[ubuntu-uk] Open office python as an Ms office alternative.
Hi everyone, Lots of people are forced to use vba and Ms office at work for various reasons. (I am at least) Can we use python and open office? Does anyone use any other ’all in one’ package that can achieve the same results as the boss expects in excel or access? Thanks Dave -- ubuntu-uk@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-uk https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UKTeam/
Re: [ubuntu-uk] Open office python as an Ms office alternative.
On 7 August 2012 19:44, Dave Hanson d...@hansonforensics.co.uk wrote: Hi everyone, Lots of people are forced to use vba and Ms office at work for various reasons. (I am at least) Can we use python and open office? Does anyone use any other ’all in one’ package that can achieve the same results as the boss expects in excel or access? OpenOffice/LibreOffice has a VBA compatible scripting language which I found easier to get started with and to extend as you have the advantage of being able to generate macros and then edit them. The python API is still more of pain than it needs to be - have a look at the example here: http://api.libreoffice.org/examples/python/toolpanel/ s/ -- Twitter: @sfgreenwood TBA are particularly glib -- ubuntu-uk@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-uk https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UKTeam/
Re: [ubuntu-uk] Open office python as an Ms office alternative.
Hi I used to be a fairly serious Access developer and faced much the same issue when I made the move to Linux. In my view OpenOffice/LibreOffice Base is by far the weakest part of the otherwise excellent office suite. Its native HSQL database is slow and the form designer is very limited in functionality compared with Access. Also the form appearance is archaic. Its biggest plus is that is it easy to link to many other kinds of DB such as MySQL and PostgreSQL, but you still don't get very good performance. My other big criticism is that the programming language (a variant of Basic) makes heavy weather of many features which VBA achieves with ease. To manipulate the GUI you have to think more in terms of how Visual C++ does things rather than VBA. My solution is to use the Gambas development tool with a backend database to suit the application requirements. Gambas is very similar to VB in many ways, and better in some. The language syntax is similar. If you've used VB or Access/VBA you'd get used to Gambas pretty quickly. You can create very sophisticated GUIs and also compile to an executable. The executable requires the presence of a runtime library - another similarity with VB - but it means you don't have to deliver the code and form designs along with executable. You can use data-bound controls or write your own code to read/write between form controls and the database, using the Result object, which equates to an Access Recordset. Although it requires a few more lines of code I prefer this latter method as it gives you total control over what gets updated and when. Gambas can natively talk to a number of DB types. If you use SQLite (a file database) the analogy with Access is almost complete. Using Gambas/SQLite I've managed to create 10,000 records in a second during bulk updates. Base/HSQL couldn't come anywhere near this kind of performance. Hope this helps. By all means contact me off-forum if you want to discuss the nitty-gritty that would otherwise cause eyes to glaze over. Nige -- ubuntu-uk@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-uk https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UKTeam/
Re: [ubuntu-uk] Open office python as an Ms office alternative.
Thanks guys, Lots of things to take in there. I'll check all of that out and post back if I find anything else. Thanks Dave On Aug 7, 2012 9:14 PM, Nigel Verity nigelver...@hotmail.com wrote: Hi I used to be a fairly serious Access developer and faced much the same issue when I made the move to Linux. In my view OpenOffice/LibreOffice Base is by far the weakest part of the otherwise excellent office suite. Its native HSQL database is slow and the form designer is very limited in functionality compared with Access. Also the form appearance is archaic. Its biggest plus is that is it easy to link to many other kinds of DB such as MySQL and PostgreSQL, but you still don't get very good performance. My other big criticism is that the programming language (a variant of Basic) makes heavy weather of many features which VBA achieves with ease. To manipulate the GUI you have to think more in terms of how Visual C++ does things rather than VBA. My solution is to use the Gambas development tool with a backend database to suit the application requirements. Gambas is very similar to VB in many ways, and better in some. The language syntax is similar. If you've used VB or Access/VBA you'd get used to Gambas pretty quickly. You can create very sophisticated GUIs and also compile to an executable. The executable requires the presence of a runtime library - another similarity with VB - but it means you don't have to deliver the code and form designs along with executable. You can use data-bound controls or write your own code to read/write between form controls and the database, using the Result object, which equates to an Access Recordset. Although it requires a few more lines of code I prefer this latter method as it gives you total control over what gets updated and when. Gambas can natively talk to a number of DB types. If you use SQLite (a file database) the analogy with Access is almost complete. Using Gambas/SQLite I've managed to create 10,000 records in a second during bulk updates. Base/HSQL couldn't come anywhere near this kind of performance. Hope this helps. By all means contact me off-forum if you want to discuss the nitty-gritty that would otherwise cause eyes to glaze over. Nige -- ubuntu-uk@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-uk https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UKTeam/ -- ubuntu-uk@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-uk https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UKTeam/
