Rule of Thumb

You know that the data is out there and you want to bring it into your homely Microsoft Excel. Here’s how you do it.

1. If you don’t have a data source pointing to your database yet, create one.
2. In Microsoft Excel choose Data, Import External Data and then New Database Query.

1. Select your data source and click OK.
2. For interesting queries un-check Use the Query Wizard to create/edit queries.
3. Click OK and Microsoft Query appears.
4. Choose tables, fields, joins, filters, groups and sort orders as you like or write your SQL SELECT directly by clicking on SQL button (View, then SQL).
5. When you’re done, click Return Data button on the toolbar (File, then Return Data to Microsoft Office Excel) and you’re back in Excel with selected data.

1. Just choose where exactly do you want that data. You can also choose Create a PivotTable report to have Microsoft Excel create a PivotTable report right away or click Properties, to tweak some settings on how this data is imported or Edit Query, to return to Microsoft Query.

Now you can right click anywhere on the table and either Refresh the data, Edit Query or change the External Data Range Properties.