Using and Reusing Data Connections

Opening an Entire Access Table in Excel

Working with Data in Text Files

Working with XML Files

Using Microsoft Query to Import Data

Using a Web Query to Return Internet Data

MICROSOFT Excel 2010 is a superb tool for analyzing data, but before you can do any analysis, you have to get the data into Excel. In many cases, the information you need resides somewhere “outside”—on a server, on a Web site, in an XML file, or perhaps in a database program such as Oracle or Microsoft Access. Excel 2010 supports a wide variety of data formats, including SQL Server (and SQL Server Analysis Services), Access, dBase, FoxPro, Oracle, Paradox, and various kinds of text files. We’ll look at some techniques for retrieving external data in this chapter.