Introducing MySQL for Excel
- by Javier Treviño
As
part of the new product initiatives of the MySQL on Windows group we released a
tool that makes the task of getting data in and out of a MySQL Database very
friendly and intuitive, and we paired it with one of the preferred applications
for data analysis and manipulation in Windows platforms, MS Excel.
Welcome
to MySQL
for Excel, an add-in that is installed and accessed from within the MS
Excel’s Data tab offering a wizard-like interface arranged in an elegant yet
simple way to help users browse MySQL Schemas,
Tables, Views and Procedures and
perform data operations against them using MS Excel as the vehicle to drive the
data in and out MySQL Databases.
One
of the coolest features we had in mind designing MySQL for Excel is simplicity.
MS Excel is simple and easy to work with, thus liked by many Windows users
because they don’t have to be software gurus to use it. We applied the same principle by targeting MySQL for Excel to any kind of user, so
if you are already familiarized with Excel’s interface you will find yourself
working with MySQL data in no time.
MySQL for Excel is shipped within the MySQL Installer as one of the tools in
the suite; if prerequisites are already installed (.NET Framework 4.0, Visual
Studio Tools for Office 4.0 and of course MS Office), installing the add-in
involves a very few clicks and no further setup to use it. Being an Excel
Add-In there is no executable file involved after the installation, running MS
Excel and opening the add-in from its Data tab is all that is required. MySQL for Excel automatically integrates with MySQL Workbench (if installed) to share the same connections to
MySQL Server installations, that way connections are defined just once in
either product saving time. Opening the
Add-In brings the Welcome Panel at
the right side of the Excel main window from which connections to MySQL Servers
are shown grouped by Local VS Remote connections; then users can open any of
those connections by double-clicking it and entering the password of the used
account. Additionally a user can create
a connection by clicking on the New Connection action label or edit
connections through MySQL Workbench
(if installed) by clicking on the Manage Connections action label.
Once a
connection is opened, the Schema
Selection panel is shown, at the top of it the selected connection (connection
name, hostname/IP and username). Just below, a list of schemas is displayed
where User Schemas are grouped first followed by System Schemas; users can
double-click any selected schema to go to the next panel or select a schema and
clicking the Next > button. Users
can alternatively click on the < Back button to go back to the
Welcome Panel to close the current connection and open a new one; also by clicking
the Create
New Schema action label they can create an empty new schema.
Once a
schema is opened the DB Object Selection
panel is shown, this is actually the place where the fun stuff happens; from
here users are able to perform actions against MySQL Tables, Views and Procedures.
">The
actions available here are about importing data from a MySQL Table, View or
Procedure to Excel, exporting Excel data to a new MySQL Table, appending Excel
data to an existing MySQL Table or editing a MySQL Table’s data by using an
Excel Worksheet as a user interface to update data in any row/column, insert
new rows or delete existing rows in a very easy and friendly way.
More
blog posts will follow describing all of these actions, so stay tuned!
Remember
that your feedback is very important for us, so drop us a message:
· MySQL on Windows (this) Blog - https://blogs.oracle.com/MySqlOnWindows/
· Forum - http://forums.mysql.com/list.php?172
· Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/mysql
Cheers!
