Apache OpenOffice Community Forum

I have used MS Access for a number of years, but since I am iMac at home, I am using Open Office for my Database.

I have started a statistical project and I am wondering what is the Maximum Size of a Base Database. I know with Access, I had trouble when I approached 2GB

My personal opinion is that Base as DB engine is not very robust -- I've seen so many messages in this forum about corrupted Base documents -- so I would not recommend it for projects needing a DB of 2GB or more. I would rather use a more proven DB engine like MySQL and then eventually use Base as a GUI front-end. Of course, copying the DB between two platforms will be challenging.

My goal right now is more of a data repository for imported data. The data I will be using for the project will be statistical parameters generated from this information and I will be using Calc with that information. I would use Calc exclusively, but I have a feeling that some of the raw data table would be more than a single sheet could hold.

The problem I have with My SQL is that, although I am a Business Applications Developer, my knowledge of the programming languages I could use on my iMac is limited.

Store the data in any ODBC-accesible database. Do the import via Access-ODBC or csv or whatever appropriate tool. Under Linux there are mdb-tools to read Access tables. Base can use the clipboard to copy contents between 2 databases. Up to this point no programming language should be required.
Use any database tools you like to use. Scripts, web-frontends, Base or even Access. Yes, MS Access is an excellent frontend for third-party databases.
Using Base as a frontend, you can choose between many programming languages such as C++, Python, and several members of the broader Java family (if your database application requires additional coding).
There is no reason to use Base's built-in HSQLDB engine like there is no reason to use Access with it's built-in JET engine, except for "single-fileness".
Base is hardly more than a simple bridge to import tabular data from many different sources into office documents.
A new Base document is just a zipped configuration file to define the connection. You can add addional SQL-strings (queries), forms and reports. Forms and reports use ordinary Writer documents as carriers embedded in the Base document. You could use any other Writer document or Calc-sheet likewise. I would hardly call Base a database application. It is a bit more than a extension of the other office components.

I would use Calc exclusively, but I have a feeling that some of the raw data table would be more than a single sheet could hold.

In this case you may be happy with the HSQLDB wrapped in a Base file, but this ...

I know with Access, I had trouble when I approached 2GB

... is on another scale.

IIRC, access have limits up to 32768 objects.

What's the maximum number of records Base could handle ?