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Excel-DB installation and configuration
Excel-DB has easy-to-use installation and configuration.
Just click on the links below for complete details:
Excel-DB Installation
This chapter provides an
overview of installing EXCEL-DB. It will also assist in
configuration database connections.
Overview of the installation
process
This installation
process consists of four parts:
1.
Verify the installation
requirements
2.
Install the software
3.
Post Configuration and
registration
4.
Configure the connections
to the databases
Installation Requirements
The following are
the requirements to install EXCEL-DB.
1.
Windows Operating system –
XP, 2000, 2003
2.
Microsoft Excel 97, 2000,
2002 (XP) or 2003
3.
2 MBs of hard disk space
Installing the EXCEL-DB
software
After unzipping your file into
a directory, that directory should contain the following
files:
setup.exe
setup.lst
libSQLXL.cab
Follow these steps to install
the software:
1.
Start Windows Explorer
2.
Navigate to the directory
where you unzipped the files.
3.
Double click on the
Setup.exe file.
4.
Depending on your setup,
you may receive a security warning, Figure 1. Simply
press the Run button.
Figure
1: Security Warning
5. The
installation will begin, Figure 2. It is recommended to
close all other running programs before continuing with the
installation process. Press the OK button in order to
continue the installation process.
Figure 2: Initial Excel-DB installation screen
6.
The
next screen allows you to modify the install directory.
The default directory is
C:\Program
Files\Excel-DB\.
To change
the install directory, click on the Change Directory
button or press Alt-C. When the browse window appear,
navigate to the directory you wish to use. The directory
must already exist
7.
To
continue the installation, press the computer icon button
8. Next
you will specify the Windows Program Group to install the
program icons. The default Program Group is Excel-DB.
Click on Continue to resume the installation. Figure 3.
Figure 3:
Program Group specification
9.
The
installation of the Excel-DB files will continue, Figure 4.
Figure
4: Installation of the Excel-DB files
10. The
software will attempt to install some system files which may
be older than the files already present on your system. If
this happens, you will receive a error screen similar to
Figure 5. If you receive this warning, it is recommended
that you keep the current file by pressing the Yes
button.
Figure
5: Warning screen
11. The
installation is complete when the following screen is
received, Figure 6. Press the OK button to finish
the installation.
Figure 6:
Completion of the Excel-DB install.
Excel-DB
Starting:
After the
installation has completed, Excel-DB must be attached to
Microsoft Excel. This process only needs to be
accomplished once. After attaching it to Microsoft Excel,
Excel-DB will be launched every time you start Microsoft
Excel. To start EXCEL-DB for the first
time use one of the following methods: (top)
-
Start Excel-DB from your computer's Start menu:
Click Start -->Programs -->Excel-DB --> Excel-DB
This will start Excel and load the EXCEL-DB module. If you
have Microsoft Excel already open it will just add the menu
and toolbar. To use EXCEL-DB simply click the EXCEL-DB menu
or click on the connect icon in the EXCEL-DB toolbar.
-
Start Excel-DB by double clicking sqlxl.xla:
In Windows Explorer find the EXCEL-DB installation
directory (usually c:\program files\ Excel-DB) and
double click on the sqlxl.xla file.
This will start Microsoft Excel and load the EXCEL-DB
module. If you have Excel already open it will just add the
menu and toolbar. To use EXCEL-DB simply click the EXCEL-DB
menu or click on the connect icon in the EXCEL-DB toolbar.
-
Start Excel-DB from Microsoft Excel:
In Microsoft Excel use File|Open and open the
sqlxl.xla file from the EXCEL-DB installation directory
(usually c:\program files\ Excel-DB).
This will load the EXCEL-DB module and add the EXCEL-DB menu
and toolbar. To use EXCEL-DB simply click the EXCEL-DB menu
or click on the connect icon in the EXCEL-DB toolbar.
Excel-DB
Configuration
On first use
Microsoft Excel will display a warning that you are trying
to start a file with macros. EXCEL-DB contains macros so it
can do its work.
To avoid this
annoying question again find instructions below:
Excel 97
users:
You can simply click Yes to indicate that you trust
EXCEL-DB. Microsoft Excel will not ask you this again.
Excel 2000
users:
Click "Enable Macros" to indicate that you want to start
EXCEL-DB. If you check the "Always trust macros from this
source) box Microsoft Excel will not ask you this again. If
you do not check the box Excel will ask you this again each
time you use EXCEL-DB.
Excel 2002
(XP) & 2003 users:
Click "Enable Macros" to indicate that you want to start
EXCEL-DB. If this option is grayed out Excel's security
will be set to high. Set it temporarily to medium to specify
that you trust EXCEL-DB. Simply set security back to high
again when you have indicated to trust EXCEL-DB.
Note: Do
not set the security to very high as that prevents all
macros from being executed.
In Micosoft
Excel go to Tools|Options|Security|Macro Security.
If you check
the "Always trust macros from this source" box Microsoft
Excel will not ask you this again. If you do not check the
box Excel will ask you this again each time you use
EXCEL-DB.
Excel-DB
Registration
Upon
initial installation you will be required to enter in a
trial activation code or registration code. You will
receive a window similar to Figure 8.
Figure 8: Registration or Activation screen
You
must enter a Activation Code or Registration Code in order
to use EXCEL-DB. Press the correct button in order to enter
the code. In Figure 8, a registration code has been
entered and the Notes box indicates the correct code.
After
entering the code, press Close.
Configure connections to a database
EXECL-DB can connect to many different database types.
EXCEL-DB connections to databases have to be configured only
once. As soon as a connection is established you can pick it
from the Connection History list on the Connection dialog.
The
following types of databases can be connected. Listed are
the connection methods used to access the database.
-
Access
-
Active Directory
using OLE DB
-
Advantage
-
Cache - Intersystems
through ODBC
-
IBM DB2
-
dBase
through ODBC
-
Indexing Service
through OLE DB
-
MS Excel
through ODBC
-
Firebird
through ODBC
-
MS Project
through OLE DB
-
MS Visual Foxpro
Databases through ODBC
-
MS Visual Foxpro
Tables through ODBC
-
MySQL
through ODBC
-
Oracle
-
using OO4O
-
using OLE DB
-
using ODBC
-
using the Oracle
Instant Client (IC)
-
Paradox
through ODBC
-
PostgreSQL
-
QuickBooks
through QODBC
-
SQL Anywhere (Sybase
Adaptive Server Anywhere)
through ODBC
-
SQL Server
-
Text files
through ODBC
-
XML files
through OLE DB
If your
database and driver is not in the list please read the
general information below.
All
connections are made by opening the Connection History
List. You open the connection dialog clicking on the
connect button  on
the Excel-DB bar or by selecting Excel-DB|Connect from the
main menu. The Connection History is shown in Figure 9.
Figure
9: Connection History List
To
configure a new connection, click on the New Connection
button. This will open the New Database Connection window
shown in Figure 10. From this window, you can pick the
different types of connections you will want to make to
databases.
If your
connection is to an Oracle database you can just type in the
username, password and database alias (as it is setup in the
tnsnames.ora file). This technique will use the OO4O (Oracle
Objects for OLE) driver.
If your
connection is to a non Oracle database or if you wish to use
an ODBC or OLE DB driver to Oracle, you have to use the
Advanced Connections button on the Connection dialog. The
connection type has to be set to Excel-DB ADO. You need to
create a new ADO connection which will be available from the
Connections History list after successful setup
Figure 10: New Database Connection window
Setting
up and new ADO connection involves setting up a User or
System DSN for ODBC drivers. You do this on the ODBC Data
Source Administrator window. Note that you don't need to
create a DSN for OLE DB connections. Finally you need to go
through the Datalink Properties Wizard to configure your
connection.
It's
not as complicated as it sounds. Look at the Datalink
Properties Wizard help first. Detailed information is given
for the most common databases and drivers. If you want to
connect through ODBC have a look at the Data Source
Administrator window topic as well.
Please
see the Excel-DB help file for further information or
contact
support@excel-db.net for customer support.
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