XL98: "External Data Range..." Message Clicking Use Edit Query Button to Edit a Web Query

ID: Q180375

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

SYMPTOMS

When you click the Edit Query on the External Data toolbar, you may receive the following error message:

This external data range contains data from a Web query. Web queries cannot be edited.
When this happens, the only option is to click OK.


CAUSE

You cannot edit Web queries from within Microsoft Excel. The Edit Query button on the External Data toolbar is used to edit queries that are created in Microsoft Query.


RESOLUTION

To edit a Web query, you must open the Web query file you created for the Web query by using a text editor like SimpleText.


STATUS

This is by design of Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition.


MORE INFORMATION

Like any other data query in Microsoft Excel, a Web query is a tool to extract information from a Web site and return it back to your worksheet.

To perform a Web query, follow these steps:

  1. Create a Web query file in a text editor with the following lines of text:
    Type of Query
    Version of Query
    URL
    Post Parameters (not required for "Get" queries)
    NOTE: Microsoft Office installs several sample Web query files in the Microsoft Office 98:Office:Queries folder. The following is the text of the "Microsoft Investor Stock Quote" file in this folder:
    WEB
    1
    http://investor.msn.com/external/excel/quotes.asp?SYMBOL=["QUOTE0", "Enter up to 20 symbols separated by commas."]
    This is a "Get" query because the fourth line of text is not used.


  2. In Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition point to Get External Data on the Data menu, and then click Run Web Query.


  3. In the Run Query dialog box, locate and select the query file, and then click Get Data.


NOTE: Based on the type of Web query file you created, you may have to specify some information for the Web query.

Microsoft Excel performs the query. If the query is successful, the data is returned to the location you specified.

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q178870 XL98: How to Create Web Query Files


REFERENCES

For more information about Web Queries, click the Index button in Microsoft Excel 98 Help, type the following text

web, queries
click Show Topics, and then double-click the "Get data from a Web source" topic.

Additional query words: XL98 www http htm internet intranet

Keywords : kbtool kbweb xlquery
Version : MACINTOSH:98
Platform : MACINTOSH
Issue type :


Last Reviewed: January 31, 2000
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