VBA Connection from Excel 2010 to SQL Server 2008

Question

i'm pretty new to SQL and VBA, so please forgive any audacity the code below may contain. I am working with code written in Excel's VBA. Eventually, the data from the user form in excel will be entered into a SQL database I have created using SQL Server 2008. Right now, I am just trying to open the connection to the SQL database and enter hard coded values into the db. Unfortunately, this has been much more of a challenge than I expected. I have tried playing around with the connection string a few different ways but have had no luck. When the form runs, I get no errors and I can see the data was added into the appropriate excel worksheet (but no changes in the SQL DB). I can see the db on SQL Server Management Studio and add rows from there, but I am unable to add a row to the db via this code. The db is protected solely by windows authentication. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Sub ConnectSqlServer()
'********SPC DATABASE CONNECTION**********************
'write slurry information to database
'spc_date, mix_type, slurry_lot_num, mixer_num, shift, oper

Dim conn As ADODB.Connection
Dim rs As ADODB.Recordset
Dim sConnString As String

'Create connection string
sConnString = "Provider=sqloledb; Server=SERV; Database=db; Trusted_Connection=True;"

'Create the Connection and Recordset objects
Set oConn = New ADODB.Connection
Set rs = New ADODB.Recordset

'Open connection and execute
conn.Open sConnString
Set rs = conn.Execute("INSERT INTO TBL (col1, col2) VALUES ('val', 'val');")

'Clean up
If CBool(conn.State And adStateOpen) Then conn.Close
Set conn = Nothing
Set rs = Nothing

End Sub

Answer 1

When inserting data, you don't need a recordset object, since an INSERT statement doesn't return a recordset. Instead, try using a command object instead. The command object gives you more control over how your SQL statement is passed to the server, and it also gives you a way to test whether any records were inserted.

I'd also recommend setting Option Explicit at the top of each module, since it will stop you from making mistakes with variables (for instance, you have both conn and oConn in your code, which I don't think you intended.

Here are my edits to your code. It's untested, but I think I've got it right. If it runs without any errors, and recordsAffected returns 1, but there's still nothing on the server, then we'll have to do some more digging.

Sub ConnectSqlServer()
'********SPC DATABASE CONNECTION**********************
'write slurry information to database
'spc_date, mix_type, slurry_lot_num, mixer_num, shift, oper

Dim conn As New ADODB.Connection
Dim cmd As New ADODB.Command
Dim sConnString As String
Dim recordsAffected as Long

'Create connection string
sConnString = "Provider=sqloledb; Server=SERV; Database=db; Trusted_Connection=True;"

'Open connection and execute
conn.Open sConnString
With cmd
  .ActiveConnection = conn
  .CommandType = adCmdText
  .CommandText = "INSERT INTO TBL (col1, col2) VALUES ('val', 'val');"
  .Execute recordsAffected 'Includes a return parameter to capture the number of records affected
End With

Debug.Print recordsAffected 'Check whether any records were inserted

'Clean up
If CBool(conn.State And adStateOpen) Then conn.Close
Set cmd = Nothing
Set conn = Nothing

End Sub