Chapter 33: Getting Data from External Database Files
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For more settings (applicable for advanced users), click the Properties icon, which is directly to the
right of the Name field in the External Data Properties dialog box. Excel displays the Connection
Properties dialog box.FIGURE 33.12The External Data Properties dialog box enables you to specify various options for an external data range.
Refreshing a query
After performing a query, you can save the workbook file and then retrieve it later. The file con-
tains the data that you originally retrieved from the external database. The external database may
have changed, however, in the interim.Fortunately, Excel saves the query definition with the workbook. Simply move the cell pointer
anywhere within the external data table in the worksheet and then use one of the following
methods to refresh the query:l (^) Right-click and choose Refresh from the shortcut menu.
l Choose Data ➪ Connections ➪ Refresh All.
l (^) Click Refresh in the Workbook Connections dialog box (displayed by choosing
Data ➪ Connections ➪ Connections).
Excel uses your original query to bring in the current data from the external database.
Tip
If you find that refreshing the query causes undesirable results, use the Undo button to “unrefresh” the data. n
Note
A single workbook can hold as many external data ranges as you need. Excel gives each query a unique name,
and you can work with each query independently. Excel automatically keeps track of the query that produces
each external data range. n