Link to home
Start Free TrialLog in
Avatar of pdvsa
pdvsaFlag for United States of America

asked on

Link to Excel data, make a report

Experts,

I have a flat file from the companies db.
I want to make a report off of it.

Is it better to link to the excel file or import it?  

I seem to remember there could be naming issues (error msg boxes) if imported and access wants to change the names of the columns.  Not sure if you get this error if linking.  

any other tips I would appreciate as I have never done this.

thank you
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
Avatar of SarahDaisy8
SarahDaisy8

Link to home
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
Start Free Trial
SOLUTION
Avatar of Dale Fye
Dale Fye
Flag of United States of America image

Link to home
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
Start Free Trial
Avatar of pdvsa

ASKER

Sorry for my late reply.  On vacation at the moment.  

If I need to edit the data, can I do this with the link or is it better to import?  I probably won't have to edit the data but there could be a case where I might.  I think if I click the linked table it might display as a table inside of access and I can edit if not mistaken.

Thank you
Avatar of pdvsa

ASKER

Ok I have this about done now.  

Just one more question:
Should the excel data have an [ID]?   currently the raw excel data has no [ID].  I think I will need one if I want to make a clickable hyperlink to the record to modify the record instead of manually finding it in the thousands of rows.  Not sure how to best approach this since the raw data would have to be modified and I would prefer for it not be be modified if not easily done and done automatically.  Another dept will use this and they dont know anything about Access.  

thank you for your advice....