Using Excel As Your Database

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This is a guest post by Vijay, our in-house VBA Expert.

Often I have thought, if I could have write “Select EmployeeName From Sheet Where EmployeeID=123” and use this on my excel sheet, my life would be simpler. So today we will learn how to do this.

People spend a lot of time thinking whether to use Excel as their database or not. Eventually they start using Access or SQL Server etc.

Today we will learn how to use Excel as a Database and how to use SQL statements to get what we want.

Excel as a Database – Demo

We will learn how to build this:

Using Excel as your Database - demo

Before we begin:

  1. The entire sheet (where the raw data has been stored) will be referred as one single database table by Excel. This is very important to understand.
  2. This has nothing related with the in-built Table (2007 and greater) / List (2003 and previous) feature of Excel.
  3. If you know SQL (Structured Query Language) your task becomes much easier.

Setting up Excel as Database

We need some raw data and we will utilize Customer Service Dashboard sample database here.

Let’s get started.

First we will design the structure of what all option we want to present for filtering the data, which you can see in the interface below.

Once the user clicks on Show Data we will use a SQL statement to filter-out the data as per the drop down options selected by the user and the put them in the table below.

We will also use another SQL statement to populate the top right hand side table for calls data when all the 3 drop downs have some options selected.

Screen Design

Adding Active-x data objects reference

We need to add a reference to the Microsoft ActiveX Data Objects Library to be able to use the worksheet as a database table. You can do this from Visual Basic Editor > Tools.

VBA References

I usually select the most recent version, however if you are developing a product it will be best suited if you are familiar with the operating system and office version used by the end-user’s system and accordingly select the best version available.

Opening Excel as a Database

Once this is done we need to hit the road with some VBA code.


Public Sub OpenDB()
If cnn.State = adStateOpen Then cnn.Close
cnn.ConnectionString = "Driver={Microsoft Excel Driver (*.xls, *.xlsx, *.xlsm, *.xlsb)};DBQ=" & _
ActiveWorkbook.Path & Application.PathSeparator & ActiveWorkbook.Name
cnn.Open
End Sub

The above procedure is the heart of this post, this is where we define how to use the current Excel workbook as our database.

cnn.ConnectionString = "Driver={Microsoft Excel Driver (*.xls, *.xlsx, *.xlsm, *.xlsb)};DBQ=" & _
ActiveWorkbook.Path & Application.PathSeparator & ActiveWorkbook.Name

On this line, we define all the possible file extensions that we are allowed to create an Excel Workbook and then use as our database.

Let’s understand the code module

When you click on the Update Drop Downs button, the VBA code uses the “Data” worksheet as a table and then finds unique values for Products, Region and Customer Types and then populates them as ListItems for the ComboBox controls.

Example for Products drop down


strSQL = "Select Distinct [Product] From [data$] Order by [Product]"
closeRS
OpenDB
cmbProducts.Clear
rs.Open strSQL, cnn, adOpenKeyset, adLockOptimistic
If rs.RecordCount > 0 Then
Do While Not rs.EOF
cmbProducts.AddItem rs.Fields(0)
rs.MoveNext
Loop
Else
MsgBox "I was not able to find any unique Products.", vbCritical + vbOKOnly
Exit Sub
End If

What is important to notice here is how the Table and Fields have been identified using square brackets unlike traditional SQL where we just provide the name, also the table name has to be suffixed with a $ symbol at the end.

As I have suggested earlier, one entire sheet will be treated as one single table, so if you have multiple datasets that were currently organized within one sheet you may have to create multiple sheets to store that data to be able to use them as tables. This would also make maintenance of data easier.

Using Excel SQL to consolidate two sheets in to one

Many people ask, how to consolidate 2 or more sheets which have the similar data. Well I would have adopted this method and wrote a simple query as below.


SELECT ID, FirstName, MiddleName, LastName, Age, DOB From [Table1$]
UNION ALL
SELECT ID, FirstName, MiddleName, LastName, Age, DOB From [Table2$]

This would allow me to use both the sheets as one table and fetch all of my data into a new sheet.

Download Excel As Database Demo File

Click here to download the demo file & use it to understand this technique.

Do you use Excel as a database?

Do you also user Excel as your database? If yes please put in the comment below how do you use the same and what has been your experience. Leave a comment.

More on VBA & Macros

If you are new to VBA, Excel macros, go thru these links to learn more.

Join our VBA Classes

If you want to learn how to develop applications like these and more, please consider joining our VBA Classes. It is a step-by-step program designed to teach you all concepts of VBA so that you can automate & simplify your work.

Click here to learn more about VBA Classes & join us.

About Vijay

Vijay (many of you know him from VBA Classes), joined chandoo.org full-time this February. He will be writing more often on using VBA, data analysis on our blog. Also, Vijay will be helping us with consulting & training programs. You can email Vijay at sharma.vijay1 @ gmail.com. If you like this post, say thanks to Vijay.

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24 Responses to “Free Excel Risk Map Template”

  1. Ron says:

    Why didn't you include the mitigation or risk IDs in the chart?

    • Chandoo says:

      You can easily add such detail by modifying the TEXTJOIN function. Another way to use them is to add a slicer to highlight all risks that have a specific mitigation strategy or team member assigned to them. I left out those bits fto keep the article short.

      • Rajesh says:

        I tried adding a slicer filter for the mitigation step but the TEXTJOIN is not affected by it. I added a helper column called "Visible" using the AGGREGATE function but I am unable to think of a method to pass that on to the map.
        Could you please help, Chandoo?

        Thanks

      • MyvJ says:

        Hello everyone,

        Another amazing tutorial, great content and tips! My question is about slicers. How do you add slicers to this matrix? I've added 2 columns in my workbook table (Work Stream and Project Name) and I want to be able to filter (slice) the matrix on Project Name, but having some trouble with this. The slicer works fine in the data table, but how do I connect it to the risk matrix, so that only risk titles show up for the selected project?

        Many thanks in advance for your guidance,
        MyvJ

  2. shashi kumar says:

    Can you create a sheet in live stock market data price change with profit and loss graph with time. which could indicate live profit and loss in each time frame 5minute, 10 minute, 15 minute, 30minute, hourly with some modifications

  3. Henrik B. Wieder says:

    Hi

    I've tried to get your formula to work, but likelihood / impact 1/1 does not seem to work.

  4. Sally says:

    Hi Chandoo

    Awesome instructions! Thank you so much, this really helped me.

    I was wondering if it would be possible to list the Risk ID number along with the Risk Title with a dash in between, rather than a bullet point? I have had a try at this but I keep getting a #VALUE error. I can see it's wrong but can't figure out what it should be instead. If you have time do you mind letting me know what I'm doing wrong?

    {=" - " & TEXTJOIN(CHAR(10)&" - ",TRUE,
    IF(RiskRegister[Likelihood]=$A17,IF(RiskRegister[Consequence]=F$3,CONCAT(RiskRegister[ID],RiskRegister[Risk Title]),""),""))}

    Thank you!

    Sally

    • Chandoo says:

      Hey Sally, You are welcome.

      I think the CONCAT inside TEXTJOIN is the culprit. Try this and hopefully you should see the ID too.

      {=" - " & TEXTJOIN(CHAR(10)&" - ",TRUE,
      IF(RiskRegister[Likelihood]=$A17,IF(RiskRegister[Consequence]=F$3,RiskRegister[ID]&RiskRegister[Risk Title],""),""))}

      • Sally says:

        Hi Chandoo
        You're a legend! Thank you so much! I had to make a minor tweak but otherwise it worked perfectly. Here is the tweaked version in case it helps anyone else:

        =TEXTJOIN(CHAR(10),TRUE,
        IF(RiskRegister[Likelihood]=$A8,IF(RiskRegister[Consequence]=C$3,RiskRegister[ID]&" - "&RiskRegister[Risk Title],""),""))

        Thank you again!

        • Ruben says:

          Hi, Im not able to change the formula when trying to add risk Id instead of bullet point.

          trying this: ="• "&TEXTJOIN(CHAR(10)&"• ";TRUE;IF(risks[Probability of Occurance *]=$C5;IF(risks[Severity of potential Impact *]=H$8;risks[Risk ID]&". "[Title *];"");""))

          Cant see any solution on this.

          thankful for help

  5. kris says:

    Hi Chandoo,

    This is perfect - One quick question, How can I add a hyperlink to the risks - So that I can click on the particular risk and it takes me to the actual row of that item.

    Many thanks in advance.

  6. SY says:

    HI Chandoo,

    Is there a way to only display filtered item. Once the list gets big, it's hard to see all risk.

    Kind regards,
    SinYen

  7. Jim says:

    Hi Chandoo,

    Quick question

    1) Is there a way to remove duplicates within each risk block?
    2) Is there a way to have the results in the chart update based on a filter or slicer?

    Thanks a lot

  8. Lebo says:

    Hi Chandoo,

    The risk map is a brilliant tool, and I wanted to the risk map to only show Open risks. How can I do that?

  9. Eric M says:

    Just found this today as I am making a risk matrix as well. I got the formula to work with this, where a risk score is above 30. Risk score = probability*impact*modifier.

    So this works flawlessly, ="- "&TEXTJOIN(CHAR(10)&"- ",TRUE,IF('Risk tracker'!G4:G27>=30,IF(Table1[Urgency]="Now",'Risk tracker'!A4:A27,""),""))

    I am trying to find a range now. Risk score in between 21-29. I tried using the AND function, but I couldnt get it to work. Is there anyway to get this formula to work with a range as mentioned above?

    • Chandoo says:

      Thanks Eric.

      You can't use AND() as it is not able to return arrays. You can try below formula.
      ="- "&TEXTJOIN(CHAR(10)&"- ",TRUE,IF(('Risk tracker'!G4:G27>=21)*('Risk tracker'!G4:G27<=29),IF(Table1[Urgency]="Now",'Risk tracker'!A4:A27,""),""))

  10. Michal says:

    Hello, this template is nice, thank you but im facing a problem when I need to find a range of impact. I cant figure out how..

    My actual form is "="• "&TEXTJOIN(CHAR(10)&"• ";TRUE;IF(Table1[Impact]=A8;Table1[Title];"");"")"

    Where A8 is number "1" so this formula finds everything with impact 1 and shows the titles.
    What I need to get is a range so,
    A8 is "1" and A9 is "2" and I need the formula to find all titles which impact is between 1 and 2.
    I tried the AND function and so on, nothing worked..

    Can you help me please?

  11. masoud says:

    i tried everything in your video in the end i only get the bullet... please guide me through

    • masoud says:

      Sorted it... i was flash filling the other cells and it took other columns...

      i do have another question though... how can i use slicers to filter the content of the matrix, so that it'll show only the departments i select?

      slicer is working fine with the table, but the matrix still shows all the results

  12. JP says:

    Just want to thank you for this.

    It is awesome.

  13. MyvJ says:

    Hello everyone,
    I think I accidentally nested my question in another thread. Apologies!
    This is another amazing Excel tutorial, with great content and tips! My question is about slicers. How do you add slicers to this matrix? I've added 2 columns in my workbook table (Work Stream and Project Name) and I want to be able to filter (slice) the matrix on Project Name, but having some trouble with this. The slicer works fine for the data table, but how do I connect it to the risk matrix, so that only risk titles show up for the selected project?

    Many thanks in advance for your guidance,
    MyvJ

  14. Josy says:

    This is another amazing Excel tutorial! My question is about slicers. How do you add slicers to this matrix? Please advise

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