咨询从Smartsheet自动取数至Excel的最优方案：Excel与SQL如何选择？

Hey there! Let's break down your question about automating Smartsheet data pulls and choosing between Excel and SQL for small datasets.

Here are three reliable approaches, ranging from no-code to code-based:

• Power Query (Get & Transform) – No-Code Favorite
  Excel’s built-in Power Query tool is perfect for non-technical users. Here’s the quick workflow:

  1. Go to the Data tab > Get Data > From Other Sources > From Web.
  2. Enter your Smartsheet API request URL (e.g., https://api.smartsheet.com/2.0/sheets/YOUR_SHEET_ID).
  3. Configure authentication: Add a request header named Authorization with the value Bearer YOUR_API_KEY.
  4. Load the data into Excel, then set up automatic refresh (right-click the query > Refresh > Refresh All > Connection Properties to set a schedule).
     This method is visual, requires no scripting, and keeps your data synced with minimal effort.

• VBA Script – Customizable Code Option
  If you want more control, use VBA to call the Smartsheet API directly. You’ll need to import the VBA-JSON library to parse API responses easily. Here’s a simplified example:

  Sub PullSmartsheetData()
      ' Replace with your credentials
      Const API_KEY As String = "YOUR_SMARTSHEET_API_KEY"
      Const SHEET_ID As String = "YOUR_SHEET_ID"
      
      Dim http As Object, json As Object
      Set http = CreateObject("MSXML2.XMLHTTP")
      
      ' Send API request
      http.Open "GET", "https://api.smartsheet.com/2.0/sheets/" & SHEET_ID, False
      http.SetRequestHeader "Authorization", "Bearer " & API_KEY
      http.Send
      
      ' Parse JSON response (requires VBA-JSON library)
      Set json = JsonConverter.ParseJson(http.ResponseText)
      
      ' Write headers to Excel
      Dim col As Integer: col = 1
      For Each header In json("columns")
          Cells(1, col).Value = header("title")
          col = col + 1
      Next
      
      ' Write row data
      Dim row As Integer: row = 2
      For Each sheetRow In json("rows")
          col = 1
          For Each cell In sheetRow("cells")
              Cells(row, col).Value = cell("value")
              col = col + 1
          Next
          row = row + 1
      Next
  End Sub
  

  You can run this script manually or set it to trigger on workbook open for auto-refresh.

• Third-Party Automation Tools – Zero-Code Sync
  Tools like Zapier or Make (Integromat) let you set up a "Zap" or scenario that syncs Smartsheet data to Excel automatically. For example:

  • Trigger: "New row added in Smartsheet"
  • Action: "Add row to Excel"
    This is ideal if you don’t want to touch Excel’s internal tools or code at all.

Let’s weigh the pros based on your use case:

Excel Pros #

• Zero learning curve: You already know how to use Excel—no need to pick up SQL syntax or database management.
• All-in-one workflow: Store data, run formulas, build pivot tables, and create charts in the same file.
• No extra setup: No need to install or maintain a database server; everything lives in a local workbook.
• Easy sharing: Send the Excel file to teammates without requiring database access permissions.

SQL Pros #

• Scalability: If your data grows down the line, SQL databases (like SQLite, MySQL) handle larger datasets far better than Excel.
• Advanced querying: Complex filters, joins, and aggregations are more straightforward with SQL than nested Excel formulas.
• Data consistency: Avoid version conflicts that come with multiple people editing the same Excel file (if using a centralized database).

Final Recommendation #

For small datasets, Excel is the clear winner. It’s efficient, requires no extra overhead, and aligns perfectly with your current goal of storing data in a workbook. If you later outgrow Excel (e.g., data hits 100k+ rows, need multi-user collaboration), you can easily switch to SQL using the same Smartsheet API to sync data.

内容的提问来源于stack exchange，提问作者Panthersfball234