Database "read all data.vi" not able to read row contents

Question

Good day,
I'm trying to read a table from an Excel Database, with the NI VI "Read all data.vi" provided as an example VI.  The VI is slighlty modified to have the file dialog box wired to the open connection VI.  This file dialog provides the connection information to the Excel database.   So far only the column names are showing, but not any row content, as you can see in the screenshot - front_panel.
What the VI does :
- finds the table name(s)
- finds the column name(s)
Problem with the system:
- can't read row data.
The Excel file in question is really really simple.
here is the content of the dsn file:
[ODBC]
DRIVER=Microsoft Excel Driver (*.xls)
UID=admin
UserCommitSync=Yes
Threads=3
SafeTransactions=0
ReadOnly=0
PageTimeout=5
MaxScanRows=8
MaxBufferSize=2048
FIL=excel 8.0
DriverId=790
DefaultDir=C:\MPBC\My Database
DBQ=C:\MPBC\My Database\SIMPLEST.xls
Any hints on how to get row data?
Thanks in advance.
---info---------
LabVIEW 8.6
Excel 9.0  or 2000
Win XP pro SP3
FB
 

Answer 1

Well, as I said, I can't help with treating Excel as a DataBase, but here is some code to read your Excel file.  I actually read it twice, the first time returning all of the data in a single array (you can split it yourself into Header and Data), and the second time I read in a single row into Header (the Read returns a 2D array, which I turn into 1D) and a second Read for the rest of the data.  To read the rest, I first figure out the "next" row (one past the last row, so I decrement it to get the last row) and specify all the columns).  The 100 msec time delay between Excel Reads is to give Excel a chance to "cool down" (trust me, without the Delay, Excel will throw an Error).  Note that this is a Snippet -- you can drag it into a LabVIEW 2014 Block Diagram and it will become LabVIEW code.
Hmm -- I just noticed that you seem to be using LabVIEW 8.6, more than 5 years old.  I don't know if this version of the RGT is available in that older version.
Bob Schor