How to update Azure Table from Excel

The CData Excel Add-In for Azure Table enables you to edit and save Azure Table data directly from Excel. This article explains how to transfer data from Excel to Azure Table. This technique is useful if you want to work on Azure Table data in Excel and update changes, or if you have a whole spreadsheet you want to import into Azure Table. In this example, you will use the NorthwindProducts table; however, the same process will work for any table that can be retrieved by the CData Excel Add-In.

Establish a Connection

If you have not already done so, create a new Azure Table connection by clicking From Azure Table on the ribbon.

Specify your AccessKey and your Account to connect. Set the Account property to the Storage Account Name and set AccessKey to one of the Access Keys. Either the Primary or Secondary Access Keys can be used. To obtain these values, navigate to the Storage Accounts blade in the Azure portal. You can obtain the access key by selecting your account and clicking Access Keys in the Settings section.

Retrieve Data from Azure Table

To insert data into Azure Table, you will first need to retrieve data from the Azure Table table you want to add to. This links the Excel spreadsheet to the Azure Table table selected: After you retrieve data, any changes you make to the data are highlighted in red.

1. Click the From Azure Table button on the CData ribbon. The Data Selection wizard is displayed.
2. In the Table or View menu, select the NorthwindProducts table.
3. In the Maximum Rows menu, select the number of rows you want to retrieve. If you want to insert rows, you need to retrieve only one row. The Query box will then display the SQL query that corresponds to your request.
4. In the Sheet Name box, enter the name for the sheet that will be populated. By default the add-in will create a new sheet with the name of the table.

Insert Rows to Azure Table

After retrieving data, you can add data from an existing spreadsheet in Excel.

1. In a cell after the last row, enter a formula referencing the corresponding cell from the other spreadsheet; for example, =MyNorthwindProductsSheetInExcel!A1.
2. After using a formula to reference the cells you want to add to Azure Table, select the cells that you are inserting data into and drag the formula down as far as needed. The referenced values you want to add will be displayed on the NorthwindProducts sheet.
3. Highlight the rows you want to insert and click the Update Rows button.

As each row is inserted, the Id value will appear in the Id column and the row's text will change to black, indicating that the record has been inserted.