How to update Oracle from Excel

The CData Excel Add-In for Oracle enables you to edit and save Oracle data directly from Excel. This article explains how to transfer data from Excel to Oracle. This technique is useful if you want to work on Oracle data in Excel and update changes, or if you have a whole spreadsheet you want to import into Oracle. In this example, you will use the Customers table; however, the same process will work for any table that can be retrieved by the CData Excel Add-In.

Establish a Connection

If you have not already done so, create a new Oracle connection by clicking From Oracle on the ribbon.

To connect to Oracle, you'll first need to update your PATH variable and ensure it contains a folder location that includes the native DLLs. The native DLLs can be found in the lib folder inside the installation directory. Once you've done this, set the following to connect:

• Port: The port used to connect to the server hosting the Oracle database.
• User: The user Id provided for authentication with the Oracle database.
• Password: The password provided for authentication with the Oracle database.
• Service Name: The service name of the Oracle database.

Retrieve Data from Oracle

To insert data into Oracle, you will first need to retrieve data from the Oracle table you want to add to. This links the Excel spreadsheet to the Oracle table selected: After you retrieve data, any changes you make to the data are highlighted in red.

1. Click the From Oracle button on the CData ribbon. The Data Selection wizard is displayed.
2. In the Table or View menu, select the Customers table.
3. In the Maximum Rows menu, select the number of rows you want to retrieve. If you want to insert rows, you need to retrieve only one row. The Query box will then display the SQL query that corresponds to your request.
4. In the Sheet Name box, enter the name for the sheet that will be populated. By default the add-in will create a new sheet with the name of the table.

Insert Rows to Oracle

After retrieving data, you can add data from an existing spreadsheet in Excel.

1. In a cell after the last row, enter a formula referencing the corresponding cell from the other spreadsheet; for example, . 👁 A local copy of a table. One row will be inserted. (QuickBooks is shown.)
   
2. After using a formula to reference the cells you want to add to Oracle, select the cells that you are inserting data into and drag the formula down as far as needed. The referenced values you want to add will be displayed on the Customers sheet. 👁 The range of changes to update. (QuickBooks is shown.)
   
3. Highlight the rows you want to insert and click the Update Rows button.

As each row is inserted, the Id value will appear in the Id column and the row's text will change to black, indicating that the record has been inserted.