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HI,
I have downloaded libreoffice in order to use the database. I can bring up the database but the one I want use wont open the wizard for tables.
I have tried to uninstall libreoffice twice but it wont go. My blood pressure is soaring - please help!
Liz Lawrence
Have you installed JRE (java runtime environment) usually referred
to as java. It is available at www.java.com. (The wizards of LO Base
require JRE.
--Dan
Hi Elizabeth,
I have downloaded libreoffice in order to use the database. I can bring
up the database but the one I want use wont open the wizard for tables.
I have tried to uninstall libreoffice twice but it wont go. My blood
pressure is soaring - please help!
Which database (file) are you trying to open ?
If it isn't one that is supported by LibreOffice, then we won't be able
to help you. Could be a bit more specific about what exactly you mean
when you write "the one I want won't open the wizard for tables" :
- which wizard ?
- how are you activating the wizard ?
- which tables ?
We need a more detailed description of what it is you are trying to do.
Alex
Hi Alex,
Sorry I was so vague, when I start the database section and select tables, the Wizard comes up but disappears as soon as I try to click it. Sorry, not very technical language.
Liz
That's a little bit more helpful, Liz, but I think we still need to
know more details. Forgive me if I'm being too obvious ...
Can you step us through exactly what you did? Are you starting a brand
new database, or opening an existing one? If it's an existing one,
what is its name? (including the letters after the dot)
Please click on Help in the menu bar, then About LibreOffice, and tell
us what it says immediately below the the LibreOffice logo - there
should be two lines before all the copyright details.
Is your computer running Windows? If so, what version? Or are you
using a Mac? Or maybe you're running Linux. If so, do you know what
distro?
Are you clicking on the line that says "Use wizard to create table"?
Just ignore any question you don;t understand, but precise answers to
the other questions will help the experts here with a diagnosis.
It may be that you need to read a getting started guide. I'm sure
there's someone here who will point you to one on the web soon. It's
worth reading carefully. I should warn you - databases are harder than
you might think!
Nick
Hi Nick,
I'm using Mac OS X 10.5.8. I am trying to start a new database and trying to click on use Wizard to create table. It doesn't click properly and the suggestion of creating a table using the Wizard vanishes. I have to confess I haven't used Libreoffice before, but my Boss suggested it for a database and showed me how to start off. I have used a database before but I really can't get on with this at the moment. I'm in a big sulk at the moment and have uninstalled Libreoffice, working all weekend so I'll have another go next week. If you can think of anything that might get me going, I would be really grateful.
Liz
Hi.
My mac tried to update my java the other day to V7 (1.7), I stopped it.. I think there were issues with this version and LO. Possibly someone can advise the state of compatibility with the different LO versions and Java.
Steve
Hi 
The 3.5.x branch prefers java 1.7 and apparently that preference has been back-ported to 3.4.5 and also gone into the 3.4.6. For a Mac it's quite important to remove java 6_29 or was it 6_30 asap.
Regards from
Tom
Hi
Kexi might be worth trying
http://www.kexi-project.org/
It's still OpenSource and cross-platform. Hmmm, not sure about Macs though, probably but i'm not sure.
To use Base it's worth reading some of the documentation first
http://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Documentation/Publications#LibreOffice_Base_Guide
Creating a database is not as trivial as writing a letter!
Regards from
Tom
Hi Tom,
The 3.5.x branch prefers java 1.7 and apparently that preference has been back-ported to 3.4.5 and also gone into the 3.4.6. For a Mac it's quite important to remove java 6_29 or was it 6_30 asap.
Regards from
Tom
Please do not recommend people to start messing with their Java
installations on Mac unless there is a known specific problem. Apple has
released several Java general/security updates recently for OSX versions
prior to Lion, i.e. for Leopard (10.5) and Snow Leopard (10.6), I
haven't checked recently on my Tiger (10.4) box (naughty me) to see
whether that has also been the case.
The current Java version on my Snow Leopard machine (10.6.8) is :
java version "1.6.0_31"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.6.0_31-b04-415-10M3635)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 20.6-b01-415, mixed mode)
This works with LO, pretty good as far as I can tell.
Alex
Hi again Elizabeth,
I'm using Mac OS X 10.5.8. I am trying to start a new database and
OK, I have Mac OSX 10.6.8, Snow Leopard. For me, the basic LibreOffice
Base functionality works (within the confines of known issues, bugs, etc).
Can you open a Terminal (in your Utilities folder of the Applications
folder) and type in :
java -version
press enter
and then post the output in your response. That would tell us which
version of Java you have installed in your system. It might be important.
trying to click on use Wizard to create table. It doesn't click
properly and the suggestion of creating a table using the Wizard
vanishes. I have to confess I haven't used Libreoffice before, but my
Boss suggested it for a database and showed me how to start off. I have
used a database before but I really can't get on with this at the
Here's a step by step test you can do :
1) Start LibreOffice
2)(a) Choose File > New > Database from the dropdown File menu,
OR
2)(b) from the Start Center, click on the Database icon
3) The Database creation wizard should appear.
4) Choose Create a Database.
5) Click on Next.
6) The following screen allows you to choose what you want to do after
the new database has been saved, leave the default settings for the time
being - what happens here is that an "empty" (it does in fact contain
certain configuration data, but that is hidden from the user) ODB
database container file is created which contains no tables
7) Accept the default settings as mentioned in point 6 and click on Finish.
8) The wizard now asks you for a name to be given to the database file
you are about to register and a location on the hard disk at which to
save it.
9) Enter a name and then press Save.
10) The main window of your newly saved database file should now appear.
By default, it should contain 4 icons in a column to the left of the
window, the first icon is named "Tables". These icons are clickable and
give you access to the various main functions of the database
application in relation to your database file.
11) Since Tables should be selected by default, in the split window that
occupies most of the space, you should have an empty space in the lower
pane, and three entries in the upper pane. The three entries are as
follows :
Create Table in Design View...
Use Wizard to Create Table...
Create View...
12) Click on "Create Table in Design View..."
Let us know what happens next.
Alex
The update is to Java for Mac OS X 10.6 update 7 ( Installs as JRE 1.6.0_31). This IS NOT JRE 1.7.
It is imperative to update to this version as there is a serious security vulnerability in JRE 1.6.0_29.
JRE 1.7 has not been released for Macs. The latest for OS X version 10.6 (Snow Leopard) is JRE 1.6.0_31. It works well with AOO 3.4 and LO 3.5.
Please don't give Mac advice when you don't know what you are talking about.
Hi Larry,
The update is to Java for Mac OS X 10.6 update 7 ( Installs as JRE
1.6.0_31). This IS NOT JRE 1.7.It is imperative to update to this version as there is a serious
security vulnerability in JRE 1.6.0_29.
Thanks for reinforcing this point. There is also a Java update 8, which
it is important to install as well, Macs are vulnerable to javascript
infection/takeover/zombie bot transformation from the Flashback malware
without this corrective update. See the advisories here :
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5243
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222
Alex
Hi Elizabeth,
Further to my question regarding the version of Java on your system, it
would appear from this link :
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222
that the last update to Java for OSX 10.5 was made available on June 28,
2011 :
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4739
which should install Java version 1.6.0_26
Alex
The wizards require that JRE is enabled in LibreOffice.
On the menu bar go to LibreOffice/Preferences.
In the window that opens gor to LibreOffice/Java and check "Use a Java runtime environment"
A list of installed JRE's will appear. Check the newest one.
Am 20.04.2012 16:39, Elizabeth Lawrence wrote:
HI,
I have downloaded libreoffice in order to use the database. I can bring
up the database but the one I want use wont open the wizard for tables.
I have tried to uninstall libreoffice twice but it wont go. My blood
pressure is soaring - please help!Liz Lawrence
So you installed Base only? This can not work.
Hi
Office Politics. It sounds to me like Elizabeth is "being played" and that her boss wants to
1) 'prove' that LibreOffice doesn't work
2) get her fired or demoted by 'proving' she is incompetent
How-To 'prove' that a tool doesn't work = give it to someone that 'everyone' is in awe of but has never done the type of task before and never used the tools for anything else.
How-To 'prove' someone is incompetent = Step1, give them a task that could be made to sound "easy", ie " 'just' a list of customers for mail-merging". It helps if no-one else in the office has done the task or that anyone that has done something similar also has severe self-esteem issues or is an extremely advanced user that found the task trivial after studying the subject at college for 3 years or something. Step2, tell them what tools to use and carefully pick something that no-one in the office has any familiarity with so that there is no-one to trick into getting help from.
I have seen this sort of thing happen quite often and fallen fould of it a couple of times myself. It's not always deliberately done. Sometimes the aim is to "build the person up" rather than being part of a campaign to destroy them and that would be used as an excuse if you confronted them or raised a complaint about them.
Recently i began to learn that a good way to "turn the tables" is to delegate the task to someone that is likely to be able to complete the task and give them more support than you were given, ie point them to the users-list and official documentation and let them know you don't think the task is trivial at all but encourage them into believing you think they might be one of the few people you know that is up to the challenge (ie generally empower them and leave them to get on with it). Perhaps set a couple of kids the challenge. Either way once they have set-up the structure it's easier to get the real data into the database, perhaps one of the touch-typists would be good to delegate the data-entry part of the task to?
Regards from
Tom
Thanks for the clarification.
Steve
Hi
Brilliant! Thanks Larry! Apparently Oracle have started working on Java 7_4 already and Java 7_3 still hasn't been released.
The 6_29 on Mac was widely reported as helping a nearly 1% of Macs world-wide to get infected or compromised with some sort of malware. That doesn't mean that later versions are safer, just that problems haven't been widely reported yet. Windows users are familiar with dealing with infections and antivirus companies tend to claim that around 20% of Windows machines are infected at any 1 time and there are thousands of viruses and trojans and such adding up to hundreds of thousands of threats. Mac has 1 or 2 every few years and each time that gets blown-up out of all proportion by the press that wouldn't bother to report similar incidents on Windows.
For Windows and Gnu&Linux it's fairly easy to install a JRE (Java Run-time Environment) 7 even though they haven't been officially released yet. I don't know if it's easy to get the 7_4 yet but the 7_3 is fairly easy to get from Java.com. Not so easy for Macs tho! This is about all i got from a google search
http://www.vineetmanohar.com/2011/03/installing-java-7-on-mac-os-x/
NOT trivial!
Mostly LibreOffice doesn't need java at all so you can switch it off
Tools - Options - Java
just untick the box at the top. It's only needed for some Extensions/Add-ons, Wizards, Base (if you use the embedded back-end or HSqlDb as an external back-end instead of something like Sqllite).
Generally if you can switch it off and then see if LO grumbles about not having it then you are very unlikely to lose any data. If it grumbles then you can just switch java on again, or reinstall it and then switch it on again.
Personally i think the whole scaremongering thing is being hyped up waaay out of proportion. Almost like a film just before it gets released. has a major antivirus company recently released a new product for Mac? Is one about to be released in the next couple of months?
Regards from
Tom