Is it possible to embedded a Sqlite database into an excel 2007 file (zip archive)

Question

I\'m working on an excel application that requires a database back end. My preference is to use SQLite 3 and to make this as seamless and portable as possible for the end us

Answer 1

Here is an alternative.

1) At Open (EVENTs in VBA) unzip from Excel .xlsm, sqlite and dbFile.

2) Process what you .....

3) At save (EVENTs in VBA) the book an then attach the Excel .xlsm ,sqlite , dbFile in Excel .xlsm.

Answer 2

Try using http://code.google.com/p/pyinex/ this embed the Python interpreter in Excel

Answer 3

Some notes. So far, no one has complained that the file does not open. Note that the Excel file is saved before the ADO code is run.

Very hidden:

ThisWorkbook.Worksheets("Courses").Visible = xlVeryHidden
ThisWorkbook.Worksheets("System").Visible = xlVeryHidden

A snippet of code:

    Const gCN = "Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;Data Source="

<...>

Set rs = CreateObject("ADODB.Recordset")
Set cn = CreateObject("ADODB.Connection")
Set fs = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

scn = gCN & ThisWorkbook.FullName _
& ";Extended Properties=""Excel 8.0;HDR=Yes;"";"

cn.Open scn

''If they do not have an ID, they do not exist.

sSQL = "SELECT ID,FirstName,LastName, " _
& "CourseName,AdditionalText,Format(ExpiryDate,'dd/mm/yyyy') As ExpiryDate " _
& "FROM [Applicants$] WHERE DateCancelled Is Null AND ID Is Not Null " _
& "AND (FirstName Is Null OR LastName Is Null Or CourseName Is Null " _
& "Or ExpiryDate Is Null) " & sWhere

rs.Open sSQL, cn

References:

Excel ADO
Connection strings

Most of the methods available to Jet can be used with Excel

Fundamental Microsoft Jet SQL for Access 2000
Intermediate Microsoft Jet SQL for Access 2000
Advanced Microsoft Jet SQL for Access 2000

Edit re Comments

I did not find the leak particularly bad, but I did not run many iterations, and this is quite a good machine.

The code below uses DAO, which does not cause a memory leak.

'Reference: Microsoft Office 12.0 Access Database Engine Object Library
Dim ws As DAO.Workspace
Dim db As DAO.Database
Dim rs As DAO.Recordset
Dim sDb As String
Dim sSQL As String

sDb = ActiveWorkbook.FullName

Set ws = DBEngine.Workspaces(0)
Set db = ws.OpenDatabase(sDb, False, True, "Excel 8.0;HDR=Yes;")

sSQL = "SELECT * FROM [Sheet1$];"
Set rs = db.OpenRecordset(sSQL)

Do While Not rs.EOF
    For i = 0 To rs.Fields.Count - 1
        Debug.Print rs.Fields(i)
    Next

    rs.MoveNext
Loop

rs.Close
db.Close
ws.Close

 'Release objects from memory.
Set rs = Nothing
Set db = Nothing
Set ws = Nothing

Acknowledgement: http://www.ozgrid.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37398

Answer 4

Excel rewrites the file every time it is saved, so your own added file would be deleted. Furthermore, there is no SQLite driver that can access database files inside of zip archives.

You would have either to ship the database file alongside with the Excel file, or to recreate the database with a list of SQL commands when your application detects that the DB file is missing.
This still requires that some SQLite (ODBC) driver is installed on the user's machine.

The most seamless and portable way to store data in an Excel file is to store it in an Excel sheet, as mentioned by Remou. However, it's possible that the ADO driver will refuse to open the file when it's already open in Excel, so that you have to use Excel functions to access the data.