Ray Hall wrote:
I have been reading as much stuff as I could after joining up, and
hope that this is the right place to try out the views I have formed.
Base is positioned differently from most other 'real' databases. In
this I exclude simple stuff such as MS Works or the most widely used
data repository - Excel. These are not relational and come with
inbuilt forms. The one exception I have used is Access where forms
come with the package. Otherwise something like Firebird/Interbase
(the former being open source) is only a RDBMS and any front end forms
are organised by a different programming system such as Delphi, C++ or
C#. Much the same is true of Oracle.
With this in mind, coupled with references from the Calc documentation
to Forms, and the separate book on Math, I think first time users
would find it much easier if there were two documentation streams -
one for Forms+reports (which Calc users could use directly) and the
other for building a Base database.
Additionally, I am used to the idea that there should be a simple, but
complete, database which can be downloaded and I think we *must*
provide one. In this case not the calendar example - which provides an
excellent work-through cum tutorial and explanation - but something
else with which users could experiment and get used to the system, as
well as being an example of good practice.
This would mean that the Forms documentation would cover the business
of using existing data sources of all types including tables from
Write and calc spreadsheets.
This would allow the Building-a-Database documentation more freedom
and be easier to write. It would also mean that the additions which
Jean has made at the beginning of the outline would drop more
naturally into place.
In addition I have few stylistic enquiries. Firstly, I assume that I
should set the spell checker to USA English rather than UK? This is
because I habitually differentiate between terms such as 'program'
(the software) and programme (a plan of action or the booklet in the
theatre).
Secondly it would help to have a longer repository of defined terms;
some of the existing may simply be USA/Europe differences but if they
are stated then I can follow them.
Thirdly, I am not clear about the target user. Will they clearly
understand about 'front end' and tuple, relation, normalisation? (The
last is not used in what I have read so far, though the concept is
well developed and explained in the Calendar stuff).
And so on -
With Best Wishes
Perhaps I do not understand what you are saying. Have you read the
"Getting Started with Base" chapter in thte Getting Started Guide? Have
you read the three proposed chapters of the Base Guide in the feedback
folder?
http://www.oooauthors.org/english/userguide3/db3/base3_feedback
(I am presently reviewing chapter 3. I hope to have the review done by
the end of the week. Zoltan noticed a section needed to be added to this
chapter and wrote one. My review is of this section.)
The target users for the Base Guide as I see it are those who who
can use a relational database as described in the "Getting Started with
Base" chapter. Some of these people will be using Base for their
personal use; others will be using Base at work. They need instructions
on a more advanced level: using SQL in Base to accomplish more complex
tasks; using Base as a front end for other databases such as MySQL,
PostgreSQL, Access, and Oracle; and using individual Base files with the
HSQLDB server.
Dan
---------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected]
For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]
