# phpman > man > DBD::Excel(3pm)

## NAME
    [DBD::Excel](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/DBD%3A%3AExcel/markdown) - A class for DBI drivers that act on Excel File.

    This is still alpha version.

## SYNOPSIS
        use DBI;
        $hDb = DBI->connect("DBI:Excel:file=test.xls")
            or die "Cannot connect: " . $[DBI::errstr](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/DBI%3A%3Aerrstr/markdown);
        $hSt = $hDb->prepare("CREATE TABLE a (id INTEGER, name [CHAR(10)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/CHAR/10/markdown))")
            or die "Cannot prepare: " . $hDb->errstr();
        $hSt->execute() or die "Cannot execute: " . $hSt->errstr();
        $hSt->finish();
        $hDb->disconnect();

## DESCRIPTION
    This is still alpha version.

    The [DBD::Excel](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/DBD%3A%3AExcel/markdown) module is a DBI driver. The module is based on these modules:

    *   [Spreadsheet::ParseExcel](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Spreadsheet%3A%3AParseExcel/markdown)

        reads Excel files.

    *   [Spreadsheet::WriteExcel](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Spreadsheet%3A%3AWriteExcel/markdown)

        writes Excel files.

    *   [SQL::Statement](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/SQL%3A%3AStatement/markdown)

        a simple SQL engine.

    *   DBI

        Of course. :-)

    This module assumes TABLE = Worksheet. The contents of first row of each worksheet as column
    name.

    Adding that, this module accept temporary table definition at "connect" method with "xl_vtbl".

    ex. my $hDb = DBI->connect( "DBI:Excel:file=dbdtest.xls", undef, undef, {xl_vtbl => {TESTV => {
    sheetName => 'TEST_V', ttlRow => 5, startCol => 1, colCnt => 4, datRow => 6, datLmt => 4, } }
    });

    For more information please refer sample/tex.pl included in this distribution.

### Metadata
    The following attributes are handled by DBI itself and not by [DBD::Excel](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/DBD%3A%3AExcel/markdown), thus they all work
    like expected:

        Active
        ActiveKids
        CachedKids
        CompatMode             (Not used)
        InactiveDestroy
        Kids
        PrintError
        RaiseError
        Warn                   (Not used)

    The following DBI attributes are handled by [DBD::Excel](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/DBD%3A%3AExcel/markdown):

    AutoCommit
        Always on

    ChopBlanks
        Works

    NUM_OF_FIELDS
        Valid after "$hSt->execute"

    NUM_OF_PARAMS
        Valid after "$hSt->prepare"

    NAME
        Valid after "$hSt->execute"; undef for Non-Select statements.

    NULLABLE
        Not really working, always returns an array ref of one's. Valid after "$hSt->execute"; undef
        for Non-Select statements.

    These attributes and methods are not supported:

        bind_param_inout
        CursorName
        LongReadLen
        LongTruncOk

    Additional to the DBI attributes, you can use the following dbh attribute:

    xl_fmt
        This attribute is used for setting the formatter class for parsing.

    xl_dir
        This attribute is used only with "data_sources" on setting the directory where Excel files
        ('*.xls') are searched. It defaults to the current directory (".").

    xl_vtbl
        assumes specified area as a table. *See sample/tex.pl*.

    xl_skiphidden
        skip hidden rows(=row height is 0) and hidden columns(=column width is 0). *See
        sample/thidden.pl*.

    xl_ignorecase
        set casesensitive or not about table name and columns. Default is sensitive (maybe as
        [SQL::Statement](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/SQL%3A%3AStatement/markdown)). *See sample/thidden.pl*.

### Driver private methods
    data_sources
        The "data_sources" method returns a list of '*.xls' files of the current directory in the
        form "DBI:Excel:xl_dir=$dirname".

        If you want to read the subdirectories of another directory, use

            my($hDr) = DBI->install_driver("Excel");
            my(@list) = $hDr->data_sources(
                            { xl_dir => '/usr/local/xl_data' } );

    list_tables
        This method returns a list of sheet names contained in the $hDb->{file}. Example:

            my $hDb = DBI->connect("DBI:Excel:file=test.xls");
            my @list = $hDb->func('list_tables');

## TODO
    More tests
        First of all...

    Type and Format
        The current version not support date/time and text formatting.

    Joins
        The current version of the module works with single table SELECT's only, although the basic
        design of the [SQL::Statement](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/SQL%3A%3AStatement/markdown) module allows joins and the likes.

## KNOWN BUGS
    *       There are too many TODO things. So I can't determind what is BUG. :-)

## AUTHOR
    Kawai Takanori (Hippo2000) <kwitknr@cpan.org>

      Homepage:
        <http://member.nifty.ne.jp/hippo2000/>            (Japanese)
        <http://member.nifty.ne.jp/hippo2000/index_e.htm> (English)

      Wiki:
        <http://www.hippo2000.net/cgi-bin/KbWiki/KbWiki.pl>  (Japanese)
        <http://www.hippo2000.net/cgi-bin/KbWikiE/KbWiki.pl> (English)

## SEE ALSO
    DBI, [Spreadsheet::WriteExcel](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Spreadsheet%3A%3AWriteExcel/markdown), [Spreadsheet::ParseExcel](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/Spreadsheet%3A%3AParseExcel/markdown), [SQL::Statement](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/perldoc/SQL%3A%3AStatement/markdown)

## COPYRIGHT
    Copyright (c) 2001 KAWAI,Takanori All rights reserved.

    You may distribute under the terms of either the GNU General Public License or the Artistic
    License, as specified in the Perl README file.