Mark, Don't believe everything you read. Base is just like MS Access. It has a built-in database engine (like Access), you can connect to and administer external databases, create forms, report and glue these together using one of LO's script languages. All this is pretty much like Access.
It is true the built-in database engine is almost unusable right now due to it's slowness (apparently caused by some java issues). Also some databases backends do not allow all things to be administered (like modifying an existing table in sqlite, and some driver issues in Base with Mysql and Postgresql). So it might be good to select an external database that will run on the platform you need (mysql will run on windows as well as linux) and has a good tool for administering (PG Admin is great if you select postgresql, like we did without regrets). Having selected the backend, and set up the tables you can then go about creating your forms in Base. You might then want to use the Basic script to handle certain events in your forms. Ferry Op donderdag 25-08-2011 om 11:21 uur [tijdzone -0700], schreef mickelsen: > I'm very surprised to learn that Base is not a database program. I > guess it is just some sort of front end to "real" database programs, > is that right? > > I guess this means that I'll have to get a real database program that > I can write programs for in order to accomplish this project. Any > suggestions as to what would be inexpensive and easy to work with? > > Thanks, > Mark Mickelsen > > On Thu, Aug 25, 2011 at 2:28 AM, Andreas Säger [via Document > Foundation Mail Archive] > <[email protected]> wrote: > > Since Base is not a database program, the first thing to know would be the > > actual database to be used. An embedded HSQLDB is only one option, good > > enough for simple demos and drafts but you don't really want to develop > > anything serious for that. > > > > Every "common database" (MySQL, Postgre,... and HSQLDB too) provides access > > to external text tables by means of database structures pulling their > > content from plain text files. > > You can create a view which selects the wanted records from the text table > > in the right order of columns. > > In Base you can drag or copy the view icon over the target table's icon and > > hit "Create". > > A set of example files dealing with csv, Base and Calc: > > [Example] Loading CSV into preformatted spreadsheets > > Files #1 and #2 resemble a text file linked to a (embedded) HSQLDB, editable > > through an input form on a (embedded) Writer document. > > > > Using some "common database", any "common scripting language" can update the > > database with very few lines of code. No 350MB office suite required for > > that. > > > > > > ________________________________ > > If you reply to this email, your message will be added to the discussion > > below: > > http://nabble.documentfoundation.org/Writing-programs-for-Base-tp3283165p3283334.html > > To unsubscribe from Writing programs for Base, click here. > > > -- > View this message in context: > http://nabble.documentfoundation.org/Writing-programs-for-Base-tp3283165p3284661.html > Sent from the Users mailing list archive at Nabble.com. -- For unsubscribe instructions e-mail to: [email protected] Problems? http://www.libreoffice.org/get-help/mailing-lists/how-to-unsubscribe/ Posting guidelines + more: http://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Netiquette List archive: http://listarchives.libreoffice.org/global/users/ All messages sent to this list will be publicly archived and cannot be deleted
