Re: [libreoffice-users] definition of flat/relational database

On 03/03/2013 10:09 AM, John R. Sowden wrote:
> Why do the Libreoffice powers that be define dbase/xbase as  a flat 
> file database, not a relational database. The below definitions from 
> the Base Intro documentation demonstrate what I am saying:
>
> *Flat databases*
>
> A flat database contains one or more tables, each containing one or 
> more fields. Each table is completely independent of all the other 
> tables in the database. For example, I have an address database with 
> seven tables in it. One has my family's contacts, another has my 
> business contacts, and another has my wife's family contacts. While 
> some contacts are contained in more than one table, different tables 
> may not have the same information about the same person.
>
> dBase is a flat database program. LibreOffice and several database 
> programs can also create flat databases.
>
> *Relational databases*
>
> Relational databases contain one or more tables with one or more 
> relationships; each relaltionship is defined by a pair of fields. One 
> field of each pair belongs to one table and the second field belongs 
> to the same or a different table. Where relationships exist between 
> fields in the same or different tables, a flat database could still be 
> used, but it provides no mechanism for defining the relationship. 
> Instead the same data must be entered in both fields, making data 
> entry errors more likely. A well designed relational database requires 
> the data to be entered only once, reducing possible errors.
>
> dbase is a relational database per the above definition.  I link 2 
> tables with 1 field so I can refer to data in the second database so 
> data does not have to bbe entered multiple times.  In our alarm 
> monitoring station, when a police dept. changes its phone number, we 
> change 1 field in 1 database.  Hundreds of subscriber records refer to 
> that field to populate the data screen.  It seems that LO ptb either 
> have a problem with dbase/xbase, or they are (were) uninformed of the 
> facts.
>
> John Sowden
> (been programming in dBase II (under cp/m), Foxbase, Foxpro (under 
> DOS) since 1981)
     Good, someone who can provide some information! How far back has 
dBase been able to create and use relational databases? I ask because 
until OOo 1.1.15, Base created databases in dBase format. With the 
switch to using HSQLDB and embedded databases, Base could work with 
relational databases. Base could also work with dBase but only as a flat 
database.
     So, how would you suggest this section you quote be written to 
make it accurate? What are some good examples of flat databases?

--Dan

--
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