[libreoffice-users] Re: Compatibility of LO Base with Access databases

[Ken Springer]

On 7/31/16 4:16 PM, Girvin Herr wrote:

On 07/31/2016 12:49 PM, Ken Springer wrote:

On 7/30/16 3:30 PM, jorge wrote:

Hi:

On GNU / Linux / Ubuntu, and of course in other distributions, there are
to program that you would probe because could help you to export Access
DB to open document:

1) MDBtools (View and export MSAccess db)

2) Kexi of Caligra Suite that say it is able to read MS Access db


Thanks, jorge.  I'll have to check with my "conspirator" on how much
effort in learning he's willing to do to create a Linux database.

Ken


Ken,
One thing about Kexi.  I looked at it a few weeks ago and discovered
that Kexi has a capability of reading Access database files to some
degree.  However, it reads and converts the access database into its own
internal database.  Kexi has no capability to interface to and use an
external database server (aka "Back End") such as Mariadb or MySQL, as
LO Base does.

I am using LO Base as a database client (aka "Front End") on Linux and
connected to my Mariadb database server using a Java "connector"
driver.  I do this because the LO internal HSQDB has limitations that
MySQL and Mariadb do not have.  You may consider this if your
database(s) are large or complex.


Thanks for the above info, Girvin.  I appreciate it.

I understand the concept of Front End/Back End, but never have dealt 
with it.  Nor have I ever used MySQL, Mariadb, or others.  Access and a 
bit of dBase is all I've ever used, and in general, even then that's 
more power than I've ever needed.


Another gentleman and I trying to get a social agency we both volunteer 
for out of the dark ages of computers.  Due to ignorance of computers, 
and a good bunch of resistance to change, it will be a daunting task.



Years ago, I had my data in an access (1.1) database and needed to port
my data to MySQL.  I managed it by using the option in access to output
the database as a comma-separated file, much like a spreadsheet ".csv"
file.  I then was able to set up MySQL to import this file into its
database format.  Of course, as some others have noted, the forms and
reports needed to be recreated.  At this time, OpenOffice (before LO was
available) did not have a database client which would work with MySQL,
so I chose an open source client called Rekall and had to recreate my
data entry forms and reports.  It was labor intensive, but needed to be
done.  Then Rekall went bust and I had to find another client.  By then,
OpenOffice had Base, which would talk to my MySQL database engine.  I
did not need to do anything with my MySQL database, but I did have to
recreate all of my data entry forms and reports yet again - more labor.
So, the bottom line is that any time you change database clients, expect
to recreate the data entry forms and reports.  There is no standard for
them.  One big advantage to using an external database such as MySQL or
Mariadb, is that they use standard SQL, while the LO Base HSQDB database
server uses a non-standard version of SQL.  So, using HSQDB could lock
you in to it.

My databases are critical to me.  All of my database software decisions
were based on being able to easily port my data to another client or
server and not need to recreate it.  Depending on the size of your
database, that could take much more time than recreating just the forms
and reports.

Hope this helps with your decision.  Good luck.
Girvin Herr





--
Ken
Mac OS X 10.8.5
Firefox 44.0
Thunderbird 38.0.1
"My brain is like lightning, a quick flash
 and it's gone!"


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[libreoffice-users] Re: Changing program icons

[Ken Springer]

On 7/31/16 3:43 PM, V Stuart Foote wrote:

Use the main menu Tools -> Options -> View and the "Icon style" drop down
list to select.


There's only one icon style listed.  Are there any other available for 
download?  If so, how do you install them?



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Firefox 44.0
Thunderbird 38.0.1
"My brain is like lightning, a quick flash
 and it's gone!"


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[libreoffice-users] Re: Compatibility of LO Base with Access databases

[Andreas Säger]

After all the years I'm still shocked by the level of ignorance on this user
support mailing list.

https://forum.openoffice.org/en/forum/viewtopic.php?f=83=25300




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Re: [libreoffice-users] Re: Compatibility of LO Base with Access databases

[Girvin Herr]

On 07/31/2016 12:49 PM, Ken Springer wrote:

On 7/30/16 3:30 PM, jorge wrote:

Hi:

On GNU / Linux / Ubuntu, and of course in other distributions, there are
to program that you would probe because could help you to export Access
DB to open document:

1) MDBtools (View and export MSAccess db)

2) Kexi of Caligra Suite that say it is able to read MS Access db


Thanks, jorge.  I'll have to check with my "conspirator" on how much 
effort in learning he's willing to do to create a Linux database.


Ken 


Ken,
One thing about Kexi.  I looked at it a few weeks ago and discovered 
that Kexi has a capability of reading Access database files to some 
degree.  However, it reads and converts the access database into its own 
internal database.  Kexi has no capability to interface to and use an 
external database server (aka "Back End") such as Mariadb or MySQL, as 
LO Base does.


I am using LO Base as a database client (aka "Front End") on Linux and 
connected to my Mariadb database server using a Java "connector" 
driver.  I do this because the LO internal HSQDB has limitations that 
MySQL and Mariadb do not have.  You may consider this if your 
database(s) are large or complex.


Years ago, I had my data in an access (1.1) database and needed to port 
my data to MySQL.  I managed it by using the option in access to output 
the database as a comma-separated file, much like a spreadsheet ".csv" 
file.  I then was able to set up MySQL to import this file into its 
database format.  Of course, as some others have noted, the forms and 
reports needed to be recreated.  At this time, OpenOffice (before LO was 
available) did not have a database client which would work with MySQL, 
so I chose an open source client called Rekall and had to recreate my 
data entry forms and reports.  It was labor intensive, but needed to be 
done.  Then Rekall went bust and I had to find another client.  By then, 
OpenOffice had Base, which would talk to my MySQL database engine.  I 
did not need to do anything with my MySQL database, but I did have to 
recreate all of my data entry forms and reports yet again - more labor.  
So, the bottom line is that any time you change database clients, expect 
to recreate the data entry forms and reports.  There is no standard for 
them.  One big advantage to using an external database such as MySQL or 
Mariadb, is that they use standard SQL, while the LO Base HSQDB database 
server uses a non-standard version of SQL.  So, using HSQDB could lock 
you in to it.


My databases are critical to me.  All of my database software decisions 
were based on being able to easily port my data to another client or 
server and not need to recreate it.  Depending on the size of your 
database, that could take much more time than recreating just the forms 
and reports.


Hope this helps with your decision.  Good luck.
Girvin Herr


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[libreoffice-users] Re: Changing program icons

[V Stuart Foote]

Use the main menu Tools -> Options -> View and the "Icon style" drop down
list to select.




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[libreoffice-users] Changing program icons

[Ken Springer]

When I first tried LO, I think it was late in the 3.x.x version, you 
were able to change the icons in the suite.


I'm starting to learn a little about Linux, and the distro came with 
5.0.3.2, and I can't seem to find this option.


Is it still there?

--
Ken
Mac OS X 10.8.5
Firefox 44.0
Thunderbird 38.0.1
"My brain is like lightning, a quick flash
 and it's gone!"


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Re: [libreoffice-users] Re: Compatibility of LO Base with Access databases

[Harvey Nimmo]

On Sun, 2016-07-31 at 13:32 -0600, Ken Springer wrote:
> On 7/30/16 8:40 AM, Harvey Nimmo wrote:
> > On Fri, 2016-07-29 at 20:53 -0600, Ken Springer wrote:
> > > The subject says it all, how successful is Base in importing
> > > Access
> > > Databases?
> > > 
> > > LO 5.0.x
> > > 
> > > --
> > > Ken
> > > Mac OS X 10.8.5
> > > Firefox 44.0
> > > Thunderbird 38.0.1
> > > "My brain is like lightning, a quick flash
> > >   and it's gone!"
> > > 
> > > 
> > Unfortunately, MS Access users were spoilt with the 'complete'
> > database
> > package supporting tables, queries, forms, reports and
> > modules/macros.
> > Although its 'openness' or performance or compatibility with the
> > rest
> > of the MS Office suite leave much to be desired (in my humble
> > opinion)
> > the MSaccess package is a (more or less) complete solution.
> > LibreOffice
> > on the other hand cannot match the user comfort (yet!).
> 
> Thanks, Harvey.  Not the answer I was hoping for, but the one I 
> expected.  LOL
> 
> Personally, I like the idea of the complete database package, as I
> think 
> it makes it easier for the average person to create something useful
> for 
> them.

Well, it is probably unrealistic to expect a 'complete' solution for
the complete porting of a database from a proprietary solution to an
open source one, bearing in mind the number of fields of API issues
needing attention and the understandable resistance from the
proprietary side to supporting a free solution and all that that
entails with risking divulgence of company secrets to a competitor.

What one can hope for from LOBase with time is growing maturity and
user comfort in the area of the forms, reports and macros. My
impression is that it is slow in coming.

What I appreciate very much in LOBase is the back-end support for
diverse databases (e.g. mysql/mariadb etc). This, at least, opens the
door for developing the database backend (schemas, tables, queries,
views) with other tools until the hoped-for user comfort arrives at the
front-end.

Cheers
Harvey

 

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[libreoffice-users] Re: Compatibility of LO Base with Access databases

[Ken Springer]

On 7/30/16 3:30 PM, jorge wrote:

Hi:

On GNU / Linux / Ubuntu, and of course in other distributions, there are
to program that you would probe because could help you to export Access
DB to open document:

1) MDBtools (View and export MSAccess db)

2) Kexi of Caligra Suite that say it is able to read MS Access db


Thanks, jorge.  I'll have to check with my "conspirator" on how much 
effort in learning he's willing to do to create a Linux database.


Ken


I hope this help,

Regards,

Jorge Rodríguez


El sáb, 30-07-2016 a las 16:40 +0200, Harvey Nimmo escribió:

On Fri, 2016-07-29 at 20:53 -0600, Ken Springer wrote:

The subject says it all, how successful is Base in importing Access
Databases?

LO 5.0.x

--
Ken
Mac OS X 10.8.5
Firefox 44.0
Thunderbird 38.0.1
"My brain is like lightning, a quick flash
  and it's gone!"



Unfortunately, MS Access users were spoilt with the 'complete' database
package supporting tables, queries, forms, reports and modules/macros.
Although its 'openness' or performance or compatibility with the rest
of the MS Office suite leave much to be desired (in my humble opinion)
the MSaccess package is a (more or less) complete solution. LibreOffice
on the other hand cannot match the user comfort (yet!).

There is a tool, access2sql that to allows you to generate the sql
needed to build all your 'tables' again (including their data) and
'queries'. But for the 'forms' and 'reports' you will have to start
from scratch in LOBase and, as I say, the user comfort for that is not
as mature as in MSAccess. In LOBase you can also write modules/macros
in Visual Basic. I have no experience of that either, but it does
suggest that VBA macros might with reservation be portable and
modifiable.

In other words, i blieve it is not hopelessly impossible and
I am sure that the experts can add their 'two penn'orth'

Cheers
Harvey




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[libreoffice-users] Re: Compatibility of LO Base with Access databases

[Ken Springer]

On 7/30/16 8:40 AM, Harvey Nimmo wrote:

On Fri, 2016-07-29 at 20:53 -0600, Ken Springer wrote:

The subject says it all, how successful is Base in importing Access
Databases?

LO 5.0.x

--
Ken
Mac OS X 10.8.5
Firefox 44.0
Thunderbird 38.0.1
"My brain is like lightning, a quick flash
  and it's gone!"



Unfortunately, MS Access users were spoilt with the 'complete' database
package supporting tables, queries, forms, reports and modules/macros.
Although its 'openness' or performance or compatibility with the rest
of the MS Office suite leave much to be desired (in my humble opinion)
the MSaccess package is a (more or less) complete solution. LibreOffice
on the other hand cannot match the user comfort (yet!).


Thanks, Harvey.  Not the answer I was hoping for, but the one I 
expected.  LOL


Personally, I like the idea of the complete database package, as I think 
it makes it easier for the average person to create something useful for 
them.



There is a tool, access2sql that to allows you to generate the sql
needed to build all your 'tables' again (including their data) and
'queries'. But for the 'forms' and 'reports' you will have to start
from scratch in LOBase and, as I say, the user comfort for that is not
as mature as in MSAccess. In LOBase you can also write modules/macros
in Visual Basic. I have no experience of that either, but it does
suggest that VBA macros might with reservation be portable and
modifiable.

In other words, i blieve it is not hopelessly impossible and
I am sure that the experts can add their 'two penn'orth'

Cheers
Harvey







--
Ken
Mac OS X 10.8.5
Firefox 44.0
Thunderbird 38.0.1
"My brain is like lightning, a quick flash
 and it's gone!"


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[libreoffice-users] Loading libre office on my iPad

[Pam Brewster]

Is there a download for running Libre office on my iPad 
Graham Brewster

Sent from my iPad

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Re: [libreoffice-users] LO Base

[Bruce Hohl]

> I have recently read that Open Office no longer uses HSQL. Is that also
true of LO?
If a new Base is created in LO 5.1.x it will be default is "HSQLDB
Embedded" to store the data.

> is it really necessary to have another database product to do database
work in LO Base?
Not necessarily, but this is a feature which allows Base to be used as
front end to another database.  This might be done for various reasons like
(1) the other database already includes the needed data, (2) a concurrent
multi-user environment is wanted which is not available via HSQLDB embedded
but is possible with HSQL split , (3) a wanted feature is available in
another database but not in HSQL, (4) a preference for another database,
Etc.  Reference this: https://wiki.openoffice.org/wiki/FAQ_(Base)

On Sat, Jul 30, 2016 at 8:53 PM, Dale Erwin 
wrote:

> I have a question about Base:
>
> I used to work with standalone HSQLDB using Java on the OS/2 (eCS)
> platform.  During that time, it was announced that Sun's upcoming release
> of Open Office would include HSQL as the builtin database engine.  I have
> recently read that Open Office no longer uses HSQL. Is that also true of LO?
>
> If HSQL is indeed the builtin database engine, is it really necessary to
> have another database product to do database work in LO Base?
>
> I stopped using eCS a few years ago when the (at the time) latest version
> would not install on my new computer.  I am now using Windows 10 (which I
> literally despise).
>
> Dale Erwin
>
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