How to insert data from Excel into a database - sql

Question

I'm looking for a solution to import data from an Excel file into a database (for example: MS Access file).
I can get the idea as well as the structure but because I'm new to something like this it is really hard to finish the work.
Below is my code, which should do these:
Select database
Select import files
Create connection using ADODB
I'm stuck here, using Insert statement to import but how? Because the values to import would be a value of a variable run from the very first cell of Excel files till the end of it.
Please ignore the comment because I'm using my native language to easier understand in future
Sub Import_Data()
'Khai bao bien lien quan den Database
Dim connection As ADODB.connection
Dim record As ADODB.Recordset
'Khai bao cau lenh Query
Dim SQLstr As String
'Khai bao connection string
Dim connectionstring As String
Dim dbstring As String
'Duong dan den file import
Dim fdlg As FileDialog
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
'Chon datafile
With Application.FileDialog(msoFileDialogFilePicker)
.AllowMultiSelect = False
.Filters.Clear
.Filters.Add "Access files", "*.accdb, *.mdb"
If .Show = True Then
datapath = .SelectedItems(1)
Else
Exit Sub
End If
End With
'Chon file import
Set fdlg = Application.FileDialog(msoFileDialogFilePicker)
With fdlg
.AllowMultiSelect = False
.Filters.Clear
.Filters.Add "Excel files", "*.xls,*.xlsx,*.xlsm"
If .Show = True Then
importstring = .SelectedItems(1)
Else
Exit Sub
End If
End With
'Connect to Database
Set connection = New ADODB.connection
With connection
.Provider = "Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0"
.connectionstring = "Data Source=" & datapath & ";"
.ConnectionTimeout = 30
.Open
If .State = adStateOpen Then
MsgBox "welcome " & Environ("Username") & " ket noi den database"
Else: Exit Sub
End If
End With
Dim a, c As Integer
Dim b, d As Integer
Dim ImpWb As Workbook
Dim ImpWs As Worksheet
Set ImpWb = Application.Workbooks.Open(importstring)
ImpWb.Application.Visible = True
Set ImpWs = ImpWb.Worksheets("Sheet1")
With ImpWs.UsedRange
a = .Rows.Count
b = .Columns.Count
For c = 2 To a
For d = 1 To b
SQLstr = "Insert into Test values(" & Cells(c, d).Value & ")"
connection.Execute SQLstr
Next d
Next c
End With
ImpWb.Close
connection.Close
Set ImpWs = Nothing
Set ImpWb = Nothing
Set connection = Nothing
End Sub

Answer 1

From the comments above it's become clearer now that the issue you face is how to build the SQL statements inside VBA. However, you are very much closer than you think.
This function below will build an insert statement for each row of data provided the columns in the Excel tab is exactly equal to and in exact order as the fields in the SQL table. It also will combine all the inserts into one statement so you can execute all the rows at once.
With ImpWs.UsedRange
a = .Rows.Count
b = .Columns.Count
For c = 2 To a
SQLstr = SQLstr & "INSERT INTO TEST VALUES("
For d = 1 To b
SQLstr = SQLStr & .Cells(c, d).Value & iif(d <> b, ",","")
Next d
SQLstr = SQLStr & ");"
Next c
End With
The other caveat is that assumes all fields are numerical. If you have some text fields you will have to add ' before and after each field, like ' & .Cells(c, d).Value & & '. If you know the columns that need text, you can modify the input with a Select Case on column number as needed.

Answer 2

Hi you recognize or discovered already the magic connection.execute function. Here is the music playing. All its need is a valid SQL string to insert. That's (nearly) all.
SQL Strings can be fired single by single or a bunch separated by a ";" at the end
INSERT INTO table1 (column1,column2 ,..)
VALUES
(value1,value2 ,...),
(value1,value2 ,...),
...
(value1,value2 ,...); --<<<<<<<<<<< see the ";"
In your case you has to define the affected columns in the first line and then just all the values for a line inside the braces. If this do not work - something is wrong with the SQL string. You can use access which has a nice SQL builder to create a sql template or maybe use a online sql tester to see if your sql is valid. For testing purposes i suggest to just add one line first. And another hint: The values has to be escaped ! So add first something trivial like "abc" or 1234 just to check out the principle function. Life datas might have things like this >"< inside or "," or other things which could be seen as sql statement. Which will end up like it will do nothing at all. So read the manual how access escaped such poisoned text fragments ;) And implement a function to avoid that. SQLITE has a nice tutorial and example page. SQLITE is nearly like access. To get a overview i would read there first and the M$ documentation a biut later. Have fun :)

Answer 3

There is also this approach using SQL
Sub test()
Dim c As ADODB.Connection
Dim s As String
Dim strSQL As String
s = "Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;" & _
"Data Source=c:\…...\TestDBs\API_TEST.accdb;" & _
"Persist Security Info=False;"
Set c = New ADODB.Connection
c.ConnectionString = s
c.Open
' Excel workbook, sheet name test1
strSQL = "INSERT INTO tblDestination ( Firstname )" & _
"SELECT [test1$].FirstName " & _
"FROM [EXCEL 12.0;HDR=YES;IMEX=2;DATABASE=C:\Databases\csv\test1.xlsx].[test1$];"
c.Execute strSQL
c.Close
End Sub