On Tue, 2012-02-07 at 12:39 -0500, Jay Lozier wrote: > On 02/07/2012 11:51 AM, Nino Novak wrote: > > On Tuesday 07 February 2012, Jay Lozier wrote: > > > >> Two related issues are a problem: spreadsheets are relatively easy to > >> set up and enter data with some inflexibility while databases harder to > >> set up and without the right front end tools some tricky to properly > >> enter data but are much more flexible. > > As a consequence: It would help most, if the database set up barrier could > > be > > lowered. > > > > We therefore should ask (and try to learn) what makes database creation so > > difficult, and how could we contribute to ease the learing curve? > I think the biggest barrier is not the tools to set up a database but > the design process of setting up a database. Databases generally are > design first then use while spreadsheets tend to be more design as you > go. Databases require one to think more clearly about the data and how > to model relationships within the data before one actually creates any > tables, forms, etc. What is it I am trying to do with the data and how > is the data best represented/stored/manipulated are questions that are > often addressed in database design. The thinking about the data model is > often a good exercise but one that can be skipped when using a > spreadsheet as a database. > > One problem is that people often want to jump in and start doing > something when a little thinking should be done or how it should be > done. Spreadsheets are easier to jump in and start with so often the > planning is not done. Thus often spreadsheet users have databases that > are nightmares because of poor data design. These are problems that are > less common with databases because databases force more thought on data > modeling. > > IMHO, the real problem is that good data modeling is not usually taught > to users and unless they start working with databases they never learn > data modeling. Most books on using databases will, if briefly, discuss > the concepts of data modeling and database design. I do not remember any > book on a spreadsheet discussing it or even mentioning it. > > > > Or directly: how can we make database creation easy and a low-threshold > > task? > I think some of the tools make the actual creation of a database > reasonably easy though data importing is often a pain.
This is a link to the Base Guide Ch 2, Planning/designing your database. It is a draft document for OOo. The LO version is being written right now. At least it is a beginning point when planning and designing a database. http://www.odfauthors.org/openoffice.org/english/userguide3/db3/dbg3_draft/planning-designing-your-database/view --Dan > > > > (Just a thought) > > > > Nino > > who has never got familiar with databases "because of their complexity" (at > > least from an innocent user's point of view). OTOH, I've never seen really > > good tools for database creation (and change btw). So maybe, we could add to > > database usability by creating Really Good Tools(TM) for creating, changing, > > filling and quering databases. > > > > > -- > Jay Lozier > jsloz...@gmail.com > > -- For unsubscribe instructions e-mail to: users+h...@global.libreoffice.org Problems? http://www.libreoffice.org/get-help/mailing-lists/how-to-unsubscribe/ Posting guidelines + more: http://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Netiquette List archive: http://listarchives.libreoffice.org/global/users/ All messages sent to this list will be publicly archived and cannot be deleted