Question

I am working with some code that uses an OleDbConnection to load data from an Excel file to a DataTable. Currently it defaults to the first Sheet but getting it’s name using the following code:

string connectionString = @"Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;Data Source=myFilename.xlsx;Extended Properties=""Excel 12.0 Xml;HDR=YES"""

DataTable = connection.GetOleDbSchemaTable(OleDbSchemaGuid.Tables, null);
if (schemaTable.Rows.Count > 0)
    return schemaTable.Rows[0]["TABLE_NAME"].ToString();
else
    return "Sheet1$"

This has been working fine until recently when the Excel document (we are receiving from a third party) started containing named Ranges. I’m there are no hidden sheets that I can find.

Now

schemaTable.Rows[0]["TABLE_NAME"].ToString()

returns the name of the first Range.

Is there something different I can do with my schemaTable object to identity just the sheets and not the named Ranges in the sheet?

Answer 1

Is the use of OleDbConnection mandatory or you can switch to other options (DAO for instance) ?

alternative solution 1 : using interop :

    Private Function GetSheetNames(ByVal path As String)
    Dim lst As New List(Of String)
    'Note: this will not work for Excel 2007 (.xlsx) workbooks.
    If IO.File.Exists(path) AndAlso IO.Path.GetExtension(path) = ".xls" Then
    Dim app As New Excel.Application
    Dim WB As Excel.Workbook
    Try
       WB = app.Workbooks.Open(Filename:=path)
       If WB IsNot Nothing Then
         For Each ws As Excel.Worksheet In WB.Sheets
           lst.Add(ws.Name)
         Next
         WB.Close()
         System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.ReleaseComObject(WB)
         WB = Nothing
       End If
    Catch ex As Exception
       MessageBox.Show(ex.Message)
    Finally
       System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.ReleaseComObject(app)
       app = Nothing
    End Try
     End If
     Return lst
End Function

Source : http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/vbgeneral/thread/21d3f77c-1d3d-44e0-9bd5-eca45a0affa6

Alternative solution 2 : using DAO :

Dim dao_dbE As dao.DBEngine
Dim dao_DB As dao.Database
dao_dbE = New dao.DBEngine
Dim sheetsNames As List(Of String) = New List(Of String)()
dao_DB = dao_dbE.OpenDatabase(completeFileName, False, True, "Excel 8.0;")
For i As Integer = 0 To dao_DB.TableDefs.Count - 1
    sheetsNames.Add(dao_DB.TableDefs(i).Name)
Next