Importing Data from an External Database

Monarch Classic allows you to import data from an external database. You initially open a database and then use the Database Window to select the fields to import into Monarch Classic.

Data that you import from an external database can be used just like data extracted from a report. You can apply filters to boil down the data, hide and rename fields, sort the data, create new calculated fields, create summary reports, print and copy data, and export data to any file format that Monarch Classic supports.

Select File tab, then Open, then Database. The Open Database dialog displays.
Click the adjacent Browse button and select one of the following options:
- Local or network file: Select this option if your data resides in a file on your local drive or on a network drive that is accessible to you. Use the Select File dialog that displays to select a file of the desired type. Monarch Classic can access the following file types:
- - Microsoft Excel (*.xls;*xlsx;*.xlsm)
  - Microsoft Access (*.accdb;*.mdb)
  - Delimited Text files (*.csv;*.tab;*.asc)
  - dBASE file (*.dbf)
- Web File: Select this option if your lookup file is located in folder on a Web Server. You will be asked to provide the web server, folder, and security settings.
- ODBC connection: Select this option if your data resides in a SQL database or other database system that you have access to via ODBC. Monarch Classic can draw data from ODBC data sources for which you have established an ODBC connection, called a Data Source Name definition, or simply a DSN. Any existing DSNs will be displayed. Select the desired DSN from those listed.
- OLEDB connection: Select this option if your data resides in a SQL database or other database system that you have access to via OLE DB. Note: Performance of OLE DB is likely to be superior to ODBC, especially when using SQL Server databases. Check to see if you can make a connection to your desired data source via OLE DB instead of ODBC. Choose one of the following from the drop-down menu:
- - Data Link Wizard: Select this option to specify, via the Data Link Properties dialog, the appropriate OLE DB provider for the type of data you want to access.
  - Data Link File: Select this option to choose, via the Select Data Link File dialog, the udl (universal data link) file (*.udl) that describes the data source you want to connect to
Select the data source. The selected data source appears in the Data Source box and the Source Type field is automatically populated.
If the data source contains multiple tables, or in the case of an Excel file multiple sheets, select the table/sheet.
Select a model (optional).

To open a model file that includes settings that apply to the selected data source, click the Model Browse button, then select the model file using the Open Model dialog. To open a previously used model, click the arrow on the Model box to display a list of recently used models, then select the model from the list.
Click the OK to display the Database Window.
Select the columns to import into Monarch Classic.

To select columns, either click the Select All button to import all columns or click the check box adjacent to each column name to import individual columns.

When you select a source column’s check box, a name appears under the Table Window Name heading. This is the name that will be assigned to the column when it’s imported into Monarch Classic. You can change the column name to anything you’d like by clicking on it.

If you wish to apply a file name prefix (e.g., "Import") to all the columns you are importing, then type the prefix in the Name Prefix box and press Select All (press it twice if you already have all columns selected).

Monarch Classic opens its Table window and populates it with data imported from the selected data source. Now you are ready to begin using the data in Monarch Classic.

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