title: Automate scheduled extraction of Bloomberg data from text files, load into database, and access data from within Excel (similar to BB desktop API)
body: <p>At present we access Bloomberg data using their Excel Add-in. This has allowed us to embed BB functions (e.g. BDP, BDH) directly into our Excel/VBA-based analyses, and import/refresh data as necessary.</p>
  
  <p>We are now required to move to a new data delivery format. Namely, text files representing the entire universe of securities we cover, which are made available on BB servers on a daily basis at a scheduled time.</p>
  
  <p>We would like to transition to this new format with only minor, or at least limited, changes to our Excel formulas.</p>
  
  <p>Consequently we need to develop an automated method for the scheduled extraction of data from text files, data storage in an appropriate database, and a method to access data from this database from within Excel.</p>
  
  <p>There appear to be a plethora of different solutions to this problem, some simple, some less so, using a variety of tools, requiring varying levels of programming and development.</p>
  
  <p>For example, it has been suggested that a simple C# script can undertake the ETL portion of the work. We could then use Excel-DNA to develop a native Excel add-in to implement functions similar to BDP/BDH which pull data from the database.</p>
  
  <p>Before we go down this route however any thoughts as to a simple solution which we may not have considered would be greatly appreciated. We have little experience of data modelling so specifics with regard to applications/platforms/programming languages would be useful.</p>