Re: [libreoffice-users] Re: MS raised prices so people will now start renting their office products instead

On 10/02/2012 07:19 PM, Girvin R. Herr wrote:
> Jay Lozier wrote:
> <snip>
> > > From the comments on the list, the weakest part of LO is Base. However,
> > my observation is most people find learning any true database daunting
> > and thus do not learn how to use any database. Compounding this is the
> > fact many MSO packages do not include Access. Many thus use a
> > spreadsheet as a poor man's substitute for a proper database.
> >
> > <snip>
> >
> >   
> Jay,
> I use Base as a MySQL client to access my databases, which are mostly
> inventories.  I started with MS Access years ago and switched to MySQL
> c. 2004, when a MySQL Open Source client (Rekall) finally appeared for
> Linux.  But Rekall stopped being supported a few years later and the
> version I had still had a few bugs that should have been worked on. 
> When Base started being a general database server client (interfaced
> to MySQL, etc.) rather than that proprietary database thing that
> StarOffice used (and may still do so), I looked into switching from
> Rekall to Base.  Doing so was not a trivial task, since all the work I
> had done on data entry forms and reports in Rekall had to be discarded
> and that work redone for Base.  After recreating all my data entry
> forms and reports, I got Base to work reasonably well within my
> requirements.  However, the latest version (1.2.1) of Oracle Report
> Builder (ORB) is a basket case.  When it doesn't crash LO, it is dog
> slow at creating my reports.  Too slow to be used.  I have just this
> week, downloaded an Open Source report generator program called
> DataVision  http://datavision.sourceforge.net/ and got it to work on
> my Slackware Linux system with MySQL.  This version, 1.2.0, is rough,
> many features are not working yet and it does not seem to be supported
> any more either, since this latest version is dated 2008.  However,
> unlike ORB, it does do what I want a report generator to do - without
> crashing and at a reasonably fast speed.  Since it is an Open Source
> JAVA program using an Apache license, if any of the Base devs are
> listening, I suggest they look into taking over DataVision as an
> addition to Base.  Base without a report generator is like a computer
> program that accepts inputs but does not output anything - useless. 
> Akin to Writer or Calc not printing!
>
> Was all my database work, including learning a bit of SQL "daunting"? 
> Yes, I suppose it was, but it was and is a learning experience and I
> don't mind learning something new.  I am not in the least a SQL
> master, but I do understand it enough to get by.  If not, I hit the
> books again.  There are those who can't or won't learn anything new. 
> For them, there is the Calc tool, which fits their hands better, but
> maybe isn't quite the best tool for the job.
> Girvin Herr
Girvin,

Most people I have talked to about databases find them less intuitive
than other typical office and general software.


-- 
Jay Lozier
jslozier@gmail.com


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