Re: [libreoffice-users] Re: Numerical terms used in Base

On Wed, 15 Aug 2012 23:53:33 +0200
Andreas Säger <villeroy@t-online.de> wrote:

> Am 15.08.2012 22:31, Thomas Taylor wrote:
> > It's been way too many years since I did commercial programming on
> > databases and I've forgotten some of the terms (formats) for
> > numerical data.  I'm trying to create a simple database of local
> > facilities/doctors/stores with Base using the wizards. The formats
> > that are giving me trouble are:
> >
> > Text[VARCHAR]    - a variable number of type CHAR?
> > Text(fix)[CHAR]  - does that mean a fixed number of CHAR?
>
> Right.
>
> > Integer[INTEGER] \
> > Numeric[NUMERIC]  > How do these differ?
> > Decimal{DECIMAL] /
> There are tiny integers, small integers, integers and big integer 
> numbers. Decimal(8,3) has 8 digits, 3 of them behind the point.
> I don't know about Numeric. Never used that.
>
> > I looked in LibreOffice help but couldn't find the definitions.
> > Some help would be appreciated.
> Base is not a database program. It is a mere frontend. You may decide
> to wrap a HSQLDB backend into the frontend file which is a very
> unstable construction and should be avoided for production databases.
> The embeddable HSQLDB 1.8 is documented here:
> > http://www.hsqldb.org/doc/1.8/guide/ch09.html
>
>
> > For instance, which format is used for a telephone number?
> > (1.800.123.4567)?
>
> That is text unless you want to practice some arithmetic witchcraft
> on phone "numbers". A pattern control on a form can enforce the right 
> pattern of points and digits.

Thanks to both Jay and Andreas.  Beginning to make sense. 

Tom

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