VBA-SQL UPDATE/INSERT/SELECT to/from Excel worksheet - sql

Question

In a nutshell: I'm making a scheduler for my client and, due to constraints, it needs to be in a single excel file (as small as possible). So one worksheet works as the UI and any others will be tables or settings.
I'm trying to use SQL (to which I'm new) to work with the schedule data on a single worksheet (named "TblEmpDays"). So I need to add/update and retrieve records to/from this worksheet. I was able to get a SELECT query to work with some arbitrary data (and paste to a Range). However, I'm not able to get INSERT or UPDATE to work. I've seen it structured as INSERT INTO [<table name>$] (<field names>) VALUES (<data>);. However this gives me a run-time error "'-2147217900 (80040e14)' Syntax error in INSERT INTO statement."
I'm using VBA to write all of this and I made an SQL helper class to make the query execution easier.
To clarify, my question is: How do I need to construct the INSERT and UPDATE queries? What am I missing? I'm trying to post as much related info as possible, so let me know if I missed anything.
Class SQL:
Private pCn ' As Database
Private pResult 'As Recordset
Private pSqlStr As String
Public Property Get Result()
Result = pResult
End Property
Public Function Init()
Set pCn = CreateObject("ADODB.Connection")
With pCn
.ConnectionString = "Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;" & _
"Data Source=" & ThisWorkbook.FullName & ";" & _
"Extended Properties=""Excel 12.0 Macro;HDR=YES;ReadOnly=False"";"
.Open
End With
End Function
Public Function Cleanup()
If Not (pCn Is Nothing) Then
pCn.Close
Set pCn = Nothing
End If
If Not pResult Is Nothing Then
Set pResult = Nothing
End If
End Function
Public Function CopyResultToRange(rg As Range)
If Not rg Is Nothing And Not pResult Is Nothing Then
rg.CopyFromRecordset pResult
End If
End Function
Public Property Get query() As String
query = pSqlStr
End Property
Public Property Let query(value As String)
pSqlStr = value
End Property
Public Function Execute(Optional sqlQuery As String)
If sqlQuery = "" Then
sqlQuery = query
End If
If Not pCn Is Nothing Then
Set pResult = pCn.Execute(sqlQuery, , CommandTypeEnum.adCmdText Or ExecuteOptionEnum.adExecuteNoRecords)
Else
MsgBox "SQL connection not established"
End If
End Function
Executing function:
Dim s As SQL ' this is the SQL class '
Dim tbl As String
' rcDay=date string, rcIn & rcOut = time strings, rcVac=boolean string, rcSls=number string'
Dim rcName As String, rcDay As String, rcIn As String, rcOut As String, rcVac As String, rcSls As String
Dim qry As String
tbl = "[TblEmpDays$]"
qry = "INSERT INTO <tbl> (name, date, in, out, vac, sales)" & vbNewLine & _
"VALUES ('<name>', '<date>', '<in>', '<out>', '<vac>', <sales>);"
' Set rc* vars '
s.Init
s.query = Replace(Replace(Replace(Replace(Replace(Replace(Replace(qry, _
"<tbl>", tbl), _
"<sales>", rcSls), _
"<vac>", rcVac), _
"<out>", rcOut), _
"<in>", rcIn), _
"<date>", rcDay), _
"<name>", rcName)
MsgBox s.query
s.Execute
s.Cleanup
I've looked all over an can't find a solution. I'm sure I just haven't searched the right phrase or something simple.

Answer 1

I'm posting the solution here since I can't mark his comment as the answer.
Thanks to #Jeeped in the comments, I now feel like an idiot. It turns out three of my field names were using reserved words ("name", "date", and "in"). It always seems to be a subtle detail that does me in...
I renamed these fields in my worksheet (table) and altered the appropriate code. I also had to Cast the input strings into the proper data types. I'm still working the rest of the details out, but here's the new query:
qry = "INSERT INTO <tbl> (empName, empDay, inTime, outTime, vac, sales)" & vbNewLine & _
"VALUES (CStr('<name>'), CDate('<date>'), CDate('<in>'), CDate('<out>'), " & _
"CBool('<vac>'), CDbl(<sales>));"
I needed the CDate() (instead of the #*#) so I could pass in a string.
So CDate('<date>') instead of #<date>#

Answer 2

Consider using a relational database as backend instead of a worksheet for your project. You can continue to use the UI spreadsheet as a frontend. As a Windows product, the Jet/ACE SQL Engine can be a working solution plus it allows multiple user with simultaneous access (with record-level locking). Additionally, Jet/ACE comes equipped with its own SQL dialect for Database Definition Language (DDL) and Database Maniupulation Language (DML) procedures. And Excel can connect to Jet/ACE via ADO/DAO objects. The only difference of Jet/ACE compared to other RDMS is that it is a file level database (not server) and you cannot create a database using SQL. You must first create the database file using VBA or other COM defined language.
Below are working examples of VBA scripts (Clients and Orders tables) in creating a database with DAO, creating tables with ADO, executing action queries, and copying a recordset to worksheet. Integrate these macros into your project. Use error handling and debug.Print to help develop your app. If you do not have MS Access installed, the .accdb file will show in directory but with blank icon. There will be no user interface to manage the file except via code.
Sub CreateDatabase()
On Error GoTo ErrHandle
Dim fso As Object
Dim olDb As Object, db As Object
Dim strpath As String
Const dbLangGeneral = ";LANGID=0x0409;CP=1252;COUNTRY=0"
strpath = "C:\Path\To\Database\File.accdb"
' CREATE DATABASE '
Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set olDb = CreateObject("DAO.DBEngine.120")
If Not fso.FileExists(strpath) Then
Set db = olDb.CreateDatabase(strpath, dbLangGeneral)
End If
Set db = Nothing
Set olDb = Nothing
Set fso = Nothing
MsgBox "Successfully created database!", vbInformation
Exit Sub
ErrHandle:
MsgBox Err.Number & " - " & Err.Description, vbCritical
Exit Sub
End Sub
Sub CreateTables()
On Error GoTo ErrHandle
Dim strpath As String, constr As String
Dim objAccess As Object
Dim conn As Object
strpath = "C:\Path\To\Database\File.accdb"
' CONNECT TO DATABASE '
constr = "Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;Data Source=" & strpath & ";"
Set conn = CreateObject("ADODB.Connection")
conn.Open constr
' CREATE TABLES (RUN ONLY ONCE) '
conn.Execute "CREATE TABLE Clients (" _
& " ClientID AUTOINCREMENT," _
& " ClientName TEXT(255)," _
& " Address TEXT(255)," _
& " Notes TEXT(255)," _
& " DateCreated DATETIME" _
& ");"
conn.Execute "CREATE TABLE Orders (" _
& " OrderID AUTOINCREMENT," _
& " ClientID INTEGER," _
& " Item TEXT(255)," _
& " Price DOUBLE," _
& " OrderDate DATETIME," _
& " Notes TEXT(255)" _
& ");"
' CLOSE CONNECTION '
conn.Close
Set conn = Nothing
MsgBox "Successfully created Clients and Orders tables!", vbInformation
Exit Sub
ErrHandle:
MsgBox Err.Number & " - " & Err.Description, vbCritical
Exit Sub
End Sub
Sub RetrieveDataToWorksheet()
On Error GoTo ErrHandle
Dim strpath As String, constr As String
Dim conn As Object, rs As Object
Dim fld As Variant
strpath = "C:\Path\To\Database\File.accdb"
' OPEN CONNECTION '
constr = "Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;Data Source=" & strpath & ";"
Set conn = CreateObject("ADODB.Connection")
Set rs = CreateObject("ADODB.Recordset")
conn.Open constr
rs.Open "SELECT * FROM Clients" _
& " INNER JOIN Orders ON Clients.ClientID = Orders.ClientID;", conn
' COPY FROM RECORDSET TO WORKSHEET '
Worksheets(1).Activate
Worksheets(1).Range("A4").Select
' COLUMN NAMES '
For Each fld In rs.Fields
ActiveCell = fld.Name
ActiveCell.Offset(0, 1).Select
Next
' ROW VALUES '
Worksheets(1).Range("A5").CopyFromRecordset rs
' CLOSE RECORDSET AND CONNECTION '
rs.Close
conn.Close
Set conn = Nothing
Set rs = Nothing
Exit Sub
ErrHandle:
MsgBox Err.Number & " - " & Err.Description, vbCritical
Exit Sub
End Sub
Sub ActionQueries()
On Error GoTo ErrHandle
Dim strpath As String, constr As String
Dim conn As Object
strpath = "C:\Path\To\Database\File.accdb"
' OPEN CONNECTION '
constr = "Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;Data Source=" & strpath & ";"
Set conn = CreateObject("ADODB.Connection")
conn.Open constr
' APPEND QUERY '
conn.Execute "INSERT INTO Clients (ClientID, ClientName)" _
& " VALUES (" & Worksheets(1).Range("A2") & ", '" & Worksheets(1).Range("B2") & "');"
conn.Execute "INSERT INTO Orders (ClientID, Item, Price)" _
& " VALUES (" & Worksheets(1).Range("A2") & ", " _
& "'" & Worksheets(1).Range("C2") & "', " _
& Worksheets(1).Range("D2") & ");"
' UPDATE QUERY '
conn.Execute "UPDATE Clients " _
& " SET Address = '" & Worksheets(1).Range("E2") & "'" _
& " WHERE ClientID = " & Worksheets(1).Range("A2") & ";"
' DELETE QUERY '
conn.Execute "DELETE FROM Orders " _
& " WHERE ClientID = " & Worksheets(1).Range("A2") & ";"
' CLOSE CONNECTION '
conn.Close
Set conn = Nothing
MsgBox "Successfully updated database!", vbInformation
Exit Sub
ErrHandle:
MsgBox Err.Number & " - " & Err.Description, vbCritical
Exit Sub
End Sub