How to Import Spreadsheet or Text Data Into a Microsoft Access Table
By importing data, you include information from other programs or sources without having to enter each record manually. It's easiest to import data from a spreadsheet or text file, and you have to be sure that the data matches the fields in your database table. These instructions work for Access 97.
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Instructions
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Pasting From Another Application
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Open your database file in Microsoft Access.
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Use the F11 key to open the Database window.
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Click on the Table tab. A listing of your tables appears.
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Select the table you want to work with and click Open.
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Open the application that contains the data you want to bring in. Be sure the data is in a format that Access can use. If the information is in a word processor, it must be formatted in a table or else each "field" must be separated by tabs.
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Ensure that the order of the columns in the data to be pasted matches the order of fields in your database table.
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Select the rows you want to copy, then select Copy from the Edit menu.
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Going back to Access, decide whether you want to replace old records with the new ones, or whether you want to add the new records at the end of the data sheet.
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To replace, select the records to be replaced, then click Paste from the Edit menu. The records replace the ones you selected.
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To paste the records at the end of the data sheet, go to the Edit menu and click Paste Append. The records will appear at the bottom of the sheet.
Importing From a Spreadsheet or Text File
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Realize that data can be imported directly into a table only if the external application is a spreadsheet or text file.
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Open the Database window.
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From the File menu, select Get External Data, then Import.
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Move through your folders until you locate the file containing the data you want to import.
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Select the file, then click Import.
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An Import wizard appears. Use the wizard to import your data. When asked, select the table that you want to receive the new data.
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Tips & Warnings
Problems can occur if imported data doesn't match the fields in your Access table.
