Feature Request for Calc - input forms and reports

users
#1

All,

Spreadsheets are wonderful applications for financial analysis and
collections of information. We use Calc to store information about the
tools in my tool chest, items in the pantry, and I know a lady that uses
a spreadsheet for the shoes in her closet. Basically, Calc is being
used as a flat-file database, which spreadsheets do well and they are
easy to understand. Calc offers the ability to sort and to filter,
which is really a type of query.

What Calc doesn't offer though is the ability to have input forms and
reports. Consider a spreadsheet for the tools in a tool chest. It may
have the following fields (columns): ChestNumber, DrawerNumber,
SectionNumber, ToolName, ToolDesc, Comment. On sheet 2 there are
columns for verification for ChestNumber, DrawerNumber, SectionNumber
and ToolName.

It would be nice if a custom data input form could be created like is
done with Base, though a little easier to create. It would also be nice
if there was a report function so I can have a printout of all of my
tools. The report may look something like this:

Title: Tool Chest Contents
Report Date: 8/20/14

Chest Drawer Section Tool Name Tool
Description/Comment
----- ------ ------- ----------------------- -----------------------
1 3 1 Combination wrenches Wrench sizes: 3mm-33mm
                                                 7mm wrench missing

Notice that the Comment field has been placed under the Description
field. This is commonly done in database reports because most records
don't have comments, so there is not much need for a separate column.

So, yes, I'm asking for more database features in Calc. However, simple
databases are a very common use for spreadsheets, so why not embrace the
situation with more functionality?

Thanks,
Dave

#2

Hi :slight_smile:
Personally i would rather see Base becoming much easier and much more
reliable. So instead of duplicating the database functionality it would
just be easier to incorporate it's use into spreadsheets that have grown a
bit further than might have been planned.

I feel like there are signs of this beginning to happen though. The move
away from an internal java-based back-end to using a non-java-based one is
a good step imo. The database experts on this mailing-list have pointed
out that much more needs to be done but i think getting away from java as
quickly as reasonably possible has been a crucial 'first' step.
Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

#3

For input forms, you could try this:
http://extensions.openoffice.org/en/project/dataform
<http://extensions.openoffice.org/en/project/dataform>

#4

Fantastic extension. Thank you for sharing the information!

This is extremely useful for providing a quick interface for data input for
new spreadsheet/computer users!

Thanks!

#5

Hi :slight_smile:
+1
it was good to hear about it! Thanks for researching that Richard! :slight_smile:

Obviously it's not the first time someone has needed that sort of thing! I
really like LibreOffice for the way it's so relatively easy to create
add-ons/plugins/Extensions. I really like it when people release them as
OpenSource (LGPL or MPL or GPL or whatever licenses) so that other people
can modify or update or generally maintain them in the future. I think it
makes it easier to incorporate them into main branch too, if that ever
seems like a good plan.

Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

#6

If I am not wrong this extension was incorporated in calc, being accessible
in Menu/Data/Form.

Miguel Ángel.

#7

m.a.riosv wrote

If I am not wrong this extension was incorporated in calc, being
accessible in Menu/Data/Form.

Actually you are correct. It has been included in LibreOffice since branch
3.3 (i.e. since the beginning of LibreOffice). I guess I had never noticed
it (but I'm glad I found it thanks to this thread/topic). I had to install
the extension because my default ODF based Office suite does not include it
:wink:

Kind regards,
Pedro

#8

The problems with the built-in data input form are that it is slow, and
won't work with large spreadsheets (won't display all of the columns).
Thus, a better input data form is needed. A custom user-created form is
the best idea.

Dave,