Adding data to Sharepoint Lists in bulk from database, Excel files

Many a times, it is required to import data in sharpoint lists from sources like SQL Server, Access db

or Excel files.

Here I will outline the steps required to import data in list from these sources. We can even link a sharepoint

list to SQL database, so that updates made to one are relfected in other and vice versa.

This is achieved through linked table feature.

• Lets fire up Access 2007 and create a new blank access database.
  
  
• Go to External data ribbon and we will choose ODBC to link this table to the SQL Server database.
  
  
• Choose link to data source by creating a linked table
  
  
• Choose a DSN for your data source or create a new one.
  
  
• Once you get the table into Access 2007, right click the table and Choose Export -> Sharepoint List
  
  
• Specify the address of sharepoint site and the name of the list you want to create and you are done :)
  
  
• Sharepoint will itself create the site columns and select the data types for these columns based on the data types specified in the table.

Here we have imported the data into list from SQL server database. This can be extended to XML files, Excel files or even the Access database , paradox or even the Lotus database :)

Not to mention, just like import, you can export the data from sharepoint list to Access, SQL Server etc.....