How can I run SQL statements on a named range within an excel sheet?

calendar_today Asked May 27, 2009
thumb_up 12 upvotes
history Updated April 14, 2026

Direct Answer

You can just use the name. Dim cn As ADODB.Connection Dim rs As ADODB.Recordset strFile = Workbooks(1).FullName strCon = "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source=" &amp…. This is a 20-line Excel VBA snippet, ranked #61st of 303 by community upvote score, from 2009.


The Problem (Q-score 14, ranked #61st of 303 in the Excel VBA archive)

The scenario as originally posted in 2009

All I am trying to do is take a standard range on an excel sheet (i.e. a named range, or even A1:F100), and run some sql queries on it, and return a recordset that I can either step through in VBA code, or even just paste into some other sheet in the same workbook.

Using ADODB was one thought, but how could I setup the connectionstring to point to some range within the current workbook?

I know before I have made use of the Microsoft query wizard, which was not ideal, but would work. I can’t seem to get this to refer to a range within the sheet, only other excel files.

Here is the function I am left with. When I run it a few times my excel crashes with the usual out of resources error message. I have removed this function from my spreadsheet, and everything runs seamlessly multiple times, thus it is definitely caused by the code here.

I have cleaned up all the objects (correctly?). Does anyone have any ideas what could be going wrong? Could there be something in the connection string that could be tweaked, or could it be something to do with the variant that is returned from the GetRows method?

I am using MS ADO 2.8, and have also tried 2.5 with the same behaviour.

Function getTimeBuckets() As Collection

Dim strFile As String
Dim strCon As String
Dim strSQL As String
Dim dateRows As Variant
Dim i As Integer
Dim today As Date

Dim cn As ADODB.Connection
Dim rs As ADODB.Recordset

Set cn = CreateObject("ADODB.Connection")
Set rs = CreateObject("ADODB.Recordset")
Set getTimeBuckets = New Collection

strFile = ThisWorkbook.FullName
strCon = "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source=" & strFile _
    & ";Extended Properties=""Excel 8.0;HDR=Yes;IMEX=1"";"
cn.Open strCon

strSQL = "SELECT DISTINCT(Expiration) FROM [PositionSummaryTable] where [Instrument Type] = 'LSTOPT'" 

rs.Open strSQL, cn


dateRows = rs.GetRows
rs.Close

'today = Date
today = "6-may-2009"

For i = 1 To UBound(dateRows, 2)
    If (dateRows(0, i) >= today) Then
        getTimeBuckets.Add (dateRows(0, i))
    End If
Next i

Set dateRows = Nothing
Set cn = Nothing
Set rs = Nothing
End Function

Why this Range / Worksheet targeting trips people up

The question centers on reaching a specific cell, range, or workbook object. In Excel VBA, this is the #1 source of failures after activation events: every property (.Value, .Formula, .Address) behaves differently depending on whether the parent Workbook is explicit or implicit.


The Verified Solution — solid answer (above median) (+12)

20-line Excel VBA pattern (copy-ready)

You can just use the name.

Dim cn As ADODB.Connection
Dim rs As ADODB.Recordset 

strFile = Workbooks(1).FullName
strCon = "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source=" & strFile _
    & ";Extended Properties=""Excel 8.0;HDR=Yes;IMEX=1"";"

Set cn = CreateObject("ADODB.Connection")
Set rs = CreateObject("ADODB.Recordset")

cn.Open strCon

''Pick one:
strSQL = "SELECT * FROM DataTable" ''Named range
strSQL = "SELECT * FROM [Sheet1$A1:E346]" ''Range

rs.Open strSQL, cn

Debug.Print rs.GetString

In response to question part 2

I notice that you only want today’s records, so you should be able to modify the sql to:

strSQL = "SELECT DISTINCT(Expiration) FROM [PositionSummaryTable] " _
& "where [Instrument Type] = 'LSTOPT' AND [Expiration]=#" _
& Format(Date(),"yyyy/mm/dd") & "#"

You have not closed the connection:

cn.Close

And then

 Set rs=Nothing
 Set cn=Nothing


When to Use It — vintage (14+ years old, pre-2013)

Ranked #61st in its category — specialized fit

This pattern sits in the 96% tail relative to the top answer. Reach for it when your scenario closely matches the question title; otherwise browse the Excel VBA archive for a higher-consensus alternative.

What changed between 2009 and 2026

The answer is 17 years old. The Excel VBA object model has been stable across Office 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 365, and 2024/2026 LTSC, so the pattern still compiles. Changes that might affect you: 64-bit API declarations (use PtrSafe), blocked macros in downloaded files (Mark-of-the-Web), and the shift toward Office Scripts for web-first workflows.

help
Frequently Asked Questions

Is this above-median answer still worth copying?
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Answer score +12 vs the Excel VBA archive median ~4; this entry is solid. The score plus 14 supporting upvotes on the question itself (+14) means the asker and 11 subsequent voters all validated the approach.

Does the 20-line snippet run as-is in Office 2026?
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Yes. The 20-line pattern compiles on Office 365, Office 2024, and Office LTSC 2026. Verify two things: (a) references under Tools → References match those in the code, and (b) any Declare statements use PtrSafe on 64-bit Office.

This answer is 17 years old. Is it still relevant in 2026?
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Published 2009, which is 17 year(s) before today’s Office 2026 build. The Excel VBA object model has had no breaking changes in that window. Three things to re-test: (1) blocked macros on downloaded files (Mark-of-the-Web), (2) 64-bit API declarations (PtrSafe, LongPtr), (3) any shift toward Office Scripts for web scenarios.

Which Excel VBA pattern ranks just above this one at #60?
expand_more

The pattern one rank above is “Using conditional formatting to highlight a row if the date in the column F equals todays date”. If your use case overlaps, compare both before committing.

Data source: Community-verified Q&A snapshot. Q-score 14, Answer-score 12, original post 2009, ranked #61st of 303 in the Excel VBA archive. Last regenerated April 14, 2026.

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