ACC97: New MS Excel Data Does Not Appear in MS Access Form

• Microsoft Access 97

SYMPTOMS

Moderate: Requires basic macro, coding, and interoperability skills.

When you create a Microsoft Access form in Microsoft Excel that is based on data in a spreadsheet and you add additional information to that spreadsheet, the new data is not updated in the Microsoft Access form even though it is highlighted in the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.

CAUSE

The information that is sent to Microsoft Access is defined by a named range in the spreadsheet. The named range is not updated when you add additional rows of information to the spreadsheet.

RESOLUTION

You must redefine the named range in the spreadsheet. To redefine a range of cells in Microsoft Excel, follow these steps:

1. On the Insert menu, point to Name, and then click Define.

2. In the Define Name box, click the named range for the Microsoft Access form in the Names In Workbook box. The name for the range will probably be similar to the following:

         Book1_Sheet1_List
   

3. Select the range in the Refers To box and modify the range to include any newly added rows. You can do so by typing the new range in the box.

   NOTE: The Refers To box displays the reference, formula, or constant the name represents.

4. After you have modified the range, click OK.

5. Click View MS Access Form on the spreadsheet. The newly added information should be available in the Microsoft Access form.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

1. Start Microsoft Excel 97 and on Sheet1 of a new workbook enter the following in cells A1:C3:

         A1: First   B1: Last    C1: Middle.
         A2: Adam    B2: Smith   C2: A.
         A3: Bob     B3: Jones   C3: B.
   
   

2. Save the workbook as Book1.xls.

3. Click cell A1 on Sheet1.

4. On the Data menu, click Access Form and in the "Create Microsoft Access Form" box, click New Database, and then click OK.

5. In the Form Wizard, add all the fields in the Available Fields box to Selected Fields, and then click Next.

6. On the "What layout would you like for your form" page, click Tabular, and then click Finish.

7. When the wizard has created the new form, note the records in the form. Close the form, and then close Microsoft Access.

8. Switch to Microsoft Excel and in Sheet1 of Book1.xls in cells A4:C4, type the following:

          A4: Bill  B4: Williams  C4: C.
   

9. Click "View MS Access Form." Note the newly added record has not been added to the form even though the information is selected in the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.

REFERENCES

For more information about the AccessLinks feature in Microsoft Excel, search the Microsoft Excel Help Index for "AccessLinks Add-in," and then "Create a Microsoft Access form for a Microsoft Excel list."