Microsoft KB Archive/77357

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D(functions) Don't Work with an External Database in Excel
'Article ID: Q77357

Creation Date: 14-OCT-1991

Revision Date: 31-OCT-1995' The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 3.0, 4.0
 * Microsoft Excel for OS/2 version 3.0

SUMMARY

If you have an external database set in Microsoft Excel, the D(functions) do not work properly. Attempting to use them returns a #NAME or #VALUE error. These twelve functions are specifically designed to work with databases and perform tasks such as counting, or summing values. For a list of the D(functions) and a description of each command, see the &quot;Microsoft Excel User's Guide.&quot;

MORE INFORMATION

When setting an external database, you specify the path and filename to be used. This is done by running QE.XLA or QESTART.XLA, or by having them load in the XLSTART subdirectory. This adds commands to the Data menu such as the Activate Q+E command. It will also modify the Set Database command to allow you to access databases over a network. Once you have set your database, you can then do Extracts just as if the database were set locally.

However, the D(functions) will not work with the external database. Even manually defining the database by choosing Define Name from the Formula menu will not change this. Without manually defining the database, all of the D(functions) will return a #NAME error message. If the database is defined through the Define Name command, the D(functions) will return a #VALUE error.

Note that the files QE.XLA and QESTART.XLA are not included in Microsoft Excel version 5.0. However, if you install Microsoft Excel version 5.0 to the directory that contains Microsoft Excel version 3.0 or 4.0, and you use the existing files QE.XLA and QESTART.XLA, the behavior described above occurs.

REFERENCES

&quot;Microsoft Excel User's Guide 1,&quot; version 4.0, pages 344-346

&quot;Microsoft Excel Function Reference,&quot; version 4.0, pages 91-93

&quot;Microsoft Excel User's Guide,&quot; version 3.0, pages 385-387

&quot;Microsoft Excel Function Reference,&quot; version 3.0, pages 54-56
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KBCategory: kbusage

KBSubcategory:

Additional reference words: 3.0 3.00 4.0 4.00 DAverage DCount DCounta

DGet DMax DMin DProduct DStdev DStdevp DSum DVar DVarp #NAME? #VALUE!

dfunction