Need to upload .xls file to SQL Server table via ASP.NET app

[bubberz]

Here's what I have to do:
1. Allow user to locate a .xls file on their machine
2. Upload this .xls data into an existing table on a remote SQL Server

I can pull the file from my local machine to another directory on the local machien, but can't figure out have to configure the saveas() to save on the remote db server.

It seems you have to save the the db server first on the hard drive, then you can insert the .xls file data into the table.

Here's my code so far that works to save on the local machine to another directory on that local machine:

Dim getmyFile As HttpPostedFile = myfile.PostedFile
If IsNothing(getmyFile) Then
Label2.Text = "Please select a file to upload"
Else
If getmyFile.ContentLength = 0 Then
Label2.Text = "Cannot upload zero length File"
Else
Dim ServerFileName As String = Path.GetFileName(myfile.PostedFile.FileName)
getmyFile.SaveAs("C:\TestSaving\" & ServerFileName)
Label2.Text = "Successful upload to C:\TestSaving\" & ServerFileName
sCon1.Open()
Dim strSQL As String
Dim err As Integer
strSQL = "Insert into ActivityTest Select * FROM OPENROWSET"
strSQL &= "('Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0','Excel 8.0;Database=D:\testing.xls;"
strSQL &= "HDR = YES ','SELECT * FROM [Sheet1$]')"
Label3.Text = strSQL.ToString()
Dim cmd As New SqlCommand(strSQL, sCon1)
Try
cmd.ExecuteNonQuery()
err = "Select @@Error"
If err <> 0 Then
Label4.Text = err.ToString()
Else
Label4.Text = "No Error...line 91!"
End If
Catch ex As Exception
Label2.Text = "Line 82 Error Updating Table: "
Label2.Text &= ex.Message
Finally
sCon1.Close()
End Try
End If

Any books that you know of to help with this topic, since I'm sure I'll be doing more of it in the future, will be apppreciated too!

Thanks for the help in advance!!!!

[pclement]

You don't need to physically save the file to the hard drive first. See the following:

http://SteveOrr.net/Articles/EasyUploads.aspx

[bubberz]

I tried the article, and have the following in the button click event to Upload:
Dim iLength As Integer = CType(myfile.PostedFile.InputStream.Length, Integer)
If iLength = 0 Then Exit Sub 'not a valid file
Dim sContentType As String = myfile.PostedFile.ContentType
Dim sFileName As String, i As Integer
Dim bytContent As Byte()
ReDim bytContent(iLength) 'byte array, set to file size

'strip the path off the filename
i = InStrRev(myfile.PostedFile.FileName.Trim, "\")
If i = 0 Then
sFileName = myfile.PostedFile.FileName.Trim
Else
sFileName = Right(myfile.PostedFile.FileName.Trim, Len(myfile.PostedFile.FileName.Trim) - i)
End If

Try
sCon1.Open()
myfile.PostedFile.InputStream.Read(bytContent, 0, iLength)
With cmdInsertAttachment
.Parameters("@FileName").Value = sFileName
.Parameters("@FileSize").Value = iLength
.Parameters("@FileData").Value = bytContent
.Parameters("@ContentType").Value = sContentType
.ExecuteNonQuery()
End With
Catch ex As Exception
'Handle your database error here
sCon1.Close()
End Try
Response.Redirect(Request.Url.ToString) 'Refresh page

******************************
I'm not seeing anything in the table. Do I have to do something with the Parameter Collection for the Insert Statement? The value spot is left blank, and the name looks like it should be: FileName, FileSize, FileData.........do these need to be @FileName, @FileSize, @FileData...?

[bubberz]

Thanks Paul!

I got the .xls file over there to this new table, now.........how do I pull the data out of the .xls file and insert the rows into the SQL Server table.

Thanks!

[pclement]

OK, I'm not sure if I'm clear on something. Do you need to import the actual data from the Excel Workbook, save the file to the database, or both?

If you need to import the data then yes you will need to save the Excel Workbook as a file. There is no point saving the Workbook to the database if all you need is the data from the Workbook.

[bubberz]

Paul,

All I need to do is take the rows / data from the .xls file and insert them into the database table. So, if the table has 5 rows as of now, and the .xls file has 10 rows, once I have the user click the "Upload" button, I want 15 rows in the table.

This one's kinda stumpin' me.

Thanks!

[pclement]

OK, so looking back at your first message it appears you have code to upload to a file and then perform the insert. At what point are you stuck or having a problem?

[Arcadian]

ok, so 3 years later...

The question is: Can you read the rows/data from the .xls file WITHOUT writing the file to the disc? Perhaps from a buffer/memory? then you can either save the stream into the DB or discard it - all the while without needing filesystem permissions. ???

[tkorsano]

Hi,

2 cases:

1. If your backend is sql server 2000, you should create a dts package and call it from your asp.net web page to put records from an excel file to sql server 2000

2. if your backend is sql server 2005, you should the same, but with a SSIS package

Tonci Korsano

[Hack]

Can you read the rows/data from the .xls file WITHOUT writing the file to the disc?

The file already exists, so there would be no need to recreate it. It would seem to me that you could use VB.NET to read the rows you want into a datareader and then write the contents of the reader off to a database table.