Re: [libreoffice-users] Re: LibreOffice Viewer Roadmap

On 04/06/2017 05:33 PM, Tom Davies wrote:

> Errr, sorry my question looks so rude! 

Not rude. More like an exclamation of surprise, such as when the referee
knocks out the football player.

> wondering if i have been wrong, and giving wrong advice as a result!  

Base works well with most database engines. (I always had issues with
the Jet Database Engine.)

I was specifically referring to SQLite, which, as far as database
engines goes, manages to break every rule out there, whilst remaining
ACID compliant.)

> despite an internal one being hastily thrown on years

I wouldn't say "hastily thrown on".

There was a fair amount of discussion about which database engine to
use. the major choices were SQLite, and HSqldb. One of the major
objections to using SQLite was the absence of data typing.  (I think
that one can say that technically, SQLite does do data typing, and that
it pays more attention to data types today, than it did back in 2000.
However, for all practical purposes, there is no data-typing.)

> ago in order to downgrade Base to be more like Access?

I wouldn't call it a downgrade

The Jet Database Engine, especially back in 2000, was crap. Data
corruption was a given.  If you didn't back up the database before you
used it, your data would be trashed, when using it. If you did backup
your data, then it wouldn't be trashed.

Originally, Base was a front-end UI to connect with any database engine
out there. However, Base didn't provide the front end experience of
dBase 3, or Access. The dBase 3 clone that was built into OOo, had its
own separate front end, independent of Base. As best as I can tell, that
functionality is still present. OTOH, I haven't tried using it since
circa 2007. (^1)

Users migrating from MSO expected a database engine, to be included in
their office suite. Nobody told them about the dBase 3 clone in OOo.
(Small mercy, because that UI was a disaster area.) Consequently, a
database engine was incorporated into OOo. Then users complained,
because it didn't enable one to create forms, and other things, the way
that MSO does. Somebody wrote a set of macros, that gave LibO, the same
type of form interface as MSO. Somebody else came up with a way to
include those forms, and other things, in the resulting database.

The net result is that one can create databases with LibO, including
forms, as easily as on MSO. (Actually, I'd say that the resulting forms
are better, because they can export directly to Write, and get
pretty-printed there. I don't remember if one can go straight from form
to PDF, or if one has to go through Write, first.)

####

If one prowls the appropriate part of the OOo and LibO websites --- not
the template section --- one can find examples of Base being used for a
music collection (8 track cassettes, but not records), recipes, and
project management.

Neither the LibO nor AOo site enable one to select templates
specifically for Base. Using "Base" as a keyword search brings up a
number of unrelated templates.

^1: The Bibliography component uses the dBase 3 clone. Now that
virtually all my reference material is digital, I use Calibre to
organize, create, and maintain bibliographies for my creative output.

jonathon

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