Using a .NET Application as an Excel Data Source 1

[dace]

Hi-
Is it possible to use/expose a data structure within code as a data source?
What I'm more or less looking to do is make a Visual Basic .NET application a provider for an ODBC data source.
I don't want it to just serve as a provider for connecting to a database, I need it to actually allow an in-code data structure to be connected to from another application, like Excel, by registering a DSN. Would it be able/have to use an SQL Server driver, Microsoft Text Driver, etc?

Thanks for any suggestions!

 

[Dimandja]

You will also need to code your own driver. The other drivers were coded to interact with their respective databases such as SQL, Access, Excel, MS Text, etc...

Your VB application will of course have to be coded to serve your new driver. Did I mention that your new driver needs to be ODBC compliant? This is where most of your development efforts will go.

 

[dace]

Is it possible to write a driver in VB.NET? I looked into it a bit and it seems like you almost have to use C# or C++

 

[Dimandja]

VB.NET uses the same resources available to other languages running in .NET. That means, yes, you can code a driver in VB.NET.

 

[dace]

Thanks for the clarifications Dimandja.

Does anyone know of any resources that would help me start something like this? I know the .NET Framework 1.1 has builtin ODBC Data Provider support, but I don't think this is quite what I need.

 

[Dimandja]

Here is a good start:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...-us/odbc/htm/odbcodbc_driver_architecture.asp