Re: [libreoffice-users] database or spreadsheet

On Tue, 2012-02-07 at 12:39 -0500, Jay Lozier wrote:
> On 02/07/2012 11:51 AM, Nino Novak wrote:
> > On Tuesday 07 February 2012, Jay Lozier wrote:
> >
> > > Two related issues are a problem: spreadsheets are relatively easy to
> > > set up and enter data with some inflexibility while databases harder to
> > > set up and without the right front end tools some tricky to properly
> > > enter data but are much more flexible.
> > As a consequence: It would help most, if the database set up barrier could be
> > lowered.
> >
> > We therefore should ask (and try to learn) what makes database creation so
> > difficult, and how could we contribute to ease the learing curve?
> I think the biggest barrier is not the tools to set up a database but 
> the design process of setting up a database. Databases generally are 
> design first then use while spreadsheets tend to be more design as you 
> go. Databases require one to think more clearly about the data and how 
> to model relationships within the data before one actually creates any 
> tables, forms, etc. What is it I am trying to do with the data and how 
> is the data best represented/stored/manipulated are questions that are 
> often addressed in database design. The thinking about the data model is 
> often a good exercise but one that can be skipped when using a 
> spreadsheet as a database.
>
> One problem is that people often want to jump in and start doing 
> something when a little thinking should be done or how it should be 
> done. Spreadsheets are easier to jump in and start with so often the 
> planning is not done. Thus often spreadsheet users have databases that 
> are nightmares because of poor data design. These are problems that are 
> less common with databases because databases force more thought on data 
> modeling.
>
> IMHO, the real problem is that good data modeling is not usually taught 
> to users and unless they start working with databases they never learn 
> data modeling. Most books on using databases will, if briefly, discuss 
> the concepts of data modeling and database design. I do not remember any 
> book on a spreadsheet discussing it or even mentioning it.
> > Or directly: how can we make database creation easy and a low-threshold task?
> I think some of the tools make the actual creation of a database 
> reasonably easy though data importing is often a pain.

     This is a link to the Base Guide Ch 2, Planning/designing your
database. It is a draft document for OOo. The LO version is being
written right now. At least it is a beginning point when planning and
designing a database.
http://www.odfauthors.org/openoffice.org/english/userguide3/db3/dbg3_draft/planning-designing-your-database/view
 

--Dan 

> > (Just a thought)
> >
> > Nino
> > who has never got familiar with databases "because of their complexity" (at
> > least from an innocent user's point of view). OTOH, I've never seen really
> > good tools for database creation (and change btw). So maybe, we could add to
> > database usability by creating Really Good Tools(TM) for creating, changing,
> > filling and quering databases.
>
>
> -- 
> Jay Lozier
> jslozier@gmail.com




-- 
For unsubscribe instructions e-mail to: users+help@global.libreoffice.org
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