controls to access a database in a UserForm

[lalbatros]

I need to create a wizard to help people using database queries on my spreadsheets.

This wizard will also require access to the database and display the data in some grid.
What are the controls available to do that?

thanks

[royUK]

What kind of database queries?

take a look at the databaseform example here:

http://www.excel-it.com/vba_examples.htm

[lalbatros]

royUK,

The database is an sqlserver database.
The users need to chose some small parts of the data that will then be diplayed on a worksheet.
Choosing this small part implies chosing a few keys by browsing other tables.

I already tested one workbook to do that.
The user choses a record in Sheet1, this determines the records on Sheet2, and this Sheet2 is then activated.
This goes on up to Sheet5.
In this step-by-step process, only manageable amounts of data are fectched from sqlserver and presented to the use.
On the way, the user can also fine-tune some parameters, like a period of time or like a wildcard selection for some items.

The end-result of the process is twofold:

- two tables suitable for a report (one of a few hundred records, one very short)
- an excel formula (based on a UDF) that the user will be able to copy where he likes for further use

The second end-result is the most important, as the main purpose of the application is to help people assembling data for the purpose of some externally-defined reporting (official). (unfortunately this process cannot be further automated because of the lack of normalisation in the extrenal reporting, which is also an excel report )

Therefore, I would really appreciate if I could transform all this stuff in a userform wizard.
I would incorporate this wizard in the external report and simplify my life and the life of many other people.

Thanks for any suggestions.

[royUK]

I would think you can create a Wizard using a UserForm with MultiPage control. The initial code to run the query can be recorded using the Macro Recorder.

[lalbatros]

I made some attempts including the MultiPage and MSO Spreadsheet component as well as a ListBox component.
I was not happy because I had the feeling I would (again) code more than I would like, probably with ADODB.

If I want a full-Excel solution I need to find a suitable datagrid component in the existing Office controls.
I have the feeling I will not find that.
But I better ask for something like that before I consider a totally different approach.

Still another possibility (Excel oriented) would be to create an Activex myself from an Access program that would do what I need.

In summary, I hope to find a way to display queries in a confortable way within an Excel application with the look and feel of a Wizard.