Import Excel data to SQL Server table using VB.Net application - sql-server

Question

I found several articles on this topic but the issues are different. I'm trying to import data from an Excel 2016 file into SQL Server 2017 using a VB.net application, so that the end-users need not to have SQL Server installed on their machines. I ran the application in debug mode to identify the issue.
Again I read articles on various instances related to the following error:
The 'Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.15.0' provider is not registered on the local machine
My code:
Dim TheData As DataTable = GetExcelData(OpenFileDialog1)
Private Function GetExcelData(File As OpenFileDialog) As DataTable
Dim oleDbConnection As New OleDbConnection
Try
OpenOLEDBConnections(oleDbConnection, "Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.15.0;Data Source=" & File.InitialDirectory & _
File.FileName & "; ;Extended Properties=""Excel 12.0 XML;HDR=YES;""")
Dim oleDbDataAdapter As OleDbDataAdapter = New OleDbDataAdapter("Select '' as ID, 'AL' as Supplier, LTRIM(RTRIM(GRADE)) AS GRADE, [ship date] as shipdate, LTRIM(RTRIM(coil)) AS coil, L15*1000 AS L15, H15*1000 AS H15 FROM [sheet1$] where COIL is not null group by GRADE, [SHIP DATE], COIL, L15, H15", oleDbConnection)
Dim dataTable As DataTable = New DataTable()
oleDbDataAdapter.Fill(dataTable)
oleDbConnection.Close()
Return dataTable
Catch ex As Exception
oleDbConnection.Close()
Return Nothing
End Try
End Function
Private Sub OpenOLEDBConnections(ByRef cnData As OleDbConnection, cnDataConstr As String)
If Not cnData.State = ConnectionState.Closed Then cnData.Close()
If cnData.State = ConnectionState.Closed Then
cnData.ConnectionString = cnDataConstr
cnData.Open()
End If
End Sub

Answer 1

Not that this is the silver bullet, but i dont like the look of your connection string. There appears to be a ";" out of place. Try this one
Dim XLSFile As String = "C:\DATA\test.xlsx"
Dim connstring As String = "Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;" &
"Data Source=" & XLSFile & ";Extended Properties=""Excel 12.0 Xml;HDR=YES;"""

Answer 2

Try installing ACE provider from the following link
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/confirmation.aspx?id=13255
How to import Excel into SQL Server, check out on
https://www.red-gate.com/simple-talk/dotnet/c-programming/office-development-in-visual-studio/
Or try using this snippet
Imports System
Imports System.Collections.Generic
Imports System.Data
Imports System.Data.OleDb
Imports System.Data.SqlClient
Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices
Imports Excel = Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel
Public Module Program
Public Sub Main()
Dim officeType = Type.GetTypeFromProgID("Excel.Application")
If officeType Is Nothing Then
Console.WriteLine("Sorry, Excel must be installed!")
Console.WriteLine("Press any key to exit")
Console.ReadLine()
Return
End If
Const fileToRead As String = "C:\TMP\FirstTest.xlsx"
Dim xlApp As Excel.Application = Nothing
Dim workbooks As Excel.Workbooks = Nothing
Dim xlWorkBook As Excel.Workbook = Nothing
Dim sheets As Excel.Sheets = Nothing
Dim t1 As Excel.Worksheet = Nothing
Try
xlApp = New Excel.Application()
Console.WriteLine($"Trying to open file {fileToRead}")
workbooks = xlApp.Workbooks
xlWorkBook = workbooks.Open(fileToRead, 0, True, 5, "", "", True, Origin:=Excel.XlPlatform.xlWindows, Delimiter:=vbTab, Editable:=False, Notify:=False, Converter:=0, AddToMru:=True, Local:=1, CorruptLoad:=0)
sheets = xlApp.ActiveWorkbook.Sheets
Dim dic = New List(Of String)()
For Each mSheet In sheets
dic.Add($"[{t1.Name}$]")
Next
Using myConnection = New OleDbConnection($"Provider=Microsoft.Ace.OLEDB.12.0;Data Source={fileToRead};Extended Properties='Excel 12.0 Xml;HDR = YES;'")
Using dtSet = New DataSet()
For Each s In dic
Console.WriteLine($" Processing {s} table")
Dim myCommand = New OleDbDataAdapter($"select * from {s};", myConnection)
myCommand.TableMappings.Add("Table", s)
myCommand.Fill(dtSet)
Next
For Each t As DataTable In dtSet.Tables
Console.WriteLine($" Table {t.TableName} has {t.Rows.Count} records")
Next
End Using
End Using
dic = Nothing
Console.WriteLine("Successfully imported!")
Console.WriteLine("After closing Console Windows start Task Manager and be sure that Excel instance is not there!")
Console.WriteLine("Press any key to exit")
Console.ReadLine()
Catch e As Exception
Console.WriteLine($"Error importing from Excel : {e.Message}")
Console.ReadLine()
Finally
GC.Collect()
GC.WaitForPendingFinalizers()
If sheets IsNot Nothing Then
Marshal.FinalReleaseComObject(sheets)
sheets = Nothing
End If
xlWorkBook.Close()
If xlWorkBook IsNot Nothing Then
Marshal.FinalReleaseComObject(xlWorkBook)
xlWorkBook = Nothing
End If
xlApp.Quit()
If xlApp IsNot Nothing Then
Marshal.FinalReleaseComObject(xlApp)
xlApp = Nothing
End If
GC.Collect()
GC.WaitForPendingFinalizers()
End Try
End Sub
End Module

Answer 3

After I spent a day and half, I somehow managed to resolve the issue by going through the following link and tried the option mentioned by Manju K Gowda Monday, May 14, 2012 12:14 PM
Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.15.0 and also modified my connection string provider from OLEDB 15.0 to 12.0.
To be precise, while building the solution either in Debug or release mode, keep the Configuration Manager to x86 instead of AnyCPU