Source dialog box

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Choose Table and Fields (Columns)

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Choose Table and Fields (Columns)

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Filtering and Sorting Data• Filter Data dialog box

• Sort Order dialog box

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Saving a Query• Can be run later without redefining it• Accessible to other network users• Appears on Queries tab of Choose Data Source

dialog box (allows quick access)• Save to trusted locations so that Excel can

update queries when workbook is opened

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Importing Data from Microsoft Query

• Query Wizard – Finish dialog box options –Return (import) data into the Excel

workbook–Display results in Microsoft Query for

further editing and query definition• Import data in an Excel table, a PivotTable,

a PivotTable and PivotChart, or create the connection without importing the data

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Importing Data from Microsoft Query

• Formatted Portfolio worksheet

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Importing Data from Microsoft Query

• Connection Properties dialog box

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Editing a Query• Edit a query to:–Add new columns to the worksheet–Change sort order options– Specify a filter

• Edit a query by editing the definition of the connection– Excel recognizes that Query Wizard was

used to define parameters of the connection and restarts the wizard

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Editing a Query

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Editing a Query• Revised portfolio table

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Importing Data into PivotTables andPivotCharts• Can select and display values from only one

area at a time, adding only a single table and chart to the workbook

• Data used in the table and chart can be stored in an external data source

• Initial table and chart are empty until you define where to place fields from data source

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Importing Data into PivotTables andPivotCharts• PivotTable and PivotChart added to worksheet

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Importing Data into PivotTables• Can set PivotTable layout, change labels, and

format data values

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Importing Data into PivotCharts• Can format PivotCharts

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Visual Overview

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Web and XML Connections

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Creating a Web Query• Specify the URL and use Excel Web Query to

select portions of the Web page to import–URL form if file is stored on a Web server

–URL form if file is stored locally (not on Web server)

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Creating a Web Query• New Web Query dialog box

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Creating a Web Query• Text is imported into worksheet as

unformatted text

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Creating a Web Query • To format a Web query, retrieve Web page format

using:– None (default; imports text but not formatting)– Rich text formatting only– Full HTML formatting

• To save a Web query– Save to a permanent file that is shared– Saved connection file can be loaded in any Office

program

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Importing Data from the Web• Use a Web query to retrieve online data and

import it into a workbook• Excel has several Web query files stored in a

library of built-in Web queries– Some include parameters for specifying

exact information to be imported

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Importing Data from XML• Office 2010 files are stored in an XML-based

file format called Office Open XML format• An XML document is structured like a tree:

elements are placed within one another, descending from a common root element

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Importing Data from XML• Data map of the Data.xml document

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Importing Data from XML• XML author can:–Define what makes up a valid document

(which elements are required, which are optional)– Indicate the type of values each element

can contain• Schemas, though not required in XML, ensure

that data inserted into an XML document follows predefined rules for content and structure

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Loading an XML Data Map• Commands to access data map of an XML

document are part of Excel Developer tools• Show the Developer tab on the Ribbon

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Binding XML Elements to a Worksheet

• Using XML as a data source:– Allows you to attach (bind) elements to specific

cells in the workbook– Provides greater freedom in designing worksheet

layout

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Importing XML Data• To retrieve XML data, refresh the connection

to the data source– Excel automatically places data in the

correct worksheet cells• Can automatically update XML data in a

workbook to reflect changes to source XML document

• Can use a data map to export data from a worksheet to an XML document

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Understanding Real-Time Data Acquisition• Another data source: real-time data values

from measuring devices and scientific equipment

• Usually requires purchase of an add-in to work with Excel and the device

• Excel provides the RTD function to facilitate importing data from an external device

• Can save hours of data entry time