[libreoffice-users] Re: database or spreadsheet

Am 07.02.2012 21:57, Jay Lozier wrote:
> The irony is that most SQL queries are easier to understand because they
> reference tables and columns by name (out of necessity) and usually have
> a selection criteria that is makes contextual sense, such as vendor
> name. The above is not easy to follow or debug, I know because I do
> similar in the past.
>
> SELECT column names
> FROM table
> WHERE criteria for selection
>
> is easier to follow, even when the query is much more complex

SQL is much closer to human language than spreadsheet formulas. There is 
no need to test for missing/invalid data since a database does not allow 
for missing, invalid or inconsistent data. If there is a relation, the 
look up in the detail table can not fail since you can not use any 
references to non existing items nor can you delete any items that are 
referred in other tables.
Databases provide much better functionality for text values where Calc 
does it all wrong.

=IF(A1="";"";IF(AND(ISNUMBER(A1);A1>0);ROUND(A1;2)*VLOOKUP(A1;TaxRates;2)) 
[and this bullshit has to be copied down to each and every row of the 
ever growing sales list].

If a database record requires a product price then there can not be an 
empty value nor text in the price column. If that price is defined as a 
number between 0.01 and 9,999.99 there won't be any value with more than 
2 digits behind the comma and all calculations will use that level of 
precision without explicit rounding. And a user can not override this 
"validation" with a simple copy&paste. Nobody has to copy any 
calculation formula. They are defined by the database designer for the 
entire field. A spreadsheet has no records nor fields, not even tables. 
Tables with records and fields are only in the head of the user when he 
uses rectangles of cells as if they were organized like this. In fact 
you can use a sheet of cells beyond these rigid concepts.


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