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Reading and writing an Excel file using VB.NET

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20 Mar 2007CPOL 394.5K   5.8K   49   51
This code helps the user to interact with an Excel file using the OleDBDataProvider in VB.NET.

Screenshot - ExcelSheet.jpg

Introduction

This articles helps user to Insert, Update, Delete, and Select data in Excel files using the OLEDBDataProvider in VB.NET.

Here is the connection string to connect with Excel using OleDBDataProvider:

VB
Private Const connstring As String = "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;" & _
        "Data Source=C:\Test.xls;Extended Properties=""Excel 8.0;HDR=YES;"""

Here is the code on the button click event to select and insert data in an Excel file:

VB
Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, _
        ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
    Dim pram As OleDbParameter
    Dim dr As DataRow
    Dim olecon As OleDbConnection
    Dim olecomm As OleDbCommand
    Dim olecomm1 As OleDbCommand
    Dim oleadpt As OleDbDataAdapter
    Dim ds As DataSet
    Try
        olecon = New OleDbConnection
        olecon.ConnectionString = connstring
        olecomm = New OleDbCommand
        olecomm.CommandText = _
           "Select FirstName, LastName, Age, Phone from [Sheet1$]"
        olecomm.Connection = olecon
        olecomm1 = New OleDbCommand
        olecomm1.CommandText = "Insert into [Sheet1$] " & _
            "(FirstName, LastName, Age, Phone) values " & _
            "(@FName, @LName, @Age, @Phone)"
        olecomm1.Connection = olecon
        pram = olecomm1.Parameters.Add("@FName", OleDbType.VarChar)
        pram.SourceColumn = "FirstName"
        pram = olecomm1.Parameters.Add("@LName", OleDbType.VarChar)
        pram.SourceColumn = "LastName"
        pram = olecomm1.Parameters.Add("@Age", OleDbType.VarChar)
        pram.SourceColumn = "Age"
        pram = olecomm1.Parameters.Add("@Phone", OleDbType.VarChar)
        pram.SourceColumn = "Phone"
        oleadpt = New OleDbDataAdapter(olecomm)
        ds = New DataSet
        olecon.Open()
        oleadpt.Fill(ds, "Sheet1")
        If IsNothing(ds) = False Then
            dr = ds.Tables(0).NewRow
            dr("FirstName") = "Raman"
            dr("LastName") = "Tayal"
            dr("Age") = 24
            dr("Phone") = 98989898
            ds.Tables(0).Rows.Add(dr)
            oleadpt = New OleDbDataAdapter
            oleadpt.InsertCommand = olecomm1
            Dim i As Integer = oleadpt.Update(ds, "Sheet1")
            MessageBox.Show(i & " row affected")
        End If
    Catch ex As Exception
        MessageBox.Show(ex.Message)
    Finally
        olecon.Close()
        olecon = Nothing
        olecomm = Nothing
        oleadpt = Nothing
        ds = Nothing
        dr = Nothing
        pram = Nothing
    End Try
End Sub

License

This article, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The Code Project Open License (CPOL)


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Comments and Discussions

 
GeneralRe: Great more code being posted THAT DOESN'T WORK OUT OF THE BOX. Pin
Raman Tayal28-Jan-09 5:04
Raman Tayal28-Jan-09 5:04 
GeneralRe: Great more code being posted THAT DOESN'T WORK OUT OF THE BOX. Pin
Member 389560128-Jan-09 5:28
Member 389560128-Jan-09 5:28 
GeneralRe: Great more code being posted THAT DOESN'T WORK OUT OF THE BOX. Pin
Raman Tayal28-Jan-09 18:14
Raman Tayal28-Jan-09 18:14 
GeneralRe: Great more code being posted THAT DOESN'T WORK OUT OF THE BOX. Pin
Alejandro Marín20-Oct-09 6:42
Alejandro Marín20-Oct-09 6:42 
GeneralRe: Great more code being posted THAT DOESN'T WORK OUT OF THE BOX. Pin
Raman Tayal21-Oct-09 7:47
Raman Tayal21-Oct-09 7:47 
GeneralMy vote of 1 Pin
Member 389560127-Jan-09 13:59
Member 389560127-Jan-09 13:59 
Questionit takes much time to insert nearly 2000 rows from dataset to Excel. Pin
Uemsh19-Jun-08 4:59
Uemsh19-Jun-08 4:59 
AnswerRe: it takes much time to insert nearly 2000 rows from dataset to Excel. Pin
Raman Tayal23-Jun-08 19:35
Raman Tayal23-Jun-08 19:35 
Hi
Sorry for my delayed response to your query. I have gone through your code and my understanding is you are trying to fetch the data from one excel or any database and put the same into some other excel file or any database. I have found some performance issues in your code. I have try to simulate the same case at my end and which is working perfectly and take approximate some couple of seconds to do all the processing.

Following are the details for the same

I have taken 2 buttons on my windows application one for fetching the data and one for inserting the data. In this code I am reading more than 2000 records from Test.xls file and inserting the same in Test1.xls file. One thing I am assuming here is xls file are already present on your system.

Dim olecon As OleDbConnection
Dim oleadpt As OleDbDataAdapter
Dim ds As DataSet

Private Const connstring As String = "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;" & _
"Data Source=C:\Test.xls;Extended Properties=""Excel 8.0;HDR=YES;"""

Private Const connstring1 As String = "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;" & _
"Data Source=C:\Test1.xls;Extended Properties=""Excel 8.0;HDR=YES;"""

Private Sub btnFetch_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button2.Click
Dim olecomm As OleDbCommand
Try
olecon = New OleDbConnection
olecon.ConnectionString = connstring
olecomm = New OleDbCommand
olecomm.CommandText = "Select FirstName, LastName, Age, Phone from [Sheet1$]"
olecomm.Connection = olecon
oleadpt = New OleDbDataAdapter(olecomm)
ds = New DataSet
olecon.Open()
oleadpt.Fill(ds, "Sheet1")
If (IsNothing(ds) = False) Then
DataGridView1.DataSource = ds.Tables(0)
End If
Catch ex As Exception
MessageBox.Show(ex.Message)
Finally
olecon.Close()
olecon = Nothing
olecomm = Nothing
oleadpt = Nothing
End Try
End Sub


Private Sub btnInsert_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
Dim pram As OleDbParameter
Dim dr As DataRow
Dim olecomm1 As OleDbCommand
Try
olecon = New OleDbConnection
olecon.ConnectionString = connstring1
olecomm1 = New OleDbCommand
olecomm1.CommandText = "Insert into [Sheet1$] " & _
"(FirstName, LastName, Age, Phone) values (@FName, @LName, @Age, @Phone)"
olecomm1.Connection = olecon
pram = olecomm1.Parameters.Add("@FName", OleDbType.VarChar)
pram.SourceColumn = "FirstName"
pram = olecomm1.Parameters.Add("@LName", OleDbType.VarChar)
pram.SourceColumn = "LastName"
pram = olecomm1.Parameters.Add("@Age", OleDbType.VarChar)
pram.SourceColumn = "Age"
pram = olecomm1.Parameters.Add("@Phone", OleDbType.VarChar)
pram.SourceColumn = "Phone"
If (IsNothing(ds) = False) Then
For Each dr In ds.Tables(0).Rows
dr.SetAdded()
Next
oleadpt = New OleDbDataAdapter
oleadpt.InsertCommand = olecomm1
olecon.Open()
Dim i As Integer = oleadpt.Update(ds, "Sheet1")
MessageBox.Show(i & " row affected")
End If
Catch ex As Exception
MessageBox.Show(ex.Message)
Finally
If (IsNothing(olecon) = False) Then
olecon.Close()
End If
olecon = Nothing
olecomm1 = Nothing
dr = Nothing
pram = Nothing
End Try
End Sub


I hope this will answer your query.

Please feel free to write me in case of any query

Raman Tayal
Microsoft Certified Application Developer .NET
My Blog: - http://ramantayal.blogspot.com/

GeneralRe: it takes much time to insert nearly 2000 rows from dataset to Excel. Pin
Uemsh8-Jul-08 11:44
Uemsh8-Jul-08 11:44 
Questionhow can I insert these dataset into my databse Pin
lama819858-May-08 2:50
lama819858-May-08 2:50 
GeneralRead Excel (xls) file which is present on internet (by using VB.Net) Pin
kirangh5-May-08 21:45
kirangh5-May-08 21:45 
GeneralRe: Read Excel (xls) file which is present on internet (by using VB.Net) Pin
SCL_896-Aug-09 22:11
SCL_896-Aug-09 22:11 
GeneralThird party components Pin
FilipKrnjic28-Apr-08 4:04
FilipKrnjic28-Apr-08 4:04 
QuestionError on reading excel file Pin
neelu777930-Oct-07 23:11
neelu777930-Oct-07 23:11 
AnswerRe: Error on reading excel file Pin
Raman Tayal31-Oct-07 18:03
Raman Tayal31-Oct-07 18:03 
GeneralRe: Error on reading excel file [modified] Pin
neelu77791-Nov-07 7:01
neelu77791-Nov-07 7:01 
Generalhelp me Pin
slayer_stb30-Oct-07 18:24
slayer_stb30-Oct-07 18:24 
GeneralRe: help me Pin
Raman Tayal31-Oct-07 18:34
Raman Tayal31-Oct-07 18:34 
GeneralRe: help me Pin
Mick_wijaya30-Jul-08 21:50
Mick_wijaya30-Jul-08 21:50 
Generalpassword protected excel Pin
kenchua525-Jul-07 20:33
kenchua525-Jul-07 20:33 
GeneralRe: password protected excel Pin
privacy space29-Feb-08 3:04
privacy space29-Feb-08 3:04 
GeneralDelete and update Pin
amu rath8-May-07 0:48
amu rath8-May-07 0:48 
GeneralAbout Excel Pin
G.NaaNee12-Apr-07 2:22
G.NaaNee12-Apr-07 2:22 
GeneralRe: About Excel Pin
Raman Tayal12-Apr-07 6:06
Raman Tayal12-Apr-07 6:06 
GeneralRe: About Excel Pin
B_u_n_d_y5-Mar-08 8:51
B_u_n_d_y5-Mar-08 8:51 

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