Microsoft Office

Part V
Analyzing Data with Excel
Understanding Some Database Terminology
People who spend their days working with databases seem to have their own special language. The following
terms can help you hold your own among a group of database experts:
n External database: A collection of data stored in one or more files (not Excel files). A database
contains one or more tables, and tables are composed of records and fields.
n Field: A component of a database table, it corresponds to a column in Excel.
n ODBC: An acronym for Open DataBase Connectivity, a standard developed by Microsoft that uses
drivers to access database files in different formats. Microsoft Query comes with drivers for Access,
dBASE, FoxPro, Paradox, SQL Server, Excel workbooks, and ASCII text files. ODBC drivers for
other databases are available from Microsoft and from third-party providers.
n OLAP Cube: A multidimensional aggregate data source, often created from various other sources.
OLAP is an acronym for OnLine Analytical Processing.
n Query: Search a database for records that meet specific criteria. This term is also used as a noun;
you can write a query, for example.
n Record: In a database table, a single element that corresponds to a row.
n Refresh: Rerun a query to get the latest data. It’s applicable when the database contains information
that is subject to change, as in a multiuser environment.
n Relational database: A database stored in more than one table or file. At least one common field
(sometimes called the key field) connects the tables.
n Result set: The data returned by a query, usually a subset of the original database. Query returns
the result set to your Excel workbook or to a pivot table. (I discuss pivot tables in Chapter 21.)
n SQL: An acronym for Structured Query Language (sometimes pronounced sequel). Query uses
SQL to query data stored in ODBC databases.
n Table: A record- and field-oriented collection of data. A database consists of one or more tables.
If you need to work with external databases, you may prefer Excel to other database programs. The advantage?
After you bring the data into Excel, you can manipulate and format it by using familiar tools such as
formulas and pivot tables. Of course, real database programs, such as Access, have advantages, too. For
example, creating a complex database report in Access may be easier than creating it in Excel.
Importing Access Tables
Microsoft Access is included with some versions of Office 2007. An Access database contains one or more
tables of data, and you can import an Access table directly into a worksheet by choosing Data ➪ Get
External Data ➪ From Access. When you choose this command, Excel displays the Select Data Source dialog
box, which you use to locate the Access file.
576