In this lesson, you create an Excel worksheet and use the Microsoft Excel Driver to define an ODBC data source. The Excel worksheet stores product information.

To set up your Excel data source

1. Create an Excel worksheet with the following contents:

   order_id	comment_id	order_comment
   1	2	Promotional material shipped
   1	3	More information about material required

2. Change the default worksheet name Sheet1 to order_sheet.

   1. Double-click the Sheet1 tab.

   2. Type order_sheet.

3. Save the Excel workbook.

   This tutorial assumes c:\MLobjexcel as the working directory for server-side components. Save the workbook as order_central.xls in this working directory.

4. Use the Microsoft Excel Driver to create an ODBC data source:

   1. Click Start » Programs » SQL Anywhere 11 » ODBC Administrator.

   2. Click the User DSN tab.

   3. Click Add.

   4. Click Microsoft Excel Driver (*.xls).

   5. Click Finish.

   6. In the Data Source Name field, type excel_datasource.

   7. Click Select Workbook and browse to c:\MLobjexcel\order_central.xls (the file containing your worksheet).

   8. Click OK.

   9. Click OK.