Re: [libreoffice-users] Re: dBASE file access

Andreas Säger wrote:
> Am 11.09.2012 22:34, Girvin R. Herr wrote:
> > Greetings,
> > I have several real old dBASE data files from 1985 that I would like to
> > get the data from and convert to LO Base.  I keep reading about LO being
> > able to access a dBASE file, but I am having trouble doing so.  I tried
> > the new database wizard and although it created the new Base database
> > structures, when I tried to open one of the dBASE files, it opens in
> > writer, not Base.  There are no tables listed in the new Base database.
> > The wizard did not allow me to select the actual files, just the
> > directory they are in.  It didn't list any of the ".DBF" files.  Maybe I
> > am asking too much of LO, but I was hoping the dBASE data would show up
> > in a Base table.  Any help would be appreciated.
> > Running: LO 3.5.3.2 under Linux.
> > Thanks in advance.
> > Girvin Herr
>
> Base is a mere database frontend. It opens its own .odb files only. An 
> .odb file can be connected to various types of databases.
>
> Open Writer or Calc.
> Hit F4.
> Right-click "Bibliography" -> Edit Database
> This loads the .odb file which is connected to the dBase Bibliography 
> with one table named "biblio".
> dBase is a database in a directory, so this .odb file is connected to 
> a directory. The status bar of that database reads: "dBase" and the 
> path to the connected directory having the file biblio.dbf.
> menu:Edit>Database lets you modify the connection parameters.
Yes, this works as you describe it.
> Put your own dBase in a dedicated directory.
> File>New>Database...
> [X] Connect to existing db
> Type: dBase
> Specify the directory.
> Check the register option (never harms).
> Save the database.
So far - so good.  That's what I have done.
> Drag the table icons from this database into the embedded HSQLDB.
How do I drag it into HSQLDB?
> Warning: embedded HSQLDB must not be used with anything important. 
> It's OK for educational demos and for your DVD. Base works best (fast, 
> reliably and multi-user) with HSQL as stand-alone backend database. 
> Embedded databases are just a caricature of a database. They are slow, 
> single-user, limited and unsafe.
That may be true, but all I am trying to do is extract the dBASE file 
data so I can put it somewhere useful.  I don't intend to continue using 
HSQLDB once it has extracted my data.

I did discover that LO requires the dBASE filename to end in ".dbf", not 
".DBF" as I started with.  So, LO is case sensitive in this instance.

I started to look at the Base options and discovered View -> Refresh 
Tables.  Clicking on it produces my dBASE database namess in the Tables 
section.  I looked up "refresh tables" in help, but all it says is 
"Refreshes the tables".  Duh!  However, editing the table produces a 
blank page with no structure entries.  Opening the table produces the 
SQL errors: "The data content can not be loaded.  The query can not be 
executed. It contains no valid table.".  If I click on "More", I get the 
errors: "The data content could not be loaded.", "SQL Status: HY000  The 
query can not be executed. It contains no valid table." and the 
information: "The SQL command leading to this error is:  SELECT * FROM 
"pintosw""  (where "pintosw" is my dBASE database file "pintosw.dbf").

Now that I have the "tables", how do I drag them to HSQLDB?
Maybe that is the key.

It seems to me that Base is attempting to create the new database, but 
it isn't importing the table structure or data from the dBASE file.
Thanks for any help.
Girvin




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