Access Data Analysis Cookbook

Chapter 7. Importing and Exporting Data

In many cases, the data you want to analyze isn’t in the tool you want to use. This means that you’ll frequently need to import data from other applications into Access so that you can use Access’ tools, or, if you want to use a different tool to look at your Access data, you’ll need to export your data. There are a number of possible approaches for doing this.

In this chapter, you’ll learn how to import and export data using Access’ tools, how to write Access code to save or load data, and how to process data using XML files. You’ll also learn how to exchange data between Access and other Office tools (Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook). Additional recipes detail sharing data with SQL Server, creating an RSS feed from Access, and more.

Creating an Import/Export Specification

Problem

I have to import the same information into my Access database on a regular basis. Having to specify all of the options each time I import the file can lead to mistakes, not to mention extra work. Is there a way to save the specifications I choose when I import or export a file?

Solution

You can store the information you specify while importing or exporting a file as an import/export specification. The specification becomes part of your Access database, which you can use each time you import or export a file.

To create an import/export specification, you simply use the appropriate Import or Export Wizard, and, after you’ve finished making all your choices, save the specification ...