Re: [libreoffice-users] Adding fields to existing Base table

Hi :)
Errr, actually, using your spreadsheets as the back-end might be a good way
of doing it.  At least while you are still exploring and planning.  Once
proper data starts coming in it's going to need a much heftier back-end.

One of the advantages of Base is that it can be swapped to reading a
different back-end without having to redesign everything all over again.
So fleshing things out in a spreadsheet and then flipping over to using a
proper database back-end sounds like it should be fairly easy.

Another of the advantages of using Base is that it's then fairly easy
(allegedly) to use Writer (or Calc) to generate the Reports and maybe the
Forms too.  I've heard that it's not easy to use them to put data into the
database nor for editing corrections.

It sounds like those 2 advantages might not be enough.  Also what "should
be" and what "is" often seem to be poles apart in life.
Regards from
Tom :)




On 10 July 2014 23:01, dave boland <dboland9@fastmail.fm> wrote:

> All,
>
> I want to thank all of you for your very helpful responses.  Yes, it has
> bee a long time since I have used databases.  Last was about 10 years
> ago when I used Access with SQL for a real time data acquisition system.
>  That was a challenge!
>
> What I'm doing now is creating a database of data that changes about
> twice per week, but the number of areas (of the US) covered will grow
> from 12 now, to over 100 if the project gets the go-ahead.  I likely
> will be stuck adding the data as I am developing a program to acquire
> the raw data automatically.  I will also create reports that get sent to
> a few individuals (for now), and more later if the project is go.  There
> has been some talk about adding a web site that is interactive like some
> stock web sites or the really nice Weather Underground site, but that is
> a bridge to cross in 2015.
>
> My take-away for the discussion is that LO Base will not take me to
> where I need to be, and I need to make some decisions ASAP.  I did a lot
> of Googling this afternoon, and some reading.  The plan based on your
> input is:
> 1. Use LO Base to do the quick demo since the data is currently in a
> spreadsheet I don't need to worry about loosing it altogether.  The
> reason for the spreadshet is that eraly on I have no idea what the data
> is going to look like, and spreadsheets are easier to creat and modify.
> 2. Move to an industrial strength database engine.  After some fast
> research, I'm leaning toward MariaDB.  It doesn't appear to have a GUI
> client for input forms or a report generator, so there will be a lot of
> work here.  JasperRreports and Next Reports seem to be good for the
> output.
> 3. Plan on spending a lot more time than orriginally budgeted for this
> porject - but that seems to always be the case with developemnt.
>
> Thoughts or comments??
>
> Thanks,
> Dave
>
> On Thu, Jul 10, 2014, at 03:27 PM, dave boland wrote:
> > I'm setting up a database that is small (three tables, may grow to 3GB
> > over next year).  I need a strategy to deal with the unknown, which is
> > how to add fields to an existing table.  I read in the docs that doing
> > this can be painful and it is required to put something in each field
> > for each record.  Do I have this correct?  If so, how do I handle the
> > inevitable "...would you add..." that is sure to come within the next
> > few months?  I would add them now, but I really can't anticipate how
> > many fields will be added or their requirements.
> >
> > In general, do other databases have similar restrictions?  At some time,
> > when I have time, I will consider MySQL, MariaDB, and others.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Dave
> > --
> >   dave boland
> >   dboland9@fastmail.fm
> >
> > --
> > http://www.fastmail.fm - Or how I learned to stop worrying and
> >                           love email again
> >
> >
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> --
>   dave boland
>   dboland9@fastmail.fm
>
> --
> http://www.fastmail.fm - Or how I learned to stop worrying and
>                           love email again
>
>
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