Re: [libreoffice-users] Re: Compatibility of LO Base with Access databases

On 07/31/2016 12:49 PM, Ken Springer wrote:
> On 7/30/16 3:30 PM, jorge wrote:
> > Hi:
> >
> > On GNU / Linux / Ubuntu, and of course in other distributions, there are
> > to program that you would probe because could help you to export Access
> > DB to open document:
> >
> > 1) MDBtools (View and export MSAccess db)
> >
> > 2) Kexi of Caligra Suite that say it is able to read MS Access db
>
> Thanks, jorge.  I'll have to check with my "conspirator" on how much 
> effort in learning he's willing to do to create a Linux database.
>
> Ken 

Ken,
One thing about Kexi.  I looked at it a few weeks ago and discovered 
that Kexi has a capability of reading Access database files to some 
degree.  However, it reads and converts the access database into its own 
internal database.  Kexi has no capability to interface to and use an 
external database server (aka "Back End") such as Mariadb or MySQL, as 
LO Base does.

I am using LO Base as a database client (aka "Front End") on Linux and 
connected to my Mariadb database server using a Java "connector" 
driver.  I do this because the LO internal HSQDB has limitations that 
MySQL and Mariadb do not have.  You may consider this if your 
database(s) are large or complex.

Years ago, I had my data in an access (1.1) database and needed to port 
my data to MySQL.  I managed it by using the option in access to output 
the database as a comma-separated file, much like a spreadsheet ".csv" 
file.  I then was able to set up MySQL to import this file into its 
database format.  Of course, as some others have noted, the forms and 
reports needed to be recreated.  At this time, OpenOffice (before LO was 
available) did not have a database client which would work with MySQL, 
so I chose an open source client called Rekall and had to recreate my 
data entry forms and reports.  It was labor intensive, but needed to be 
done.  Then Rekall went bust and I had to find another client.  By then, 
OpenOffice had Base, which would talk to my MySQL database engine.  I 
did not need to do anything with my MySQL database, but I did have to 
recreate all of my data entry forms and reports yet again - more labor.  
So, the bottom line is that any time you change database clients, expect 
to recreate the data entry forms and reports.  There is no standard for 
them.  One big advantage to using an external database such as MySQL or 
Mariadb, is that they use standard SQL, while the LO Base HSQDB database 
server uses a non-standard version of SQL.  So, using HSQDB could lock 
you in to it.

My databases are critical to me.  All of my database software decisions 
were based on being able to easily port my data to another client or 
server and not need to recreate it.  Depending on the size of your 
database, that could take much more time than recreating just the forms 
and reports.

Hope this helps with your decision.  Good luck.
Girvin Herr


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