New LibreOffice user Question

users
#1

I am a new LibreOfffice user and also have limited knowledge about NeoOffice. I am also learning about creating a basic database.

I have a Mac Mini running OS 10.4.11 and a Macbook Air with 10.10. I want to donate the Mac Mini to a community center, however I also want to set up a database for their use and be able to transfer files or work and modify the data base on these two machines as required.

My questions are:
The Mac Mini cannot run LibreOffice because the LibreOffice needs at least MacOS 10.8. However I have NeoOffice 3.1.2 installed on the Mac Mini. Is there a place I can get an older copy of LibreOffice?
Will I encounter problems creating a database with LibreOffice on my Macbook Air and then sending it to the Mac Mini? Or the other way around? (Create on the Mini under NeoOffice and send to LibreOffice on my Macbook Air?)
I also guess I can buy a copy of Neo Office 2014, but don’t know why I would for just this small usage.
Thanks for your suggestions and answers.

#2

Dave Asaibene wrote

... Is there a place I can get an older copy of LibreOffice?

Archived releases are here...

http://downloadarchive.documentfoundation.org/libreoffice/old/

#3

Hi :slight_smile:
There is documentation on how to use Base here;
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Documentation/Publications#LibreOffice_Base_Handbook
and an Faq whole section at
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Faq

Generally it is better to have a separate "back-end" to store the data in
tables. Then set Base (or whatever) to use that back-end. Base is set-up
to prefer doing things that way, which is handy. The back-end could be on
a network server or other weird and useful places. Typical programs to use
as a back-end are dedicated programs such as Postgresql, MySql/MariaDb or
something smaller and faster. There are tons of options but if you are
starting from fresh then it might well be worth going with Postgresql
because they have worked very closely with TDF to make sure they work well
together.

It does mean the database is then 2 files but the normal users don't really
need to know that and may never know about it at all. They just see the
Base file and use that.

This means you can have many different programs all accessing the
back-end. So NeoOffice as the front-end on the Mac should be able to use
the Postgresql back-end and then you'd be using Base as your front-end.

Actually it gets even better because with Base you can choose to use
internal Forms and Reports or your can use Writer. Sadly from Writer
doesn't let you put new information into the database. You would need a
Base Form or Report to put data in.

However for just looking up or using data the normal users could be using
Writer and be happily in their familiar environment without a hint of scary
database-design tools.

Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

#4

Hi Dave,

I have a Mac Mini running OS 10.4.11 and a Macbook Air with 10.10. I want to donate the Mac Mini to a community center, however I also want to set up a database for their use and be able to transfer files or work and modify the data base on these two machines as required.

Any of the 3.x versions of LibreOffice should still run on OSX 10.4.

My questions are:
The Mac Mini cannot run LibreOffice because the LibreOffice needs at least MacOS 10.8. However I have NeoOffice 3.1.2 installed on the Mac Mini. Is there a place I can get an older copy of LibreOffice?
Will I encounter problems creating a database with LibreOffice on my Macbook Air and then sending it to the Mac Mini? Or the other way around? (Create on the Mini under NeoOffice and send to LibreOffice on my Macbook Air?)

You should be alright with an embedded hsqldb version of and ODB created
on one and then copied over and opened on the other (or put on a USB
stick), as the version of hsqldb that is embedded hasn't changed since
the LibreOffice project started.

You would even be alright with a server-based backend engine instead of
the default embedded hsqldb, providing that both you and the association
can access it.

However, be aware that the date/time structure API changed in version
4.1.x of LO Base, and that could be problematic for you if you
implement date/time structures in your database.

Additionally, there are various bugs that affect different versions of
LibreOffice ongoing from the first release to the actual current
release, and these are not necessarily the same, or do not manifest
themselves in the same way, according to the version of LO you might be
trying to use.

So not impossible (far from it), but you will have to work with the
quirks that have affected all users of Base to varying degrees since the
project began.

Alex

#5

Hi,this is a bit of an unusual request , I know, but I'm wondering if it is possible to define a custom order for characters when comparing strings. I'm studying some ancient languages where the transcription "alphabets" use a mixture of standard English characters (but not necessarily in the same order they are found in the English alphabet) interspersed with Unicode characters to give things like accents or like dots (or other additions) underneath the letters. I'd like to create a dictionary list, probably in calc in the first instance with words and synonyms, and be able to sort either on the English column or on the 'other language' column. Is this sort of thing going to be possible? Or would I have to write some (possibly fairly complex) Basic (or whatever) code to do it?Thanks,/Gary

#6

Hi :slight_smile:
Errr, it might be good to ask this on the international translators mailing
list as they co-ordinate many different languages.
L10n@Global.LibreOffice.Org

For books it sounds like
OmegaT
might be the best tool. It sounds like it the best for helping with
translations and it maybe might be able to help with this use too. There's
a chap called Milos who seems expert at helping people get to grips with
OmegaT.

It is also possible to create your own custom dictionaries. If you look
through the Extensions website then you might find different dictionaries
for different living languages but i'm not sure about ancient ones.

Sorry i can't help with this but hopefully one of those tangents isn't tooo
wrong for what you need!
Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

#7

Hi Gary,

Hi,this is a bit of an unusual request , I know, but I'm wondering if
it is possible to define a custom order for characters when comparing
strings. I'm studying some ancient languages where the transcription
"alphabets" use a mixture of standard English characters (but not
necessarily in the same order they are found in the English alphabet)
interspersed with Unicode characters to give things like accents or
like dots (or other additions) underneath the letters. I'd like to
create a dictionary list, probably in calc in the first instance with
words and synonyms, and be able to sort either on the English column
or on the 'other language' column. Is this sort of thing going to be
possible? Or would I have to write some (possibly fairly complex)
Basic (or whatever) code to do it?Thanks,/Gary

I'm not sure I understand well what you want to do, but there is a way
to have a word and it's transcription at the same place.
To get this function go to Tools > Options > Languages settings >
Language and activate Asian.
Then in the Format menu, select Asian phonetic guide.
In the Base text field, you write the 'normal' word, in the Ruby field
the different word.
The area below let you choose where to put the Ruby text. Note that Ruby
is also a style that you can modify.
Don't know if that helps.
You can also build your own list of words, but that will appear as a
dictionary for spell checking.

Kind regards
Sophie

#8

I *think* you can.

o Create your character list in a spreadsheet row or column.
o Select the range.
o Go to Tools | Options... | LibreOffice Calc | Sort Lists. Note that "Copy list from" is already populated.
o Click Copy to create the new list.

When sorting, on the Options tab of the Sort dialogue, click "Custom sort order" and select your new sort order from the drop-down menu.

I trust this helps.

Brian Barker

#9

Hi :slight_smile:
I think that's

h before H
and
a before A

Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

#10

Thanks to everyone! This appears to be a great group. I can now proceed to accomplish something. Thanks again!
Dave

#11

"Gary Collins":

I'm wondering if it is possible to define a custom order for characters when comparing strings.

It would be better to use some scripting language to do the sort and import the result in Calc, as it cannot be solved with LO unless a custom locale is written and compiled in it.

#12

No, it's right as I had it: h before H and A before a, as per the order in the "alphabet" below/G.

#13

Thanks for suggestion; I'll try it out and let the list know how it goes..../G.

#14

I suggest you visit the web site of SIL. Its an organization devoted to the languages of the world. Have some tools that support how to represent scripts.

I also suggest you, to take a look to LaTeX. It is completely capable for languages, academic work, building diccionaries and using tailored fonts.

#15

One other possibility is to construct a font with the characters in alphabetical order, in Unicode Private Space, and remap your system keyboard to output those characters.

The optimal/ideal solution is for LibreOffice to allow usrs to construct ther own locales, including glyph sorting.

I've forgotten the solution I used, when I encountered that scenario, using a conlang.

jonathon