Who here knows about MSQuery?

[Hawkeye-X]

How does it differ from Access Query?

Hawkeye-X

[LynneSin]

1. I use MS Query when I want to access a Database..

..and import it directly into Excel.

In Excel, you can go to DATA-GET EXTERNAL DATA and set up a query to pull the data directly into excel. I have several spreadsheets that i work with that are updated on a daily basis from SQL databases. I have these spreadsheets setup up so I just click a button and they update automatically.

BUt MSQuery isn't very function. A coworker and I figured that it uses a version of SQL back from the 70s, which limits some of the criteria I would have like to setup for these spreadsheets but just can't.

It's a function DB program if you need to do a daily update that doesn't require alot of criteria to update it. However, most of the databases I work with are either imported from Access or SQL.

Bascially MSQuery is cheap and easy but you get what you pay for!

[sui generis]

2. LynneSin has it right

MS Query isn't as robust as Access but is a great way to pull data into Excel.

What are you trying to do that requires choosing between the two? Excel does have some pretty good "criteria" features that it can pass back into the MS Query, depending on how many rows you are expecting to get back, but it's kind of lame on other functionality.

[Hawkeye-X]

3. What I'm trying to do is this.

As I wrote in experts-exchange.com:

Is it possible to do a query from Access to Excel OR getting Excel to query Access DB? If so, I would appreciate some step-by-step instructions - I'm well versed in Excel, but a newbie in Access.

I need to run several queries from a specific Excel spreadsheet to an Access DB that I have in place.

The Access DB is what used to be an Excel spreadsheet, where I moved all the data info there.

Thanks in advance!

Hawkeye-X

[sui generis]

4. here's what you do:

From inside Excel, go to
Data,
then Get External Data,
then New Database Query using the menu.

You should have a window that pops up and asks you to select a data source, so select Microsoft Access (the one with the asterisk).

Then use the next window to specify the name of the Access database. Once you have done that you will get a list of tables and queries to select from.

After you have selected the query you wish to use, you will be in an interface that allows you to drag down the columns you wish to see in your worksheet.

Click on the fourth icon from the left to return the data to your worksheet (the door with the arrow).

Once you have done all that Excel asks you which cell to use as the upper left cell of the return range, and voila - you have external data. You might want to go to your toolbar and turn on the External Data toolbar which makes it a bit easier to manipulate external data.

sui