Re: [libreoffice-users] Re: Base documentation - or the lack of it

My answer to those sorts of people is that Base is far more intuitive than most 
other databases and that it works exactly the same way anyway but does it faster 
and is less vulnerable.

Almost no-one "uses" databases in the ways described in any documentation.  Most 
people just enter data and do searches.  These are defined by the database 
itself not by the program that is being used to look at the database.

So, for most users there is no change at all between 'using' the database in 
Access, or either Base.

The documentation usually describes how to create a database and do advanced 
functions to add significant new features.  This is generally done "by head 
office" or by "the IT department" rather than by the weeu (wide eyed end user).  
Again the skill-set, knowledge and methodology learned in Access is exactly what 
works in either Base.

Perhaps say that there are plenty of courses to learn advanced skills such as 
how to create databases using Base or Access but that normal use is the same 
anyway.  More importantly there is a lot more forum support for Base than for 
Access.  Forum support is better at dealing with the unique problems that people 
might run into.

I do agree that we need to create some documentation by starting to pull 
together some of those courses and some forum posts but it is good to have 
answers to dumb questions from people that might have no reason to realise 
detail about one aspect of the tech industry.  It is good to ask dumb questions 
anyway to throw people off balance and get answers that have not been thoroughly 
prepared by smooth-talking salesmen.  A good tactic.

Regards from
Tom :)



________________________________
From: "webmaster@krackedpress.com" <webmaster@krackedpress.com>
To: users@libreoffice.org
Sent: Fri, 28 January, 2011 1:47:25
Subject: Re: [libreoffice-users] Re: Base documentation - or the lack of it

On 01/27/2011 09:05 AM, Alexander Thurgood wrote:
> Le 26/01/11 18:58, webmaster@krackedpress.com a écrit :
>
> Hi,
>
> > I was wondering why it has taken so long for a Base "book"
> > to come out in the documentation.  Not even in version 2.x
> > has one like Writer and Calc, etc..
> Not strictly true, a few links :
>
> http://www.pitonyak.org/database/AndrewBase.pdf
> http://www.pitonyak.org/database/
>
>
> http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/database-programming-with-openofficeorg-base-basic/3568728
> 8
>
>
> Both of these are excellent in my opinion. Bear in mind, for the latter,
> the use of the OOoBasic language to program with Base is a moving target
> unfortunately, and one in which where things that worked say, in 2.x,
> stopped working in 3.0, then worked again in 3.1, worked partly in 3.2
> and then in 3.3 new quirks were discovered...However, the fundamentals
> are there and it really is a very good reference. He also has a site
> dedicated to Base programming :
>
> http://www.baseprogramming.com/resources.html
>
>
> If you read German, there is an excellent book by Thomas Krumbein,
> regularly updated (generally after each new version release) entirely
> dedicated to Base (he has also written books specifically for the other
> main modules).
>
>
> http://www.chapitre.com/CHAPITRE/fr/BOOK/krumbein-thomas/datenbanken-mit-openoffice-org-3-base-und-hsqldb,25063905.aspx
> x
>
>
> And in French :
>
> http://www.editions-eni.fr/Livres/Base-Le-gestionnaire-de-bases-de-donnees-de-OpenOffice-org-3/.6_3a6222cf-b921-41f5-886c-c989f77ba994_ecee104b-5b6c-404d-a6a1-8028758c9b5e_97156302-3b39-4f11-8947-9480dd52bafa_1_0_d9bd8b5e-f324-473f-b1fc-b41b421c950f.html
> l
>
>
> I haven't looked in other languages, but as you can see, there _is_
> documentation available. Additionally, the forums are replete with Base
> tutorials, code snippets, tips and tricks, and several journalists who
> write articles for PC magazines of various flavours have also
> contributed to the wealth of Base knowledge out there. The problem lies
> more in finding everything in one place.
>
> The OpenOffice.org website / wiki also contain a fair amount of
> information about using Base.
>
>
>
> Alex
Well, I just was wondering when I started this thread why as far back
as version 2.x for OOo there was not .odt/.pdf "book" in the list as are
for Writer, Calc, Impress, and Draw.  Even Math has is own document.
But lowly Base was left behind since the 2.x days.

I have not used a database for any real work since dBase IV days and
before that I wrote relational databases in COBOL for a mainframe.
I never learned MS's database even back when I started using its suite
in the early Win 95/98 days.  I never needed it so I never learned it.

But for an outside person, and you get this from a MSO person, there
would be a wonder why should "they" use OOo or LibreO suite, if the
people who write the documentation ignores something as major as
a database package.  What can I tell people who wonder why there is
documentation from OOo and/or LibreO for everything but the
database package?  Why did the document writers not write anything
for Base for several years?  People have asked these types of questions.
They can get MSO documentation, but why should they use OOo/LibreO
if they cannot get the same for "this" office suite.

As I said, I do not use any database package, and it has been a long
time since I needed to use one.  There has to be document writers
that use Base, or Base users that could write something that can be
edited by experienced document writers.



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