DTS: how to dynamically import Excel spreadsheet into SQL Server?

(SQL Server 2000, SP3a)
Hello all!
I have a series of Excel spreadsheets, of which I don't know the columns beforehand, that
I'd like to import into SQL Server. These spreadsheets are pretty simple in that they'll
always have a title row and all the data will be on the primary (first) worksheet. I'd
like to dynamically create a *new* table in my database that maps one-to-one with the
columns in the spreadsheet.
Obviously, from the DTS Designer, this is pretty straightforward using the Transform Data
Task on a specific spreadsheet basis. However, I'd like to make the package dynamic,
where I can specify a spreadsheet, have DTS introspect the spreadsheet columns (is this
even possible?), create a destination table, and squirt the data into the table.
I'd be very grateful for any help anyone can provide! :-)
John Peterson
John,
You can do this with an ad hoc query:
select * into #abc
from OpenRowSet( 'Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0', 'Excel
8.0;Database=c:\excel\yourFile.xls;HDR=YES;IMEX=1' ,Sheet1$)
See the threads at
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=29...8-39393E666E76
for some more information about importing from Excel.
In order to make this dynamic, you'll need to create the entire query
dynamically, something like this:
declare @.sql nvarchar(2000)
set @.sql = 'select * into ##table##
from OpenRowSet( ''Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0'', ''Excel
8.0;Database=c:\excel\##file##.xls;HDR=YES;IMEX=1' ' ,Sheet1$) '
set @.sql = replace(@.sql,'##file##','thisfileistheone')
set @.sql = replace(@.sql,'##table##','thisisthetablenametogive it)
exec(@.sql)
Do not let users type in filenames, or if you do, replace using
QUOTENAME(@.filename,char(39)) and not without the quotename. Failure to
do this opens the door for SQL Injection attacks. See
http://www.sommarskog.se/dynamic_sql.html
Steve Kass
Drew University
John Peterson wrote:

>(SQL Server 2000, SP3a)
>Hello all!
>I have a series of Excel spreadsheets, of which I don't know the columns beforehand, that
>I'd like to import into SQL Server. These spreadsheets are pretty simple in that they'll
>always have a title row and all the data will be on the primary (first) worksheet. I'd
>like to dynamically create a *new* table in my database that maps one-to-one with the
>columns in the spreadsheet.
>Obviously, from the DTS Designer, this is pretty straightforward using the Transform Data
>Task on a specific spreadsheet basis. However, I'd like to make the package dynamic,
>where I can specify a spreadsheet, have DTS introspect the spreadsheet columns (is this
>even possible?), create a destination table, and squirt the data into the table.
>I'd be very grateful for any help anyone can provide! :-)
>John Peterson
>
>
|||Steve Kass <skass@.drew.edu> wrote in message ...
[vbcol=seagreen]

> You can do this with an ad hoc query:
> select * into #abc
> from OpenRowSet( 'Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0', 'Excel
> 8.0;Database=c:\excel\yourFile.xls;HDR=YES;IMEX=1' ,Sheet1$)
Now all the OP needs to know is how to find the name of the first
worksheet. The first sheet isn't necessarily named Sheet1 and vice
versa. Hint: how would you find the name of the first table in a SQL
Server DB?
Jamie.
|||Oh -- that's clever! I think I can work with that -- thanks guys!
One question: does the OPENQUERY operate on the path from the SQL Server? I'm betting
that it does, which adds a considerable wrinkle...
Jamie, in my case, I think that there will only be one Worksheet that I need to worry
about -- so I'm hoping that determining which is the "first" sheet won't be a problem.
Though, if I understand your concern correctly -- it seems like I need to know the *name*
of that worksheet beforehand in the OPENQUERY?
"Jamie Collins" <jamiecollins@.xsmail.com> wrote in message
news:2ed66b75.0407150616.17615762@.posting.google.c om...
> Steve Kass <skass@.drew.edu> wrote in message ...
>
> Now all the OP needs to know is how to find the name of the first
> worksheet. The first sheet isn't necessarily named Sheet1 and vice
> versa. Hint: how would you find the name of the first table in a SQL
> Server DB?
> Jamie.
> --
|||"John Peterson" wrote ...

> Jamie, in my case, I think that there will
> only be one Worksheet that I need to worry
> about -- so I'm hoping that determining which
> is the "first" sheet won't be a problem.
> Though, if I understand your concern correctly
> -- it seems like I need to know the *name*
> of that worksheet beforehand in the OPENQUERY?
Correct, unless you are using a defined Name ('named range') in the
Excel workbook in which case you'd need to know the Name's name.
Jamie.
|||I'm still at kind of an impasse with this. I had thought that Steve's suggestion might
work for me, but there are issues with OPENROWSET that are kind of stymieing me.
Now I'm kind of thinking that if I can introspect the Excel spreadsheet to identify all
the columns that are "in use" and create Transformations for them, maybe I can do
something with that. Problem is, that seems like a *lot* of work.
If anyone has any other suggestions, I'd be obliged!
"Jamie Collins" <jamiecollins@.xsmail.com> wrote in message
news:2ed66b75.0407160030.7a3ae242@.posting.google.c om...
> "John Peterson" wrote ...
>
> Correct, unless you are using a defined Name ('named range') in the
> Excel workbook in which case you'd need to know the Name's name.
> Jamie.
> --
|||John,
You can retrieve the sheet and named region names from an excel file
that has been added as a linked server, if that's some help:
exec sp_tables_ex exlsrv
Can you be more specific about what your Excel file contains and what
you need to retrieve?
Steve
John Peterson wrote:

>I'm still at kind of an impasse with this. I had thought that Steve's suggestion might
>work for me, but there are issues with OPENROWSET that are kind of stymieing me.
>Now I'm kind of thinking that if I can introspect the Excel spreadsheet to identify all
>the columns that are "in use" and create Transformations for them, maybe I can do
>something with that. Problem is, that seems like a *lot* of work.
>If anyone has any other suggestions, I'd be obliged!
>
>"Jamie Collins" <jamiecollins@.xsmail.com> wrote in message
>news:2ed66b75.0407160030.7a3ae242@.posting.google. com...
>
>
>