What's the optimal way to pull data from multiple workbooks?!?

[simurq]

I have multiple workbooks which I want to use as databases. Each of them has various data in multiple columns. Here is a sample from "Navaids.xls":

[TABLE="width: 417"]
<tbody>[TR]
[TD][B]ID[/B][/TD]
[TD][B]Name[/B][/TD]
[TD][B]Freq[/B][/TD]
[TD][B]Lat[/B][/TD]
[TD][B]Lon[/B][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]1A[/TD]
[TD]Williams Harbour[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]373[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]52.558889[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]-55.782222[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]1B[/TD]
[TD]Sable Island[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]277[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]43.930556[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]-60.022778[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]1D[/TD]
[TD]Charlottetown[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]346[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]52.775[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]-56.123889[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]1E[/TD]
[TD]Black Tickle[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]349[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]53.466667[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]-55.787222[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]1F[/TD]
[TD]Manta (Bathurst)[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]363[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]47.630556[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]-65.744722[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]1K[/TD]
[TD]Zama Lake[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]227[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]59.021944[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]-118.8225[/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]

The rest of database workbooks ("Navaids.xls", "Communications.xls", "Runways.xls", etc.) look almost the same although the data varies.

Now, I'd like to know which of the below methods is optimal for attaching these databases to a project file and being able to manipulate them through that file without opening (for best user experience)?!?

1) Save and read from the databases as CSV or XLS files
2) Save and read from the databases as TXT files

Please note that I'm planning to distribute my project within an archived (.zip or .rar) file which will contain a folder with a main project file ("Project.xlsm") and the database workbooks either within the same folder or within individual "Databases" folder. Again, I want (i) to keep the main file "Project.xlsm" as light as possible - otherwise, if I assign a separate sheet to each database in the same file, it grows up considerably; (ii) to be able to pull data from databases using popular search methods like FIND or VLOOKUP without opening the database files.

Thanks a lot in advance!!!

 

[simurq]

Ok, guys, I'll ask the question in a different way:

I'll be extremely grateful (!) if you can show/guide me on HOW I can manipulate data through VBA in XML and CSV files without opening them?

Thank you very much in advance!!!