New user to BASE

users
#1

Hi,
A couple of three days ago someone, on this list, mention not to use
BASE, as there wasn't much development going on. Their suggestion
was to look for a different front end to use. Can someone make a suggestion
as to what would be a good alternative to use?
No wars please. Just good advice. Thanks
Wayne

#2

Wayne,

Can you please provide some details of your requirements?

e.g. Linux - MacOX - Windows - Cross Platform

e.g. OO/LO integration or not?

e.g. single user - multiple user

Alternatively look at websites, such as these, as a start, then download and try a few packages that meet you minimum requirements...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_relational_database_management_systems

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Open_source_database_management_systems

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rapid_application_development_tools

Other search criteria: glom, sqlite, datakiosk.

The other issue is that this list is for LO, this question is best posed on another forum. Which forum, is dependent on you operating system.

#3

Wayne

Hi,
A couple of three days ago someone, on this list, mention not to use
BASE, as there wasn't much development going on. Their suggestion
was to look for a different front end to use. Can someone make a suggestion
as to what would be a good alternative to use?
No wars please. Just good advice. Thanks
Wayne

An alternate database you can use is PostgreSQL if you are using Linux.
It works well as back end with Base as the front end. This option allows
you to use an alternate database and still be able to integrate the data
with LO.

What OS are you using?

I am working getting some information together for users to use Base as
the front end. I hope to have a draft ready next week.

#4

Hi,
A couple of three days ago someone, on this list, mention not to use
BASE, as there wasn't much development going on. Their suggestion
was to look for a different front end to use. Can someone make a suggestion
as to what would be a good alternative to use?
No wars please. Just good advice. Thanks
Wayne

Wayne,

Can you please provide some details of your requirements?

e.g. Linux - MacOX - Windows - Cross Platform

I use Linux, but I guess Cross Platform should be looked at.

e.g. OO/LO integration or not?

More than likely LO

e.g. single user - multiple user

I suppose multiple user.

Alternatively look at websites, such as these, as a start, then download and try a few packages that meet you minimum requirements...

Thanks for the pointers,I'll check them out.

#5

Wayne

Hi,
A couple of three days ago someone, on this list, mention not to use
BASE, as there wasn't much development going on. Their suggestion
was to look for a different front end to use. Can someone make a suggestion
as to what would be a good alternative to use?
No wars please. Just good advice. Thanks
Wayne

An alternate database you can use is PostgreSQL if you are using Linux.
It works well as back end with Base as the front end. This option allows
you to use an alternate database and still be able to integrate the data
with LO.

PostgreSQL seems a little heavy for my use. I'm think of MySQL.

What OS are you using?

Linux, is there any other??

I am working getting some information together for users to use Base as
the front end. I hope to have a draft ready next week.

Thanks for your time in doing this.

#6

Quite honestly, if you are simply a home user or a one person business,
find yourself a copy of SmartSuite 98 or later and install it under Wine
on Linux or under XP. Lotus Approach is one of the simplest to use and
most robust personal database systems out there. Spreadsheet views,
beautifully formatted reports using multiple fonts. Without any
training you can set up a complete expense tracking system in under 45
minutes.

#7

I agree with Roland. When I used to work for a local analytical laboratory I wrote a very large
application that tracks incoming samples, customers, and related data. They used it for
almost 9 years until last October when they decided to implement a LIMS (laboratory
information management system) - and spent many thousands of dollars. Three months ago
they dumped the LIMS and returned to my program.

I'd be glad to give you any help if you decide to try it.

Brian Grawburg
Wilson, NC

#8

Hi Wayne,

A couple of three days ago someone, on this list, mention not to use
BASE, as there wasn't much development going on. Their suggestion
was to look for a different front end to use. Can someone make a suggestion
as to what would be a good alternative to use?
No wars please. Just good advice. Thanks

LibreOffice Base can do quite a lot, but it requires a fairly steep
initial investment once you realise that the wizards are a bit limited,
and thus you become reliant on macro programming for the unmet features
that would be found in other front end solutions like FMPro or Approach
or Access, and dare I say it, the fairly numerous bugs that are now in
the source code (and aren't yet being fixed).

Having used Approach in the past, I would have to agree with Roland if
all you want is to have a db front end that you can use on Linux (via
Wine) and Windows. If you want it to provide a front end for Mac as
well, then you will be stuck with either LibreOffice Base and a fairly
sustantial choice of server backends, or using some other interface
design tool for your db such as Ruby, XML forms, PHP, etc.

Alex

#9

Hi Wayne,

A couple of three days ago someone, on this list, mention not to use
BASE, as there wasn't much development going on. Their suggestion
was to look for a different front end to use. Can someone make a suggestion
as to what would be a good alternative to use?
No wars please. Just good advice. Thanks

LibreOffice Base can do quite a lot, but it requires a fairly steep
initial investment once you realise that the wizards are a bit limited,
and thus you become reliant on macro programming for the unmet features
that would be found in other front end solutions like FMPro or Approach
or Access, and dare I say it, the fairly numerous bugs that are now in
the source code (and aren't yet being fixed).

Having used Approach in the past, I would have to agree with Roland if
all you want is to have a db front end that you can use on Linux (via
Wine) and Windows. If you want it to provide a front end for Mac as
well, then you will be stuck with either LibreOffice Base and a fairly
sustantial choice of server backends, or using some other interface
design tool for your db such as Ruby, XML forms, PHP, etc.

Alex

Would you include Python in that list?
Wayne

#10

Sure, any programming language that allows you to build a graphically
driven frontend. AFAIK, Python can do that with tcl, wx, gtk, and no
doubt other graphical toolkits so why not ? :wink:

I actually went scouring for stuff like that the other day on
sourceforge because I need to have a frontend I can design, implement
and distribute over a network and multiple-OSes. I haven't had time to
try the various bits out yet though, most of which looks PHP-based (but
only because I have a vague understanding of PHP - my python skills are
way too low to attempt something like that at the moment, but I did give
it some thought :-))

Alex

#11

Hi

> Would you include Python in that list?
> Wayne

Sure, any programming language that allows you to build a graphically
driven frontend. AFAIK, Python can do that with tcl, wx, gtk, and no
doubt other graphical toolkits so why not ? :wink:

I actually went scouring for stuff like that the other day on
sourceforge because I need to have a frontend I can design, implement
and distribute over a network and multiple-OSes. I haven't had time to
try the various bits out yet though, most of which looks PHP-based (but
only because I have a vague understanding of PHP - my python skills are
way too low to attempt something like that at the moment, but I did give
it some thought :-))

Alex

You have several options with databases: use Base only, use Base as the
front end with another database as the back end, or use another database
and hope there are decent graphical tools available. Base only may limit
what you can do particularly with network access For Base with another
back end you will need to set up the connection in Base and many common
options are supported. Using another database completely can be tricky,
some do not have nice front end tools. Two that do are MySQL/MariaDB
(Linux uses MySQL Workbench) and PostgreSQL (pgadmin). SQLite is another
possibility but it does not easily support all the data types that may
be in a database.

None of these will require any programming but will require varying
knowledge of SQL to use effectively.

#12

Hi :slight_smile:
It would be great to put all that effort into developing Base, or managing the
project to attract a few devs into that part of the project. It's not something
a single person can do tho. It needs a LOT of people to jump into it. I guess
that is why so many people work on various different single-purpose front-ends.

There is no management bringing all those people together so each person ends up
feeling like they are very alone.

Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

#13

Hi again

Sorry for my tone yday. I appeared to be addressing Alex negatively but in fact
i do know he has done and continues to do a lot of hard work to help Base
users. There are quite a few people that do and quite a lot more, no doubt,
that would give more time if they were able to or if there was a structured
team.

I don't know how to set-up a team to do something like that.
Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

#14

Hi :slight_smile:
Are you interested in joining in with a small team to try to get more activity
developing in Base? I have no idea how to set-up a team. There seems to be
quite a few supporters such as RedHat, Google, Canonical, Novell even Apache
that might benefit from helping Base achieving something closer to it's
potential. There also seems to be various other projects, such as back-ends,
that might be able to spare some developers time in order to help get their
product used more widely.

So far a couple of people have seemed interested but they got straight into
learning how to code rather than doing marketing/promoting type of work. I have
no expertise in promoting either but hoped to get a few people together to help
push Base forwards. Any ideas?
Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

#15

Ooops! Please ignore my drafty email!
Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

#16

ok

#17

This is one of those things that drives me crazy about BASE.
The underpinning program logic is available, but the ease of interface of Approach is missing.

Approach lends itself to quick organizing of information while BASE forces you to organize yourself.