Tutorial 11:
Connecting to External Data
Microsoft Excel 2010
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Objectives
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• 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
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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
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• 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
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• 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
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• Fixed-width text
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Importing Data from Text Files
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• 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
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• 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
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• 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
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• 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
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• 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
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• 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
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• 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 XP
• 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
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• Choose Data Source dialog box
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Choose Table and Fields (Columns)XP
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Choose Table and Fields (Columns)XP
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Filtering and Sorting Data
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• Filter Data dialog box
• Sort Order dialog box
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Saving a Query
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• 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 QueryXP
• 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 QueryXP
• Formatted Portfolio worksheet
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Importing Data from Microsoft QueryXP
• Connection Properties dialog box
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Editing a Query
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• 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
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• Revised portfolio table
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Importing Data into PivotTables and
PivotCharts
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• 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 and
PivotCharts
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• PivotTable and PivotChart added to worksheet
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Importing Data into PivotTables
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• Can set PivotTable layout, change labels, and
format data values
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Importing Data into PivotCharts
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• 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
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• 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
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• New Web Query dialog box
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Creating a Web Query
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• Text is imported into worksheet as
unformatted text
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Creating a Web Query
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• 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
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• 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
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• 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
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• Data map of the Data.xml document
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Importing Data from XML
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• 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
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• 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
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• 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
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• 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
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