Technical Article

Create Excel XLS from T-SQL

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This is a T-SQL script that uses OLE, ADO, Jet4 ISAM, and Linked Server to create and populate an Excel Workbook (XLS) file from T-SQL query. If the Excel Worksheet exists, the query will append to the "table".
The code is designed to be used by SQL Agent and to append to the step output with verbose and minimal detail.
Code is pretty well commented, including some hard won knowledge about Jet4 ISAM, OLE, ADO, and usage of the Excel table from T-SQL.

-- Create XLS script DAL - 04/24/2003
--
-- Designed for Agent scheduling, turn on "Append output for step history"
--
-- Search for %%% to find adjustable constants and other options
--
-- Uses OLE for ADO and OLE DB to create the XLS file if it does not exist
--   Linked server requires the XLS to exist before creation
-- Uses OLE ADO to Create the XLS Worksheet for use as a table by T-SQL
-- Uses Linked Server to allow T-SQL access to XLS table
-- Uses T-SQL to populate te XLS worksheet, very fast
--
PRINT 'Begin CreateXLS script at '+RTRIM(CONVERT(varchar(24),GETDATE(),121))+' '
PRINT ''
GO

SET NOCOUNT ON
DECLARE @Conn int -- ADO Connection object to create XLS
, @hr int -- OLE return value
, @src varchar(255) -- OLE Error Source
, @desc varchar(255) -- OLE Error Description
, @Path varchar(255) -- Drive or UNC path for XLS
, @Connect varchar(255) -- OLE DB Connection string for Jet 4 Excel ISAM
, @WKS_Created bit -- Whether the XLS Worksheet exists
, @WKS_Name varchar(128) -- Name of the XLS Worksheet (table)
, @ServerName nvarchar(128) -- Linked Server name for XLS
, @DDL varchar(8000) -- Jet4 DDL for the XLS WKS table creation
, @SQL varchar(8000) -- INSERT INTO XLS T-SQL
, @Recs int -- Number of records added to XLS
, @Log bit -- Whether to log process detail

-- Init variables
SELECT @Recs = 0
-- %%% 1 = Verbose output detail, helps find problems, 0 = minimal output detail
, @Log = 1 
-- %%% assign the UNC or path and name for the XLS file, requires Read/Write access
--   must be accessable from server via SQL Server service account
--   & SQL Server Agent service account, if scheduled
SET @Path = 'C:\TEMP\Test_'+CONVERT(varchar(10),GETDATE(),112)+'.xls'
-- assign the ADO connection string for the XLS creation
SET @Connect = 'Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source='+@Path+';Extended Properties=Excel 8.0'
-- %%% assign the Linked Server name for the XLS population
SET @ServerName = 'EXCEL_TEST'
-- %%% Rename Table as required, this will also be the XLS Worksheet name
SET @WKS_Name = 'People'
-- %%% Table creation DDL, uses Jet4 syntax, 
--   Text data type = varchar(255) when accessed from T-SQL
SET @DDL = 'CREATE TABLE '+@WKS_Name+' (SSN Text, Name Text, Phone Text)'
-- %%% T-SQL for table population, note the 4 part naming required by Jet4 OLE DB
--   INSERT INTO SELECT, INSERT INTO VALUES, and EXEC sp types are supported
--   Linked Server does not support SELECT INTO types
SET @SQL = 'INSERT INTO '+@ServerName+'...'+@WKS_Name+' (SSN, Name, Phone) '
SET @SQL = @SQL+'SELECT au_id AS SSN'
SET @SQL = @SQL+', LTRIM(RTRIM(ISNULL(au_fname,'''')+'' ''+ISNULL(au_lname,''''))) AS Name'
SET @SQL = @SQL+', phone AS Phone '
SET @SQL = @SQL+'FROM pubs.dbo.authors'

IF @Log = 1 PRINT 'Created OLE ADODB.Connection object'
-- Create the Conn object
EXEC @hr = sp_OACreate 'ADODB.Connection', @Conn OUT
IF @hr <> 0 -- have to use <> as OLE / ADO can return negative error numbers
BEGIN
-- Return OLE error
EXEC sp_OAGetErrorInfo @Conn, @src OUT, @desc OUT 
SELECT Error=convert(varbinary(4),@hr), Source=@src, Description=@desc
RETURN
END

IF @Log = 1 PRINT char(9)+'Assigned ConnectionString property'
-- Set a the Conn object's ConnectionString property
--   Work-around for error using a variable parameter on the Open method
EXEC @hr = sp_OASetProperty @Conn, 'ConnectionString', @Connect
IF @hr <> 0
BEGIN
-- Return OLE error
EXEC sp_OAGetErrorInfo @Conn, @src OUT, @desc OUT 
SELECT Error=convert(varbinary(4),@hr), Source=@src, Description=@desc
RETURN
END

IF @Log = 1 PRINT char(9)+'Open Connection to XLS, for file Create or Append'
-- Call the Open method to create the XLS if it does not exist, can't use parameters
EXEC @hr = sp_OAMethod @Conn, 'Open'
IF @hr <> 0
BEGIN
-- Return OLE error
EXEC sp_OAGetErrorInfo @Conn, @src OUT, @desc OUT 
SELECT Error=convert(varbinary(4),@hr), Source=@src, Description=@desc
RETURN
END

-- %%% This section could be repeated for multiple Worksheets (Tables)
IF @Log = 1 PRINT char(9)+'Execute DDL to create '''+@WKS_Name+''' worksheet'
-- Call the Execute method to Create the work sheet with the @WKS_Name caption, 
--   which is also used as a Table reference in T-SQL
-- Neat way to define column data types in Excel worksheet
--   Sometimes converting to text is the only work-around for Excel's General 
--   Cell formatting, even though the Cell contains Text, Excel tries to format
--   it in a "Smart" way, I have even had to use the single quote appended as the
--   1st character in T-SQL to force Excel to leave it alone
EXEC @hr = sp_OAMethod @Conn, 'Execute', NULL, @DDL, NULL, 129 -- adCmdText + adExecuteNoRecords
-- 0x80040E14 for table exists in ADO
IF @hr = 0x80040E14 
-- kludge, skip 0x80042732 for ADO Optional parameters (NULL) in SQL7
OR @hr = 0x80042732
BEGIN
-- Trap these OLE Errors
IF @hr = 0x80040E14
BEGIN
PRINT char(9)+''''+@WKS_Name+''' Worksheet exists for append'
SET @WKS_Created = 0
END
SET @hr = 0 -- ignore these errors
END
IF @hr <> 0
BEGIN
-- Return OLE error
EXEC sp_OAGetErrorInfo @Conn, @src OUT, @desc OUT 
SELECT Error=convert(varbinary(4),@hr), Source=@src, Description=@desc
RETURN
END

IF @Log = 1 PRINT 'Destroyed OLE ADODB.Connection object'
-- Destroy the Conn object, +++ important to not leak memory +++
EXEC @hr = sp_OADestroy @Conn
IF @hr <> 0
BEGIN
-- Return OLE error
EXEC sp_OAGetErrorInfo @Conn, @src OUT, @desc OUT 
SELECT Error=convert(varbinary(4),@hr), Source=@src, Description=@desc
RETURN
END

-- Linked Server allows T-SQL to access the XLS worksheet (Table)
--   This must be performed after the ADO stuff as the XLS must exist
--   and contain the schema for the table, or worksheet
IF NOT EXISTS(SELECT srvname from master.dbo.sysservers where srvname = @ServerName)
BEGIN
IF @Log = 1 PRINT 'Created Linked Server '''+@ServerName+''' and Login'
EXEC sp_addlinkedserver @server = @ServerName
    , @srvproduct = 'Microsoft Excel Workbook'
    , @provider = 'Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0'
    , @datasrc = @Path
    , @provstr = 'Excel 8.0' 
-- no login name or password are required to connect to the Jet4 ISAM linked server
EXEC sp_addlinkedsrvlogin @ServerName, 'false' 
END

-- Have to EXEC the SQL, otherwise the SQL is evaluated 
--   for the linked server before it exists
EXEC (@SQL)
PRINT char(9)+'Populated '''+@WKS_Name+''' table with '+CONVERT(varchar,@@ROWCOUNT)+' Rows'

-- %%% Optional you may leave the Linked Server for other XLS operations
--   Remember that the Linked Server will not create the XLS, so remove it
--   When you are done with it, especially if you delete or move the file
IF EXISTS(SELECT srvname from master.dbo.sysservers where srvname = @ServerName)
BEGIN
IF @Log = 1 PRINT 'Deleted Linked Server '''+@ServerName+''' and Login'
EXEC sp_dropserver @ServerName, 'droplogins'
END
GO

SET NOCOUNT OFF
PRINT ''
PRINT 'Finished CreateXLS script at '+RTRIM(CONVERT(varchar(24),GETDATE(),121))+' '
GO

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