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3.5 Using Databases with Base
OpenOffice 2.0 introduces a new database module, Base. Use
Base to design a database to store many different kinds of
information, from a simple address book or recipe file to a
sophisticated document management system.
Tables, forms, queries, and reports can be created manually or
using convenient wizards. For example, the Table Wizard contains a
number of common fields for business and personal use. Databases
created in Base can be used as data sources, such as when creating
form letters.
It is beyond the scope of this document to detail database
design with Base. More information can be found at the sources
listed in Section 3.8,
Finding Help and Information About OpenOffice.org.
3.5.1 Creating a Database Using Predefined Options
Base comes with several predefined database fields to help
you create a database. The steps in this section are specific to
creating an address book using predefined fields, but it should
be easy to follow them to use the predefined fields for any of
the built-in database options.
The process for creating a database can be broken into
several subprocesses:
Creating the Database
First, create the database.
-
Click .
-
Select , then
click .
-
Click to make your database information available
to other OpenOffice.org modules, select both check boxes
in the bottom half of the dialog, then click
.
-
Browse to the directory where you want to save the
database, specify a name for the database, then click
.
Setting Up the Database Table
Next, define the fields you want to use in your database
table.
-
In the Table Wizard, click
.
The list changes to
show the predefined tables for personal use. If you had
clicked , the list would
contain predefined business tables.
-
In the list, click
.
The available fields for the predefined address book
appear in the
menu.
-
In the menu, click
the fields you want to use in your address book.
You can select one item at a time, or you can
shift-click multiple items to select them.
-
Click the single right-arrow to move the selected
items to the the menu.
To move all available fields to the menu, click the double
right-arrow.
-
Use the up-arrow and down-arrow to adjust the order of
the selected fields.
The fields appear in the table and forms in the order
in which they are listed.
-
Click .
-
Make sure each of the fields is defined correctly.
You can change the field name, type, whether the entry
is required, and the maximum length of the field (the
number of characters that can be entered in that field.
For this example, leave the settings as they are.
-
Click .
-
Click , click
,
click , then click
.
-
Accept the default name for the table, select
,
then click .
Creating a Form
Next, create the form to use when entering data into your
address book.
-
In the Form Wizard, click the double right-arrow to
move all available fields to the list, then click
twice.
-
Select how you want to arrange your form, then click
.
-
Select the option to use the form to display all data
and leave all of the check boxes empty, then click
.
-
Apply a style and field border, then click
.
For this example, accept the default
selections.
-
Name the form, select the option, then click
.
Modifying the Form
After the form has been defined, you can modify the
appearance of the form to suit your preferences.
-
Close the form that opened when you finished the
previous step.
-
In the main window for your database, right-click the
form you want to modify (there should be only one option),
then click .
-
Arrange the fields on the form by dragging them to
their new locations.
For example, move the First Name field so it appears
to the right of the Last Name field, and then adjust the
locations of the other fields to suit your
preference.
-
When you have finished modifying the form, save it and
close it.
What’s Next?
After you have created your database tables and forms, you
are ready to enter your data. You can also design queries and
reports to help sort and display the data.
Refer to OpenOffice.org online help and other sources
listed in Section 3.8,
Finding Help and Information About OpenOffice.org for additional information about Base.
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