Adding additional fields to a linked excel table in Access where the data in those additional fields is retained as the Excel data source is updated

Anonymous
2025-01-22T15:48:43+00:00

Hello all,

I am looking to understand how best to link an excel spreadsheet (that contains a list of courses) to Access and where I can add additional 'comment' type columns to that linked data and eventually query it all or view bits of it in a form.

When the linked excel spreadsheet is updated (Usually daily i.e. some courses are removed from the list, some added, most remain and data for each course may change), I would like the additional columns that I have added in Access (and the comments that have been added in those columns) to remain 'attached' to courses where those courses are still present in the linked data as it changes.

I've tried to do this in Excel with a self-referencing power query and managed to get this to work in a fashion, but as the number of columns I am using is 90+, hiding and unhiding columns after refreshing the data, breaks the query so I'm reverting back to Access to see if there is/is an easier way to do this.

I appreciate any suggestions or pointers :-)

Thanks,

C

Microsoft 365 and Office | Access | For education | Other

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments No comments
{count} votes

11 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
  1. ScottGem 68,775 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2025-01-24T00:11:13+00:00

    This may not be the best design. But it looks like you are stuck with it since I'm assuming those course IDs are assigned by the other system. But in that case you can use the Course ID as your PK and then use it as an FK in your related tables.

    0 comments No comments