Excel Function to Make SQL-Like Queries on Worksheet Data

Excel function to make SQL-like queries on worksheet data?

You can use Get External Data (despite its name), located in the 'Data' tab of Excel 2010, to set up a connection in a workbook to query data from itself. Use From Other Sources From Microsoft Query to connect to Excel

Once set up you can use VBA to manipulate the connection to, among other thing, view and modify the SQL command that drives the query. This query does reference the in memory workbook, so doesn't require a save to refresh the latest data.

Here's a quick Sub to demonstrate accessing the connection objects

Sub DemoConnection()
    Dim c As Connections
    Dim wb As Workbook
    Dim i As Long
    Dim strSQL As String
    
    Set wb = ActiveWorkbook
    Set c = wb.Connections
    For i = 1 To c.Count
        ' Reresh the data
        c(i).Refresh 
        ' view the SQL query
        strSQL = c(i).ODBCConnection.CommandText
        MsgBox strSQL
    Next
End Sub

Excel Equivalent of SQL query SELECT A.one, B.two FROM A INNER JOIN B ON A.three = B.three

Assuming your sheets are as follows:

Sheet1

Sheet2

In Cell A2 of Sheet3 enter the formula

=IFERROR(INDEX(Sheet1!$A$2:$A$8,MATCH(SMALL(IF(COUNTIF(Sheet1!$C$2:$C$10,Sheet2!$C$2:$C$10),Sheet2!$C$2:$C$10),ROW(1:1)),Sheet1!$C$2:$C$8,0)),"")

and in Cell B2 of Sheet3 enter the following formula

=IFERROR(INDEX(Sheet2!$B$2:$B$8,MATCH(SMALL(IF(COUNTIF(Sheet1!$C$2:$C$10,Sheet2!$C$2:$C$10),Sheet2!$C$2:$C$10),ROW(1:1)),Sheet1!$C$2:$C$8,0)),"")

Both the above formula are array formula so commit it by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Enter. Drag/Copy down as required. See image for reference.

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If you also want to display third column of first two sheets in Sheet3 (which is ID in my sample sheet) then enter following formula in Cell A2

=IFERROR(SMALL(IF(COUNTIF(Sheet1!$C$2:$C$10,Sheet2!$C$2:$C$10),Sheet2!$C$2:$C$10),ROW(1:1)),"")

This is also an array formula. In Cell B2 enter

=IFERROR(INDEX(Sheet1!$A$2:$A$8,MATCH(A2,Sheet1!$C$2:$C$8,0)),"")

And in Cell C2 enter

=IFERROR(INDEX(Sheet2!$B$2:$B$8,MATCH(A2,Sheet2!$C$2:$C$8,0)),"")

Drag/Copy down as required. See image below.

Got this from @ScottCraner's answer here.

There's another way of achieving this without using using formula and VBA. See if this helps.

How to run a SQL query on an Excel table?

There are many fine ways to get this done, which others have already suggestioned. Following along the "get Excel data via SQL track", here are some pointers.

1. Excel has the "Data Connection Wizard" which allows you to import or link from another data source or even within the very same Excel file.

2. As part of Microsoft Office (and OS's) are two providers of interest: the old "Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB", and the latest "Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB". Look for them when setting up a connection (such as with the Data Connection Wizard).

3. Once connected to an Excel workbook, a worksheet or range is the equivalent of a table or view. The table name of a worksheet is the name of the worksheet with a dollar sign ("$") appended to it, and surrounded with square brackets ("[" and "]"); of a range, it is simply the name of the range. To specify an unnamed range of cells as your recordsource, append standard Excel row/column notation to the end of the sheet name in the square brackets.

4. The native SQL will (more or less be) the SQL of Microsoft Access. (In the past, it was called JET SQL; however Access SQL has evolved, and I believe JET is deprecated old tech.)

5. Example, reading a worksheet: SELECT * FROM [Sheet1$]

6. Example, reading a range: SELECT * FROM MyRange

7. Example, reading an unnamed range of cells: SELECT * FROM [Sheet1$A1:B10]

8. There are many many many books and web sites available to help you work through the particulars.

Further notes

By default, it is assumed that the first row of your Excel data source contains column headings that can be used as field names. If this is not the case, you must turn this setting off, or your first row of data "disappears" to be used as field names. This is done by adding the optional HDR= setting to the Extended Properties of the connection string. The default, which does not need to be specified, is HDR=Yes. If you do not have column headings, you need to specify HDR=No; the provider names your fields F1, F2, etc.

A caution about specifying worksheets: The provider assumes that your table of data begins with the upper-most, left-most, non-blank cell on the specified worksheet. In other words, your table of data can begin in Row 3, Column C without a problem. However, you cannot, for example, type a worksheet title above and to the left of the data in cell A1.

A caution about specifying ranges: When you specify a worksheet as your recordsource, the provider adds new records below existing records in the worksheet as space allows. When you specify a range (named or unnamed), Jet also adds new records below the existing records in the range as space allows. However, if you requery on the original range, the resulting recordset does not include the newly added records outside the range.

Data types (worth trying) for CREATE TABLE: Short, Long, Single, Double, Currency, DateTime, Bit, Byte, GUID, BigBinary, LongBinary, VarBinary, LongText, VarChar, Decimal.

Connecting to "old tech" Excel (files with the xls extention): Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source=C:\MyFolder\MyWorkbook.xls;Extended Properties=Excel 8.0;. Use the Excel 5.0 source database type for Microsoft Excel 5.0 and 7.0 (95) workbooks and use the Excel 8.0 source database type for Microsoft Excel 8.0 (97), 9.0 (2000) and 10.0 (2002) workbooks.

Connecting to "latest" Excel (files with the xlsx file extension): Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;Data Source=Excel2007file.xlsx;Extended Properties="Excel 12.0 Xml;HDR=YES;"

Treating data as text: IMEX setting treats all data as text. Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;Data Source=Excel2007file.xlsx;Extended Properties="Excel 12.0 Xml;HDR=YES;IMEX=1";

(More details at http://www.connectionstrings.com/excel)

More information at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-US/library/ms141683(v=sql.90).aspx, and at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/316934

Connecting to Excel via ADODB via VBA detailed at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/257819

Microsoft JET 4 details at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/275561

How to use a sql query and get data from one Excel sheet to another in VBA?

Below is a simple connection and query to another workbook.

Sub simple_Query()
    Dim cn As ADODB.Connection
    Dim rs As ADODB.Recordset

    dbpath = "your path here"
    Set cn = CreateObject("ADODB.Connection")
    Set rs = CreateObject("ADODB.Recordset")
    strSQL = "SELECT * FROM [Sheet1$] "
    Set vNewWB = Workbooks.Add 'or .CopyFromRecordset rs to open workbook
    connstr = "Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;Data source=" & dbpath & ";Extended Properties=""Excel 12.0; HDR=YES; IMEX=1""; Mode=Read;"
    cn.Open connstr
    Set rs = cn.Execute(CommandText:=strSQL)
    vNewWB.Sheets(1).Range("A2").CopyFromRecordset rs
    For intcolIndex = 0 To rs.Fields.Count - 1
        Range("A1").Offset(O, intcolIndex).Value = rs.Fields(intcolIndex).Name
    Next
    rs.Close
    cn.Close
    Set cn = Nothing
    Set rs = Nothing
End Sub

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