Configuration in App.config for MS Excel 2002

Question

I want to read data from MS Excel 2002 into my List<t>
I want to connect MS Excel using App.config.
Assuming file name is "MyExcelFile.xls" and DataTableName is "Sheet1$", how could I make configuration string?

Answer 1

Try below steps,
In app.config file add below section
<connectionStrings>
    <add
name="MyConnectionString"
connectionString="Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data
Source='C:\Temp\MyExcelFile.xls';Extended Properties='Excel 8.0;HDR=NO';"
providerName="System.Data.OleDb"
/>
  </connectionStrings>
Add “appSettings” section for Sheet Name Configuration,
<appSettings>
    <add
key="DataTableName"
value="Sheet1$"
/>
</appSettings>
In code you could do something like this,
 string connection_string = System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings["MyConnectionString"].ConnectionString;
string selectSQLCommand =
string.Format("Select * from [{0}]",
System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["DataTableName"]);
DataTable excelSheetData =
new
DataTable();
using (OleDbConnection
oledbConnection = new
OleDbConnection(connection_string))
using (OleDbDataAdapter
oleDbDataAdapter = new
OleDbDataAdapter(selectSQLCommand, oledbConnection))
                    oleDbDataAdapter.Fill(excelSheetData);
List<DataRow>
excelRows = excelSheetData.Rows.Cast<DataRow>().ToList();
NOTE: you need to add “System.Configuration” assembly reference in your project. Change ‘HDR’ as per your requirement.
If the above solution meet your requirement then you could actually make it more generic by passing dynamic excel file name in your connection string.
Hope that helps.