[mapguide-users] Connecting to an Excel Database

[DGK]

The subject itself should describe my experience level... (extreme newbie)

The goal is simply to attach a point file and place symbols on a map.  I
have been through the "Autodesk Official Traning Guide" for Mapguide 2010
and searched "Excel" under the users group to no avail.  But for this simple
task still I'm lost...

The point file is an Excel spreadsheet with these columns:
ID	SITE	             LAT	             LON
1	NY-ROC001	43.1851967	-77.641065
2...149

Tried a couple of Methods to Connect see below (no user credentials required
in any case).
The problem is the Excel file?  - Used Excel 2003, except for DSN connection
- then saved as Excel 5.0

Please advise - I've become the definition of insanity - doing the same
thing over and over and expecting a different result...
Dan


What follows are the specific steps taken for everything I can think of...

Attempt 1 Failure:
Type of Connection - OSGeo FDO Provide for ODBC
"Connect to a file and upload to the MapGuide Library"
New - Select file SyrRocLocations01.xls (on local machine, not a network
drive)
Type of database - Microsoft Excel Driver (*.xls)
Connection String - Driver={Microsoft Excel Driver
(*.xls)};DriverId=790;Dbq=%MG_DATA_FILE_PATH%SyrRocLocations01.xls;DefaultDir=%MG_DATA_FILE_PATH%;
Test Connection - Successful connection
Under Define geometry properties...  Press "Show Tables" - nothing appears
Press Refresh - Failed to retrieve message for "MgIndexOutOfRangeException".
The value is invalid because it is too large. 

Attempt 2 Failure:
Type of Connection - OSGeo FDO Provider for ODBC
"Connect to an External File"
File to connect to - %MG_DATA_PATH_ALIAS[DATA_FILES]%/SyrRocLocations01.xls
(alias is set up properly)
Type of Database - Microsoft Excel Driver (*.xls)
Connection String - Driver={Microsoft Excel Driver
(*.xls)};DriverId=790;Dbq=%MG_DATA_PATH_ALIAS[DATA_FILES]%/SyrRocLocations01.xls;DefaultDir=%MG_DATA_PATH_ALIAS[DATA_FILES]%;
Test Connection - An exception occurred in FDO component. RDBMS: No current
open database.

Attempt 3 Failure:
Type of Connection -OSGeo FDO Provider for ODBC
"Connect via a DataDource Name (DSN) set up on the server"
Create DSN on server, select connection name (made sure to save file as
Excel 5.0 and use like dsn driver)
Test Connection - Successful Connection
Refresh - Failed to retrieve message for "MgIndexOutOfRangeException". The
value is invalid because it is too large.

Tried to Create a layer from each of the data sources:
Create Layer fron Excel Upload (1 above) <OR> 
Create Layer From External file (2 above) <OR>
Create Layer From DSN connection (3 above) <=>

In all cases:
"The Feature Class is Invalid..."
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