XL97: How to Specify Dynamic Web Query Parameters

• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows

SUMMARY

A Web query is a new feature in Microsoft Excel 97 that allows you to retrieve data stored on your intranet, the Internet, or the World Wide Web. A Web query can use static parameters, dynamic parameters, or a combination of both. Queries with static parameters send a query without any input; queries with dynamic parameters prompt you for input. Regardless of the type of parameters in the query, the requested information is pulled from an Internet or an intranet site, and the results are placed in a worksheet.

When you use dynamic parameters, you can use the following three methods for obtaining the parameter values:

• Use a dialog box that prompts you to type the values.
• Specify the values to use.
• Get the values from a worksheet cell.

MORE INFORMATION

In each of the examples, the same Web query file is used to generate the initial results that are returned to a worksheet. After you perform a query to return data to a worksheet, the Web query file is no longer used to update the data in the worksheet; the query is stored in the worksheet.

In some of the examples below, you use the Parameters dialog box to make changes to the parameters in a query. Note that these changes do not affect the Web query file you initially use to run the query; any changes you make to the query parameters are stored in the worksheet.

NOTE: The examples in this article use a third-party Web site. Microsoft does not guarantee the examples will work indefinitely; the Web site is not owned or maintained by Microsoft.

Running a Sample Query Included with Microsoft Office (Prompt Appears)

1. Save and close any open workbooks, and then create a new workbook.

2. On the Data menu, point to Get External Data, and then click Run Web Query.

3. Click "Detailed Stock Quote by PC Quote, Inc.iqy" in the Run Query dialog box, and then click Get Data.

   NOTE: The "Detailed Stock Quote by PC Quote, Inc.iqy" file is in the Program Files\Microsoft Office\Queries folder.

4. Click OK in the "Returning External Data to Microsoft Excel" dialog box.

5. In the Enter Parameter Value dialog box type "msft" (without the quotation marks) in the RefEdit box, and then click OK.

Running Sample Web Query (Worksheet Cell Value)

1. Switch to Sheet2 in the workbook, and then type "msft" (without the quotation marks) in cell A1.

2. With A2 selected, point to Get External Data on the Data menu, and then click Run Web Query.

3. Click "Detailed Stock Quote by PC Quote, Inc.iqy" in the Run Query dialog box, and then click Get Data.

4. In the "Returning External Data to Microsoft Excel" dialog box, click Parameters.

   The Parameters dialog box appears. Notice the option for this Web query uses a prompt for the parameter value.

5. In the Parameters dialog box, click "Get the value from the following cell," click cell A1 to insert the reference "=Sheet2!$a$1" in the RefEdit box, and then click OK.

6. Click OK in the "Returning External Data to Microsoft Excel" dialog box.

   A detailed stock quote for Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) is returned to the worksheet.

7. Change the contents of cell A1 in Sheet2 to a different (valid) stock symbol.

8. On the External Data toolbar, click Refresh Data.

Running Sample Web Query (Set Parameter Value)

1. Activate Sheet2 in the workbook, and then type "msft" (without the quotation marks) in cell A1.

2. With A2 selected, point to Get External Data on the Data menu, and then click Run Web Query.

3. Click "Detailed Stock Quote by PC Quote, Inc.iqy" in the Run Query dialog box, and then click Get Data.

4. In the "Returning External Data to Microsoft Excel" dialog box, click Parameters.

5. In the Parameters dialog box, click "Use the following value," type "msft" (without the quotation marks) in the box, and then click OK.

6. Click OK in the "Returning External Data to Microsoft Excel" dialog box.

   A detailed stock quote for Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) is returned to the worksheet.

7. On the External Data toolbar, click Refresh Data.

Changing the Parameter Value for a Worksheet

If you want to use a specific value for a parameter, as in the previous example, you can change this value in the Parameters dialog box.

1. Click any cell in the results that are returned to Sheet3.

2. On the External Data toolbar, click Query Parameters.

3. In the Parameters dialog box, change the contents of the box below "Use the following value" to a different stock symbol, and then click OK.

4. On the External Data toolbar, click Refresh Data.

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q157482
   TITLE     : XL97: How to Create Web Query (.iqy) Files

REFERENCES

For more information about Web queries, click the Index tab in Microsoft Excel Help, type the following text

   web, queries