Loads of n00b questions :)

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NiksaVel
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Loads of n00b questions :)

Post by NiksaVel »

Hey all,

I am very much new to ooBase and to the databases in general... so please bear with me with some newbie questions:

1. Is it possible to create some kind of shortcuts or something similar to forms and/or reports - so that the end user of the database I am working on would not get to the entire project manager window, but rather only to the restricted user form for managing the database.

2. Is it possible to create some kind of user authentication and/or assign individual user level permissions?

3. What this deal with printing not working in ooBase 2.3? Is there a date when it will be fixed?

4. I am working on a form that should contain x-ray interpretations for my department - I have created 5 tables that I need for it, and entered relevant data that is needed for every finding. I have also created the forms for entering data, one of them being the largest, and is is used to enter data for every individual image interpreted. I've managed to get the form to work as I want, but I am unsure how to proceed with the printing of the entered data? Should I pring it directly from the form or create a report and print it?

The problem with reports that I have encountered so far is that:
5. all reports are formatted in tables with data entered in columns - while this is okay with numerical data, my data consists of text, usually quite a lot of it, so the current report format is unusable for me. Is there a way to reorganise the report layout? What I need is to have a SINGLE RECORD displayed on ONE A4 page organised in several rows, with that last row being quite large - the interpretation itself.

6. How do I make some kind of selection for the reports - if I need to take a look at/print a report, I need to select only a certain record from the table - not all of them.

7. How to search for records - I can now do it in forms - first/previous/next/last record as buttons. This is okay for a small table, but it will grow FAST and I will need to search the table per certain criteria - i.e. patient last name etc... not sure how to make this happen... I mean I can manually create a query, but to make the database usable by other doctors I will need some kind of a search form...



this is all for now I believe... thanks a lot in advance for all the help...
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Villeroy
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Re: Loads of n00b questions :)

Post by Villeroy »

1. I filed issue http://www.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=85120
The issue has no target yet. I estimate that version 3.0 will have the feature. Meanwhile it should be possible to call a macro from command line or desktop link which opens the document invisibly and then a form or report.
2. If you use Base as frontend of a "real" database, you are prompted for log-in. The stand-alone, single-file Base of type "embed hsqldb" (see status bar) does not support any permissions.
3. It is fixed in the current version 2.3.1.
4. Nobody can answer this question without knowing more details. In general you print reports. You can create a query to recombine your data and build the new form on the query. An external Calc document could be another option to print formatted tables.
5. Open the form/report in edit mode (right-click>Edit...). Get toolbars "Form Controls" and "Form Design" and play with the "forms navigator" and (un-)grouped controls, control properties and form properties.
6. You can drag records from the datasource pane into any Writer document (or Calc).
7. There are filters, a (slow) find/replace, parameter queries and sub-forms.
Please, edit this topic's initial post and add "[Solved]" to the subject line if your problem has been solved.
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DrewJensen
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Re: Loads of n00b questions :)

Post by DrewJensen »

NiksaVel wrote:Hey all,

I am very much new to ooBase and to the databases in general... so please bear with me with some newbie questions:

1. Is it possible to create some kind of shortcuts or something similar to forms and/or reports - so that the end user of the database I am working on would not get to the entire project manager window, but rather only to the restricted user form for managing the database.
Yes of course you can do this. There is no pre-made navigator form option built into Base, yet, but you can write a simple macro that opens forms, queries, reports ( Wizard or Report Writer ). You can call any macro from a command line, meaning you can create a short cut on your desktop that would open the database hidden and just one form that would be the navigator for your application. Or you could use a macro to add menus to OpenOffice.org or toolbars that would do the same. This has been possible since day one that Base shipped.
2. Is it possible to create some kind of user authentication and/or assign individual user level permissions?
Aboslutely - the HSQLdb database engine supports SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE permissions on individual tables, stored procedures ( in this case these are java procedures ), views and schema.

Once again the problem is that Base doesn't expose and even works against using these features - but it is a simple work around to make your database support it. It won't keep out anyone that really wants to pry and can read a manual and has some problem solving skills, but it will keep the large majority of users from being able to open the database and manipulate data, except through your forms, and you can create separate user accounts in the database that can be restricted from what data they will see.

If you are in the USA and your database is going to contain patient information you have to think about HIPPA - Yes you can make it so that a casual user could be blocked from patient data by just opening the file, but there is no encryption. Is it compliant then, that is a question you have to answer.

I'll put the steps for doing the work around in a separate topic.
4. I am working on a form that should contain x-ray interpretations for my department - I have created 5 tables that I need for it, and entered relevant data that is needed for every finding. I have also created the forms for entering data, one of them being the largest, and is is used to enter data for every individual image interpreted. I've managed to get the form to work as I want, but I am unsure how to proceed with the printing of the entered data? Should I pring it directly from the form or create a report and print it?
You could print the form directly yes. Or you could produce a form - designed for printing and print that - but I would recommend that you use the Sun Report Builder. That is an extension you need to add to Base. I would not recommend that you do this task with the report wizard. You can download the Sub Report Builder by opening the extension manager Tools > Extension Manager and selecting find more extensions on the lower left corner of the dialog box. Just look under the Base application section.

(Note - The soon to release OO.o Version 2.4 along with the coming Sun Report Builder version 1.0.2 address a number of issues with the currently available Report Builder 1.0.1 and OO.o 2.3. You would be well advised to download these as soon as they are available )
The problem with reports that I have encountered so far is that:
5. all reports are formatted in tables with data entered in columns - while this is okay with numerical data, my data consists of text, usually quite a lot of it, so the current report format is unusable for me. Is there a way to reorganise the report layout? What I need is to have a SINGLE RECORD displayed on ONE A4 page organised in several rows, with that last row being quite large - the interpretation itself.
Again using the Report Builder ( versus the wizard ) you can build exactly this type of report.
6. How do I make some kind of selection for the reports - if I need to take a look at/print a report, I need to select only a certain record from the table - not all of them.
You will need to use a script to set the filter condition - I'll get an example up for this ASAP - although there are some already available.
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NiksaVel
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Re: Loads of n00b questions :)

Post by NiksaVel »

Thanks a bunch for the info... I'll start messing around witht he report builder right now...

Okay, assuming that the sun report builder will make me the reports that I want, the most important things I want/need are the following:

1. make a "Save and print" button in my form so that it will:
save the record
invisibly generate the said report that I will create with the sun report builder for ONLY the current record
send two copies to be printed on the default printer
(another useful thing would be to add a number of copies to be printed out through a form... 90% of our results go out in duplicates, but some examinations are printed in triplicates).


2. make/get a macro that would allow me to get a desktop icon labeled "Data entry" which would directly open the said form for entering data, preferably with no aditional buttons/tabs/bars exept the buttons I will define as part of the form..


I have no idea how to make either of these, or even where to start looking - if you have some reference material/manuals/tutorials that might help me please do point the way :mrgreen:


P.S. I am outside USA, more specifically in Croatia - no such sophisticated laws around here... and atm there is no electronic archive of any kind. What I'm hoping to achieve with this little project of mine is demonstrate what an e-archive could look like, how beneficient it would be to have one and than possibly get some support to hire a professional team to make something pro in MySQL with a dedicated server and all... plus learn more about database design, since I've never gotten around to it... :mrgreen:
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NiksaVel
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Re: Loads of n00b questions :)

Post by NiksaVel »

here is one more question:

3. can multiple users access and use the same database simultaneously? If yes, I assume it would be done so that I have the .odb file in a shared folder on the "server" and tham map that network drive/mount it and than just open the database from as many computers as I like... correct?
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NiksaVel
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Re: Loads of n00b questions :)

Post by NiksaVel »

Just installed Sun Report Builder on OO 2.3.0 - it wont start. I got the link "Create report in design view" under reports, but nothing at all happens when I click it...
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NiksaVel
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Re: Loads of n00b questions :)

Post by NiksaVel »

NiksaVel wrote:Hey all,

I am very much new to ooBase and to the databases in general... so please bear with me with some newbie questions:

1. Is it possible to create some kind of shortcuts or something similar to forms and/or reports - so that the end user of the database I am working on would not get to the entire project manager window, but rather only to the restricted user form for managing the database.


Yes of course you can do this. There is no pre-made navigator form option built into Base, yet, but you can write a simple macro that opens forms, queries, reports ( Wizard or Report Writer ). You can call any macro from a command line, meaning you can create a short cut on your desktop that would open the database hidden and just one form that would be the navigator for your application. Or you could use a macro to add menus to OpenOffice.org or toolbars that would do the same. This has been possible since day one that Base shipped.

say... you think you could help me out a bit more with this? I have ABSOLUTELY no experience with macros at ALL... but I'm a quick learner... if at least you could point me to a good tutorial or something, I'd appreciate it...
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DrewJensen
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Re: Loads of n00b questions :)

Post by DrewJensen »

Basic Programmers Guide
Andrew Pitonyak's Macro Documents ( be sure to check out his database macro document along with the general macro document )
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Re: Loads of n00b questions :)

Post by r4zoli »

After installing any extension, quit from OOo and Quickstarter Restart OOo. Report builder will be available on reports.
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