Part V: Analyzing Data with Excel
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One approach to this task is to import the entire Access file into a worksheet using the method
described earlier in this chapter (see “Importing Access Tables”). When the table is imported, you
can filter it to display only the rows that meet the specified criteria. This approach works because
this particular table isn’t very large. However, in some cases, the number of records in the table
may exceed the number of rows in a worksheet.The advantage of using Query is that it imports only the data that’s required. And, after you import
the data, you can refresh the query at any time to bring in updated data.Selecting a data source
Begin with an empty worksheet. Choose Data ➪ Get External Data ➪ From Other Sources ➪
From Microsoft Query, which displays the Choose Data Source dialog box, as shown in Figure 33.4.
This dialog box contains three tabs:l (^) Databases: Lists the data sources that are known to Query. This tab may be empty,
depending on which data sources are defined on your system.
l (^) Queries: Contains a list of stored queries. Again, this tab may or may not be empty.
l OLAP Cubes: Lists OLAP databases available for query.
FIGURE 33.4
The Choose Data Source dialog box.
Your system may have some data sources already defined. If so, they appear in the list on the
Databases tab. To set up a new data source, use the New Data Source option. For this example,
choose New Data Source and click OK. The Create New Data Source dialog box, which has four
parts, appears:
- Enter a descriptive name for the data source. For this example, use the name Budget
Database. - Select a driver for the data source by selecting from the list of installed drivers. For
this example, choose Microsoft Access Driver (.mdb, .accdb).