Using Excel Files as a Data Source
Excel files can be used as a merge source. It's a common requirement, and there are a few things to know.
You can use a workbook as an ODBC (database) source.
1. Install the 64-bit driver
Install the Microsoft Access Database Engine 64-bit drivers. Then open Control Panel › Administrative Tools › ODBC Data Sources (64-bit) and add the Excel driver. The driver is Excel 12.0; give the data source a name, such as Excel.
2. Set the merge source
In the workflow manager, select Database as the merge source and enter the data source name in the DSN box.
Then comes the undocumented trick. You need to enter a table name. You'd expect it to be the worksheet name, but not quite. If the sheet is named my sheet 1, enter:
[my sheet 1$]
Excel tables are named as the sheet name followed by a $, enclosed in square brackets.
For recurring jobs, a SQL Server table is usually a better long-term source. See SQL-to-press automation.
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