ADODB object ignoring text in excel - sql

Question

I have a data table in excel with both numbers and text in the store number column. I need to use sql through an ADODB object in VBA to get a list of the store numbers in the column. I'm using the following to set up the ADODB.
The problem: If the query hits a number first then the field is treated as numbers and texts are ignored. and if a text is hit first the numbers are ignored.
I'm using the following to set up the ADODB. These are in the worksheet module hints me..
Public Function Query(qry As String) As ADODB.Recordset
Dim cn As ADODB.Connection '* Connection String
Dim rs As ADODB.Recordset '* Record Set
Dim sQuery As String '* Query String
Dim FileName As String
On Error GoTo QryErr
Set cn = New ADODB.Connection
FileName = ThisWorkbook.Path & "\" & ThisWorkbook.Name
cn.ConnectionString = "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source=" & FileName & _
";Extended Properties=Excel 8.0;Persist Security Info=False"
cn.ConnectionTimeout = 40
cn.Open
Set rs = New ADODB.Recordset
Select Case LCase(qry)
Case "dry": sQuery = SQLDry
Case "frz": sQuery = SQLFrz
Case "fsh": sQuery = SQLFsh
Case "temp": sQuery = SQLTemp
Case Else: GoTo QryErr
End Select
rs.ActiveConnection = cn
rs.Source = sQuery
rs.Open
Set Query = rs
If Not rs Is Nothing Then Set rs = Nothing
If Not cn Is Nothing Then Set cn = Nothing
QryErr:
If Err <> 0 Then
Debug.Assert Err = 0
MsgBox Err.Description
End If
End Function
And I have the following for the SQL portion.
Private Function SQLTemp() As String
Dim Name As String
Name = Me.Name
SQLTemp = "SELECT str([" & Name & "$].Store) as Store " & _
"FROM [" & Name & "$] " & _
"GROUP BY [" & Name & "$].Store"
End Function
As you can see I've tryed converting the field to str() but it doesn't help.
How can I get the query to treat the column as text so that all values are returned. I'd like to avoid putting ' in front of all my numbers.

Answer 1

Asked 5 years ago! I had the same problem. The solution for me was to change the data type of the offending columns (those with "special characters" and "TEXT" datatype) to "VARCHAR", or you can remove in the query the special characters, or change the CharacterSet by means of Schema.ini, as #Tim Williams suggests (msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms709353(v=vs.85).aspx).