Comments on: Miscellanea for 8 May 2009

By: Jon Peltier

Jon Peltier — Sun, 10 May 2009 01:25:35 +0000

Well, you could use GetOpenFilename to let the user browse to and select a file. Or if the code is in the workbook that needs updating, name the file directly: ThisWorkbook.Path & “MyFile.csv”.

By: derek

derek — Sat, 09 May 2009 22:49:38 +0000

That's what I hoped might be possible, and feared feared would be necessary. It may not just be me, as I see that Microsoft's own support pages suggest it used to be a known problem, and they supplied a bit of VBA that might help. But it has hard coded directories, when I'd rather a button that searched out the directory in which the Excel pivot table currently resides, and assumes the CSV file is in the same place.

By: Debra Dalgleish

Debra Dalgleish — Sat, 09 May 2009 20:55:32 +0000

Sorry Derek, I can’t recreate the problem. Could you add a bit of programming to let the user select a file, and change the connection string based on their selection?

By: derek

derek — Sat, 09 May 2009 15:10:55 +0000

I wish that was what would happen! It’s what I would expect. What actually happens is that another error box comes up saying “Problems obtaining data”.

More news on the “Get Data” in pivot table wizard method. I played with it a bit just now, and I have found that after it tells me I can’t edit the query, it opens the query, and indeed things like View.. Tables and Add Tables are grayed out. But if I open the SQL, I can edit the path by hand in that box, or if I succeed in removing all SQL instructions, I can then rebuild the Query by hand (but see my remark about hoop-jumping; this is not a workable solution).

By: Debra Dalgleish

Debra Dalgleish — Sat, 09 May 2009 13:44:11 +0000

Thanks Jon, we’ll try to keep the noise down. ;-)

Derek, what happens if you click OK in that error message? For me, it opens a Select Directory dialog box.

By: Jon Peltier

Jon Peltier — Sat, 09 May 2009 13:04:43 +0000

Here’s fine.

By: derek

derek — Sat, 09 May 2009 10:37:29 +0000

Thanks Debra, but when I move them to a new directory and refresh, I don’t get any of that, only a complaint that it can’t find the CSV file and an admonition to check that the file and path name is exactly correct.

If I try to step back through the pivot table wizard I can’t make a new query, and if I try to step forward through “Get Data”, it complains it can’t edit the existing query, then repeats the original error above.

This is Office 2000 SR-1 with MS Query installed, under Windows XP SP-3. The original problem on work machines was the same Office installation, under Windows 2000.

I asked here because of Jon’s reference to “use a chart to see patterns in your data”, but if it’s more appropriate to continue the conversation on a suitable place on your web site, please let me know, and I’ll recap there.

By: Jon Peltier

Jon Peltier — Sat, 09 May 2009 01:35:51 +0000

I knew someone smarter than me would help out! Thanks, Debra.

By: Debra Dalgleish

Debra Dalgleish — Sat, 09 May 2009 01:07:56 +0000

Jon, congratulations on the 300th post!
Derek, if the recipient puts the two files in any directory, and refreshes the pivot table, they should be prompted to select the source file. That would update the connection string, and they could save the Excel file with the revised information.

By: Bob

Bob — Fri, 08 May 2009 19:12:45 +0000

Hi Jon,

All 300 are gems.
Peppered with a distaste for chart junk and pies you can’t eat as well.

Cheers,

Bob