https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=105039
--- Comment #4 from Howard Johnson <[email protected]> ---
Hi again,
I remember how baffled I was when I first encountered this stuff in early
Access versions many years ago. It is the first big thing that is quite
different in Base from say, a spreadsheet. So I feel it is very important to
help the new user quickly understand this data setup, as being so fundamental
to using forms and subforms. I want more people to use Base. So I want it to
be easier to use.
I suppose there are three ways that this all could be more clear:
1) First, I think the name `Analyze SQL command` could be more to the point.
Is it possible to rename it to `Enable Filter and Sort`? (BTW. MS Access calls
this same feature `Enable Filter`.) I would think this would be the first,
best way to improve overall clarity.
2) But failing that, is there some way to produce a hover mode flyout help
message explaining this property better, i.e. saying that what it actually does
is: enable the Filter and Sort properties?
3) Or failing even that, there might be better F1 help. See my specific
suggestions below. Also I think the F1 help needs usage examples. I suggest
you give a few examples for each and every one of these parameters. I think
people learn much more quickly from examples than from explanations.
Here is what I suggest for help verbiage:
---------------------------------------------------------------
Content type
To select the data your form will operate on, select a `Content type` and then
specify a related `Content`. Later you can also possibly specify a Filter
criteria and/or Sort specification. Content types:
Table/View - To read or write to a Table or View, set `Content type` to `Table`
and `Content` to a table or view's name.
Query - To read or write to a query, set `Content type` to `Query` and
`Content` to a query's name.
SQL - To read or write to a data set described by a SQL statement, set `Content
type` to `SQL` and `Content` to the actual SQL code to specify the data set.
Examples:
Content type Table
Content Payroll
Content type Query
Content Payroll query
Content type SQL
Content ( SELECT FirstName, LastName FROM Payroll )
Notes:
* If you wish to create or write records, any table needs to be writeable, and
any query or SQL needs to be updatability.
* Each Form and SubForm has it's own independent (but possibly overlapping)
data set. A SubForm's data set is often linked to its parent's form with
special criteria which filter a subset of the SubForm's data.
* See also: `Filter` and `Sort`
* If using a SubForm see also: `Link Master Fields`, and `Link Slave Fields`.
These engage additional selection criteria dependent on the parent's form.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Content
See Content type above.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Filter
(Note: at the moment I'm not seeing any help for Filter when I click F1 on it)
Enter any criteria desired to limit the data read via Content Type and Content.
Format of this criteria is the same as for a SQL WHERE statement.
This is only one of two possible filter stages, the other one being a subform
link that produces it's own, additional data filtering so that a subform can
respond to what is selected in a master form.
Example:
Filter FirstName='Fred'
See also: `Content type` and SubForm linking via `Link master fields`, and
`Link slave fields`.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Sort
"Specifies the conditions to sort ..." etc. (Good enough I think, but pls add
a usage example:).
Example:
Sort FirstName, LastName DESC
---------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks guys!
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