HOW TO: Use Jet OLE DB Provider 4.0 to Connect to ISAM Databases (326548)

SUMMARY

This article describes how to use Jet OLE DB Provider 4.0 to connect to various external databases through installable ISAM drivers. Connection strings are provided for opening each ISAM database.

NOTE: The code in this article assumes that you have created an ADO Connection object: cnn, and an ADO RecordSet object: rst.

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Open Excel

The following code opens an Excel ISAM database:

cnn.Open "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;" & _
           "Data Source=c:\somepath\ExcelFile.xls;" & _
           "Extended Properties=""Excel 8.0;HDR=Yes;"";" 
				

NOTE: C is the drive, and somepath is the folder that contains the example Excel file (ExcelFile.xls). "HDR=Yes" indicates that the provider will not include the first row of the cell range (which may be a header row) in the RecordSet.

For additional information about connecting to a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: back to the top

Open dBASE

The following code opens a dBASE ISAM database. If a dBASE file (for example, dBaseFile.dbf) is located at c:\somepath, where C is the drive, and where somepath is the folder that contains dBaseFile.dbf, as follows:

cnn.Open "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;" & _
          "Data Source=c:\somepath;" & _
          "Extended Properties=DBASE III;"
				

specify the file name in the SQL statement as follows:

rst.Open "Select * From dBaseFile", cnn, , ,adCmdText
				

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Open Lotus 1-2-3

The following code opens a Lotus 1-2-3 ISAM database:

cnn.Open "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;" & _
           "Data Source=c:\somepath\Lotus123File.wk3;" & _
           "Extended Properties=Lotus WK3;" 
				

NOTE: C is the drive, and somepath is the folder that contains the example Lotus 1-2-3 file (Lotus123File.wk3).

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Open Paradox

The following code opens a Paradox ISAM database. If a Paradox 5.0 file (for example, PdxFile.db) is located at c:\somepath, where C is the drive, and where somepath is the folder that contains PdxFile.db, as follows:

cnn.Open "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;" & _
           "Data Source=c:\somepath;" & _
           "Extended Properties=Paradox 5.x;" 
				

specify the file name in the SQL statement as follows:

rst.Open "Select * From PdxFile", cnn, , ,adCmdText
				

NOTE: Not all versions of Paradox are supported by the Jet ISAM. For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: back to the top

Open Text

If a text file (for example, TestFile.txt) is located at c:\somepath, where C is the drive, and where somepath is the folder that contains TestFile.txt, as follows:

cnn.Open "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;" & _ 
       "Data Source=c:\somepath;" & _ 
       "Extended Properties=""text;HDR=Yes;FMT=Delimited;"";"
				

specify the file name in the SQL statement as follows:

rst.Open "Select * From TextFile.txt", cnn, , , adCmdText 
				

The Text ISAM permits you to handle multiple text file formats. You cannot define all characteristics of a text file through the connection string. For example, if you want to open a fixed-width file, or you want to use a delimiter other than the comma, you must specify all these settings in a Schema.INI file. For more information about about Schema.INI files, visit the Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) Library at the following Web site: back to the top