The website I am building for a friend is for a business with a huge inventory of products that he has in a spreadsheet.  I created a Products section on the webpage for all of the products to be listed so my question is:

Can I somehow link the spreadsheet with the webpage so that it will actually be viewable on the site?  Also, can I manage the inventory in the spreadsheet andhave it update in the website?  For example:

Say I have a spreadsheet and my products are Apples & Oranges, we have 5 apples and 5 oranges, and we sell 2 of each.  Now it's time to update it on the website, is there a way to edit the amount in the inventory spreadsheet and have it automatically update on the site?

Sorry if that analogy doesn't make it clear, I appreciate any help!

-Lou

1. Open Access. Click the FOLDER icon. Change FILE TYPES to ALL. Navigate to your spreadsheet and D.Click it.

2. Follow the directions of the Wizard to convert it into a Dbase file. Dbase is now LINKED to your spreadsheet. However, I don't recommend that you leave it in this state. So...

3. On the Dbase window that is still open, Click the data LINK that you just created (Excel symbol). Click EDIT, COPY. Then R.Click in the white space just below the Excel symbol (in the window background) and Click PASTE.

4. A "Paste Table" opens. Give this table a name (like INVENTORY), then Click "Structure and Data". Click OK. You have now created a Dbase that stands on its own... disconnected from the spreadsheet. 

5. R.Click the Excel symbol, click DELETE and answer the confirmation questions. This severs the connection between the spreadsheet and Access.

6. To maintain your new Dbase, just open this Access Dbase at any time. Since it's already open, D.Click the Dbase icon in front of the table you just created. It should look very similar to your spreadsheet layout and is maintained in almost the same way.

7. Now that you have a real Dbase, close the Access window and return to Expression Web.

8. The Expression Web page that you insert the Dbase into must be an .aspx page. Rename the extent of your page if it isn't already an .aspx page. Then save it.

9. Place the cursor on your page in the position where you want the Dbase to appear. From the TOOL BOX, D.Click "GRIDVIEW". Save your page.

10. On the inserted "GRIDVIEW", Click the ">" (unless it's already open ("<")), pull down the "Choose data source" and Click <New data source>.

11. Select "Access Database" and click OK. Navigate to the Access file you created earlier and D.Click. Click NEXT.

12. Click the "*" to select ALL FIELDS. Finish the process and SAVE your page.

Test your new page. Changes to the Dbase go to the page upon a LOAD or REFRESH.

By keeping a copy of the Dbase file on your PC, you can make data additions/changes and publish it to your Host when ever you like. Any change(s) to the structure of the Dbase will once again require changes to Expression Web.

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