VBA clear just pivot table cache, but leaving pivot table structure - sql-server

Question

How can I clear pivot table cache with VBA, but not destroy pivot table structure? My pivot table is connected to external data source. The SQL source determines which user should see which portion of the data. The source populates the table as the table is refreshed. I want to save the Excel file and distribute it with clean pivot table (no data inside).
As a result I want to get exactly this:
I have experimented around this code with no success. There is no such thing like PivotCaches.Clear in VBA.
Sub PT_cache_clear()
For Each pc In ActiveWorkbook.PivotCaches
pc.Clear
Next pc
End Sub
The only good solution I found is to refresh the table with a user which has access to SQL server source but is not allowed to see any single record of the data.
The idea:
ActiveSheet.PivotTables("PivotTable1").SaveData = False
seems not to lead to desired results.

Answer 1

The way I do it is to refresh with a query that will return the table structure but with 0 records. So if selecting from a view something like:
select top 0 *
from vw_MyPivotData
If using a stored procedure, you can send a parameter that ensures that no records will be returned such as a filter that you know doesn't exist in the data or a special parameter devised for the purpose of returning no records.

Answer 2

You cannot just clear the PivotCache without affecting the pivot table, they are inexorably linked. You can trick the PivotCache into loading and empty result set with the same structure/schema. Use the PivotTable.ChangeConnection function to switch the connection before closing the document.
If you have two external connections defined in your excel file. One that returns the correct data and another that returns the same structure but no rows. You can switch the connection to the no rows version and flush the cache that way. If there are any differences between the structure/schema of the connection resultset then excel will throw an error message.
Change the connection on demand, just before you distribute your file.
Sub PT_cache_clear()
'change connection'
Dim con as vartype
Set con = ActiveWorkbook.Connections("MyNoResultConnection")
Worksheets(1).PivotTables(1).ChangeConnection (con)
'refresh the pivot table cache'
Worksheets(1).PivotTables(1).PivotCache.Refresh
'clear the cache of any orphaned items'
Dim pc As PivotCache
Dim ws As Worksheet
With ActiveWorkbook
For Each pc In .PivotCaches
pc.MissingItemsLimit = xlMissingItemsNone
Next pc
End With
End Sub
Change to the good connection every time the sheet opens
Private Sub Workbook_Open()
Dim con as vartype
Set con = ActiveWorkbook.Connections("MyGoodResultConnection")
Worksheets(1).PivotTables(1).ChangeConnection (con)
Worksheets(1).PivotTables(1).PivotCache.Refresh
End Sub
You should only need to setup the MyNoResultConnection connection on your local PC since users will not be calling PT_cache_clear().
Update:
Instead of always changing the pivot table connection every time you could set it conditionally by getting the current connection name from the PivotCache.WorkbookConnection property and comparing the names.
Worksheets(1).PivotTables(1).PivotCache.WorkbookConnection
Note:
It is not possible to just flush or empty the pivot cache. You can call a refresh method or set it to refresh automatically when the file opens. You can clear the cache of orphaned items.
PivotTable.ChangeConnection and PivotCache.WorkbookConnection can only be used with external data sources.
Setting PivotTable.SaveData to false will not clear the pivot cache. This stops the data source from being saved it does not affect the PivotCache. The PivotCache lies between the data source and pivot table. When using external data sources this property will have no effect and for OLAP data sources it is always false.
See posts here and here for getting the current state of your PivotCache.
Alternative ways to implement this:
Create the connection object and pivot table with a VBA macro when the workbook opens. Delete the connection, pivot table before the workbook closes. The cache will then be automatically deleted when the workbook is saved. This approach can be difficult depending on how your external datasource is setup. It may require your to store username and passwords inside your VBA code.