Base Table Issues - help

[mustoprop]

Have got a couple of probs when setting up a table - are these bugs or some kind of problem my end?

When setting up a simple table, if I select the Field Type to be Integer, I can't then change the length in the lower box. It just ignores any input.

Also, if I set a file to be Autovalue, how do I enter the auto-increment statement? Are there format guidelines somewhere? I am trying to make the key field a simple entry counter, so want a small integer that increments by 1 with each entry.

I have also found that, once the table is set up, if I then make a change to one field, it refuses to save the changes. I have to delete the field all together and start again. Is that normal?

Many thanks.

[jgd]

Our "base expert" (Lorinda) will come back soon. Meanwhile, you may have a look at this page in Neowiki. Look at "To Base and Back Again".

Hope that can help you.

Jacqueline

[mickeyinlalaland]

I'm not familiar with Base functions, however have you had a chance to look through the Help function in NeoOffice and/or the NeoOffice User Guide which is located to your left here, in the first column; third box; fourth item?

[Lorinda]

I'm not back at my Mac yet, so I don't have access to NeoOffice at the moment, but I can answer a couple of your questions.

Autovalue will automatically increment by one. I'd have to do some looking in the various help documents for info on how to set it other wise.

It is possible that the Integers have a set length that can't be altered.

Sometimes if fields are changed, I get the same error message; sometimes I don't. I haven't figured out why yet.

I'm hardly an expert on Base, although I'm trying to learn more about it, in part because we don't currently have any one in the Neo forums that's really conversant with it.

The wiki page that Jacqueline refered you to should include a link to the OpenOffice.org Base forums. They are an excellent source of information.

I'll be more available to answer questions in a couple of days.

Lorinda

[mustoprop]

Thanks for that so far - will persevere and see what I can find too.

[Lorinda]

I'm back at my mac now; let me know if you have specific questions you haven't been able to answer.

Another good way to find info is to google "Solveig Haugland Base" (without the quotes, and perhaps with another key word or two). Solveig is a professional traininer for OpenOffice.org, the code that Neo is based on. She has a blog and publishes internet articles on several sites. Her articles are excellent; my only complaint is that it's not real easy to search her site directly for particular articles. That's why I tend to google for them.

I've been toying with the idea of getting her Databases workbook.

Lorinda

[mustoprop]

Thanks - will try searching through her stuff too.

I did try OpenOffice on a Linux machine I have and it behaves the same way. Once a table is created, it mostly refuses any changes to existing fields. I'm not a programmer but I reckon there are some bugs here that need sorted.

I've used MS Access in a previous life so have some experience with working on relational databases, but have found Base rather frustrating to use.

R

[Lorinda]

Yeah, I have to agree that Base is often frustrating. It's the newest component, being added in 2.0.

I haven't used access, but years ago I used Double Helix, a mac-only relational database. It was much more user friendly, and didn't require familiarity with sql for its more complex operations.

It's been hard to tell how much of my frustration has been my own lack of familiarity with "modern" relational database structure, and how much is bugs/poor design on OOo's part.

One thing I long for is an SQL wizard similar to Calc's formula wizard.

Since you have used Access, I was hoping OpenOffice.org's Migration guide would be of help, but I just checked, and there is no chapter on Base/Access.

Since you see the issues in OOo on Linux, there is unfortunately not anything the NeoOffice project can do to fix it.

I'm not sure when I'll get back to my database project, but when I do, I'll try to see if I can uncover a pattern with changing/adding fields.

Lorinda