Hello all, Alex - I am sorry but I really must disagree with your comments. I think Ron's needs are fully met within OpenOffice as it stands today - and I would not be surprised if he never once has to see an SQL command. As for any macro programming - maybe some ( 2 or three line scripts), but then only if he wants to.
Ron - reading your second message with the description of your Lotus Approach database I am in a somewhat better position to comment - thanks. Many of the terms used in Approach will have different terms in OpenOffice, but for the most part the functionality will be equivalent. Not necessarily exact, but very close. My initial thought is that in one case you will find OpenOffice's approach to one of the tasks a step back, but I see another where I think you find it a step forward. The first thing to say is to notice I keep saying OpenOffice - not Base. If the only OpenOffice module available to you where Base then Alex's comments would be closer to the truth, but that is not the case you will be using the full OpenOffice package. Base, Calc and Writer together will offer you the full solution - which is exactly how OpenOffices was designed to be used.
Each member's details is in a line. I need to access records quite frequently, weekly and monthly at least to change anything and everything:, e.g.; phone numbers; e-mail addresses, delete members; add new members; change addresses; change subscription details which occupy 4 columns and to get outputs. My access is required to remove existing or make up completely new lines but mostly it involves altering the content of 1 to 4 Fields only, and to get different outputs.
OOo can handle the data fairly easily enough. The output questions will probably require some macro magic that isn't unfortunately supplied built into the product in the form of a wizard unlike Approach, a db management system that really was very intuitive. OOo Base unfortunately is not (yet anyway).
Agree with Alex the data entry/edit tasks will be simply met, your output - all though I need to hear more specifics - will most likely be easily met also. Most likely as a simple report.
The outputs used are in 9 types; 6 in different mini-spreadsheet layouts from 3 to 15 different columns and all the 50+ lines; 1 form that includes all the individual's details, i.e.,. every field in a line for 1 member at a time; 1 that is for addressing envelopes; and 1 that will print a 3x7 label A4 sheet of address labels.
With Lotus Approach if any single field or line is changed on the main worksheet or any of the 'outputs' the identical field is changed at the same time automatically on every other one of the 9 outputs without requiring any additional action from me. I need this from OOo.
This is doable, but not easily by someone who knows nothing about programming or database languages.
Alright difference in terms here. The Lotus Approach workseet is the same as a table in Base. The outputs, all though I can't be certain, I am willing to wager are equivalent to Base queries or forms. The mini-spreadsheet layouts are just queries or forms in Base. In either case, yes editing the data in any of the later will reflect the change to all different 'views' of the data, because the data is stored in just one table. ( functionally identical to what Approach is doing ) The envelope addressing and label generation are handles using Writer using your Base data as the datasource. You say you need to export Excel spreadsheets for other, well here is where OO.o will shine for you - linking your Base data to spreadsheets is very simple and this link can be setup so that you will refresh the data automatically every time the spreadsheet is opened. Calc then offers you the option to save the file in Excel format. About the problems you are having at the moment, I can only hazard a guess. You said that you exported your data from Approach into an Excel spreadsheet and that you are opening this using Base - now you can do that of course, but then this is a read-only view of the data. What you really want to do is import that data from the Excel file into a native Base database. OK, that all sounds good right - but leaves you no better off for reading it. A little while back, on this list, there was a discussion about example databases. Along with this discussion there has been a fair amount of activity regarding creation of tutorials. Well Ron, truth is I think your Approach application is about as close to the simple 'Real World' example database that was talked about in the earlier discussion as can be found, also a tutorial ( case study) on migrating an existing Lotus Approach application to OpenOffice sounds like a real winner to me. So - I will make what I think is a win - win proposal to you. I ( and anyone else that wants to lend a hand ) would help you convert your club membership database from Approach to OpenOffice. We would keep a running commentary on the work needed to do so - It would be very interesting to have your take on the differences between the packages, as you go, as part of that commentary. ( exactly where we would do that I'm not sure, maybe the wiki, maybe not - but we could work that out easily enough) When we are done, the database ( sans any real persons identifying information of course ) would be placed into the public domain as an example database, along with the associated Calc and Writer templates / documents needed. Then, with a little luck we might find one of the good folks at the OOoAuthors group to help polish the running commentary and turn it into either a tutorial or a case study. Time wise, this will not take a great deal - a good weekend or two of time should do the trick. So what do you say? Sincerely, Drew Jensen Your have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any way that you choose. --- Dr Seuss --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
