Tell me it's not true

users
#1

When I select the dBase connector it seems to say that queries cannot
contain more than one table.

Tekll me it's not true...
Mark Stanton
One small step for mankind...

#2

Am 27.02.2012 23:38, Mark Stanton wrote:

When I select the dBase connector it seems to say that queries cannot
contain more than one table.

Tekll me it's not true...
Mark Stanton
One small step for mankind...

Sadly, this is true.
You may use a hierarchy of forms and subforms to mimic relations on form level (display records in subform that are related to the selected item in the parent form).
You may use another dBase driver. If I remember correctly, there is one for Windows ODBC.

#3

Thanks Andreas,

Unfortunately this isn't for a form, it's for a report. Mebbe I'll
start having a look at that code, being on Linux you're other
suggestion doesn't help me :frowning:

Regards
Mark Stanton
One small step for mankind...

#4

Am 28.02.2012 11:27, Mark Stanton wrote:

Thanks Andreas,

Unfortunately this isn't for a form, it's for a report. Mebbe I'll
start having a look at that code, being on Linux you're other
suggestion doesn't help me :frowning:

Regards
Mark Stanton
One small step for mankind...

Create a brand new database (relational, embedded HSQLDB).
Drag the table icons from your dBase connection into the new database.
Do what you want in the new database.
Note: HSQL tables need a primary key in order to be editable.

#5

Hi :slight_smile:
So is the problem just with 1 type of connector and 1 type of back-end?
Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

#6

This is a very old bug with lots of people urgently wanting something done about it:

https://issues.apache.org/ooo/show_bug.cgi?id=42464

#7

Am 28.02.2012 12:09, John Talbut wrote:

This is a very old bug with lots of people urgently wanting something
done about it:

https://issues.apache.org/ooo/show_bug.cgi?id=42464

That issue refers to the fact that you can only connect one database per database document.
This topic is about joining tables of the same dBase source.

SELECT * FROM "A" JOIN "B" ON "A"."F1" = "B"."F1"
SELECT * FROM "A","B" WHERE "A"."F1" = "B"."F1"

which is impossible in any of the file based database connections.
The former Base developers did not recognize the importance of dBase.

#8

I'm only talking about the dBase connector.
It sounds like there may be more to it than that from Andreas' reply,
but I don't think it's anything major to worry about, except the
dBase connector :frowning:

I'll have a look
Mark Stanton
One small step for mankind...

#9

That'll be a good stopgap, thanks.

What I'm trying to do is migrate slowly over from the dBase (VFP
really) application that (I wrote that) runs one of our businesses,
so just producing output with LO while still using FoxPro would be
good.

I'll have a look at the code, but it looks like you're saying it's a
slightly wider scope than just dBase. Don't hold your breath :slight_smile:

Regards
Mark Stanton
One small step for mankind...

#10

I have a project to make display labels for a mineral museum.

Does anyone know of a source for a specialized dictionary of mineral and chemical names that can be used with LO?

Jerry

#11

Am 28.02.2012 18:08, Mark Stanton wrote:

That'll be a good stopgap, thanks.

I'll have a look at the code, but it looks like you're saying it's a
slightly wider scope than just dBase. Don't hold your breath :slight_smile:

We get editable relations from relational database servers if the connecting database driver supports this. So called "file based databases" are:
dBase, plain text (csv), spreadsheets, mail client address books, LDAP provide a minumum of functionality, mainly because most of them are no databases at all.
dBase is the only editable and indexable type of file based database and the built-in driver should support relations as well.
File based databases are important sources for mail merge. Spreadsheets are most commonly used but worst choice.

Supported SQL functions of file based databases:
http://www.openoffice.org/dba/specifications/file_based_functions.html

#12

Thanks for that Andreas,

Hmmm, that document is nearly nine years old, nothing's happened with
file based database access since then?

Ok, might as well start at the deep end I suppose.
Any pointers gratefully received, and in the meantime I'll start
digging.

Mark Stanton
One small step for mankind...

#13

Am 28.02.2012 22:52, Mark Stanton wrote:

Thanks for that Andreas,

Hmmm, that document is nearly nine years old, nothing's happened with
file based database access since then?

Ok, might as well start at the deep end I suppose.
Any pointers gratefully received, and in the meantime I'll start
digging.

Mark Stanton
One small step for mankind...

Almost nothing has changed since then, except for fixing things that should have been working right from the start 9 years ago.
The Base developers wasted too much time with useless wizards covering no more than 30% of the program's capabilities and with a "self contained database" document that is a caricature of a database (unsafe, unsecure, low featured and slow).
Base is best when you ignore most of its tools and helpers relying entirely on your own skills and on the capabilities of the underlying database driver.

#14

Hi all,

Base is best when you ignore most of its tools and helpers relying
entirely on your own skills and on the capabilities of the underlying
database driver.

I wish it were otherwise, but sadly, well said.

Alex

#15

Hi all,

> Base is best when you ignore most of its tools and helpers relying
> entirely on your own skills and on the capabilities of the underlying
> database driver.
>
>

I wish it were otherwise, but sadly, well said.

*laughing*...I'll be damned, I was tempted to say exactly that, pulled
it back at that last second - but yes that is about it.

Honestly - I stopped advising anyone to use Base for anything quite a
while back.

//drew

#16

:-)))))

#17

> *laughing*...I'll be damned, I was tempted to say exactly that, pulled
> it back at that last second - but yes that is about it.
>
> Honestly - I stopped advising anyone to use Base for anything quite a
> while back.
>

:-)))))

Oh put our jaw back you know it's true...

#18

Interesting; suggests that base exists just to answer the question by
m$ fans: "where is the equivalent to acce$$?

Maybe base should be removed from LO entirely and a separate database
product be developed, perhaps able to include some aspects of the
"spreadsheet paradigm" to data manipulation.

#19

Create a brand new database (relational, embedded HSQLDB).
Drag the table icons from your dBase connection into the new database.

Doing this now. It lets me select all tables, but when I drag then it
only brings over one :frowning:

And HSQL seems to require index names to be unique at the database level
not the table level, is that right?

Mark Stanton
One small step for mankind...

#20

> Create a brand new database (relational, embedded HSQLDB).
> Drag the table icons from your dBase connection into the new database.

Doing this now. It lets me select all tables, but when I drag then it
only brings over one :frowning:

Yes - It's one at a time.

And HSQL seems to require index names to be unique at the database level
not the table level, is that right?

Yes.

//drew