You can directly run SQL queries on a database from Excel. The traditional method was to create a Macro and write a long Visual Basic code by using ADO connection to get connected with the source.

Not surprisingly, Microsoft itself uses this to provide Big Data services right within Excel – Excel is one of the primary clients to enable big data analytics on Microsoft platforms.

When you want to combine values in Microsoft Excel, instead of complex expressions or VBA, opt for Power Query – it’s fast and easy.