The following procedure describes how to access your COBOL data from Excel Version 7.0, the spreadsheet component of Microsoft Office 95. Another procedure has been provided for users of Excel 2000 (the version that comes with Microsoft Office 2000). If you have a different version of Excel, follow whichever procedure you desire. Even though your steps may be slightly different, the concepts will be largely the same.
To access data from Excel 7.0:
1. Start Excel.
2. Select "Add-Ins" from the Tool menu.
A dialog box displays.
3. Check the "MS Query Add-In" check box, and click "OK." If this add-in does not appear on your list, reinstall Excel, being sure to select "MS Query" from the list of functions to install.
4. Select "Get External Data" from the Data menu.
This invokes Microsoft Query. The Select Data Source dialog box displays.
5. Click on "Other." The "ODBC Data Sources" dialog box displays. This lists all of the DSNs that you have established for ODBC. (Refer to Section 3.1, Data Source Names (DSNs), for instructions on creating DSNs.)
6. Select the DSN that corresponds to the data source you want to access. The previous dialog box displays again, this time with the new DSN listed.
7. Click "Use." A dialog box displays. This box lets you select the tables to add to your Excel spreadsheet.
8. Select the table or tables that you want to add (e.g., "customer"), then click "Add." Close the box when you're done. For each table you selected, a list box displays on the MS Query screen. This list box lists all of the columns in the associated table.
9. Double-click each column that you want to read into your spreadsheet, and that column displays on the screen. If you want to add all columns, double click the "*" at the top of the list box.
10. To enter a SQL statement, click the "SQL" button on the button bar. The SQL box displays.
In this box, type the SQL statement you want to invoke. Press "OK" when you're done. (For a description of the SQL commands supported by AcuODBC, refer to Section 6.3, SQL Syntax Supported by AcuODBC.)
11. Select "Return Data to Excel" from the MS Query File menu.
A list of options displays:
12. Select the options of interest and click "OK." You are returned to Excel. The data you selected displays in the current Excel spreadsheet.