How to import an excel file in to a MySQL database

Question

Can any one explain how to import a Microsoft Excel file in to a MySQL database?

For example, my Excel table looks like this:

Country   |   Amount   |   Qty
----------------------------------
America   |   93       |   0.60

Greece    |   9377     |   0.80

Australia |   9375     |   0.80

Answer 1

There's a simple online tool that can do this called sqlizer.io.

You upload an XLSX file to it, enter a sheet name and cell range, and it will generate a CREATE TABLE statement and a bunch of INSERT statements to import all your data into a MySQL database.

(Disclaimer: I help run SQLizer)

Answer 2

Below is another method to import spreadsheet data into a MySQL database that doesn't rely on any extra software. Let's assume you want to import your Excel table into the sales table of a MySQL database named mydatabase.

1. Select the relevant cells:

   

2. Paste into Mr. Data Converter and select the output as MySQL:

   

3. Change the table name and column definitions to fit your requirements in the generated output:

CREATE TABLE sales (
  id INT NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
  Country VARCHAR(255),
  Amount INT,
  Qty FLOAT
);
INSERT INTO sales
  (Country,Amount,Qty)
VALUES
  ('America',93,0.60),
  ('Greece',9377,0.80),
  ('Australia',9375,0.80);

4. If you're using MySQL Workbench or already logged into mysql from the command line, then you can execute the generated SQL statements from step 3 directly. Otherwise, paste the code into a text file (e.g., import.sql) and execute this command from a Unix shell:

   mysql mydatabase < import.sql

   Other ways to import from a SQL file can be found in this Stack Overflow answer.

Answer 3

1. Export it into some text format. The easiest will probably be a tab-delimited version, but CSV can work as well.

2. Use the load data capability. See http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.1/en/load-data.html

3. Look half way down the page, as it will gives a good example for tab separated data:

   FIELDS TERMINATED BY '\t' ENCLOSED BY '' ESCAPED BY '\'

4. Check your data. Sometimes quoting or escaping has problems, and you need to adjust your source, import command-- or it may just be easier to post-process via SQL.

Answer 4

There are actually several ways to import an excel file in to a MySQL database with varying degrees of complexity and success.

1. Excel2MySQL. Hands down, the easiest and fastest way to import Excel data into MySQL. It supports all verions of Excel and doesn't require Office install.

   

2. LOAD DATA INFILE: This popular option is perhaps the most technical and requires some understanding of MySQL command execution. You must manually create your table before loading and use appropriately sized VARCHAR field types. Therefore, your field data types are not optimized. LOAD DATA INFILE has trouble importing large files that exceed 'max_allowed_packet' size. Special attention is required to avoid problems importing special characters and foreign unicode characters. Here is a recent example I used to import a csv file named test.csv.

   

3. phpMyAdmin: Select your database first, then select the Import tab. phpMyAdmin will automatically create your table and size your VARCHAR fields, but it won't optimize the field types. phpMyAdmin has trouble importing large files that exceed 'max_allowed_packet' size.

   

4. MySQL for Excel: This is a free Excel Add-in from Oracle. This option is a bit tedious because it uses a wizard and the import is slow and buggy with large files, but this may be a good option for small files with VARCHAR data. Fields are not optimized.

   

Answer 5

Not sure if you have all this setup, but for me I am using PHP and MYSQL. So I use a PHP class PHPExcel. This takes a file in nearly any format, xls, xlsx, cvs,... and then lets you read and / or insert.

So what I wind up doing is loading the excel in to a phpexcel object and then loop through all the rows. Based on what I want, I write a simple SQL insert command to insert the data in the excel file into my table.

On the front end it is a little work, but its just a matter of tweaking some of the existing code examples. But when you have it dialed in making changes to the import is simple and fast.

Answer 6

When using text files to import data, I had problems with quotes and how Excel was formatting numbers. For example, my Excel configuration used the comma as decimal separator instead of the dot.

Now I use Microsoft Access 2010 to open my MySql table as linked table. There I can simply copy and paste cells from Excel to Access.

To do this, first install the MySql ODBC driver and create an ODBC connection. Then in access, in the "External Data" tab, open "ODBC Database" dialog and link to any table using the ODBC connection.

Using MySql Workbench, you can also copy and paste your Excel data into the result grid of MySql Workbench. I gave detailed instructions in this answer.

Answer 7

the best and easiest way is to use "MySQL for Excel" app that is a free app from oracle. this app added a plugin to excel to export and import data to mysql. you can download that from here

Answer 8

Fastest and simpliest way is to save XLS as ODS (open document spreasheet) and import it from PhpMyAdmin

Answer 9

For a step by step example for importing Excel 2007 into MySQL with correct encoding (UTF-8) search for this comment:

"Posted by Mike Laird on October 13 2010 12:50am"

in the next URL:

http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.1/en/load-data.html

Answer 10

You could use DocChow, a very intuitive GIU for importing Excel into MySQL, and it's free on most common platforms (including Linux).

More especially if you are concerned about date, datetime datatypes, DocChow easily handles datatypes. If you are working with multiple Excel spreadsheets that you want to import into one MySQL table DocChow does the dirty work.

Answer 11

Step 1 Create Your CSV file

Step 2 log in to your mysql server

     mysql -uroot -pyourpassword 

Step 3 load your csv file

     load data local infile '//home/my-sys/my-excel.csv' into table my_tables fields terminated by ',' enclosed by '"' (Country, Amount,Qty);

Answer 12

Another useful tool, and as a MySQL front-end replacement, is Toad for MySQL. Sadly, no longer supported by Quest, but a brilliant IDE for MySQL, with IMPORT and EXPORT wizards, catering for most file types.

Answer 13

If you are using Toad for MySQL steps to import a file is as follows:

1. create a table in MySQL with the same columns that of the file to be imported.
2. now the table is created, goto > Tools > Import > Import Wizard
3. now in the import wizard dialogue box, click Next.
4. click Add File, browse and select the file to be imported.
5. choose the correct dilimination.("," seperated for .csv file)
6. click Next, check if the mapping is done properly.
7. click Next, select the "A single existing table" radio button also select the table that to be mapped from the dropdown menu of Tables.
8. Click next and finish the process.

Answer 14

If you don't like plugins, VBA and external tools, I have an excel file that using formulas only allows you to create INSERT/UPDATES. You only have to put the data on the cells:

As an extra, there's another tab in the file to CREATE TABLES:

The file can be found on the following link:

EXCEL FILE

Answer 15

I've had good results with the Tools / Import CSV File feature in HeidiSQL, with CSV files directly exported from Excel 2019 with "Save As..."

It uses LOAD DATA INFILE internally but with a GUI interface and also analyzes the CSV file before passing it to LOAD DATA INFILE so it can, for example, create the table using the first row as column names and guessing the column data type (<New table> option as shown in the picture)