Database Design

[rcrmonte3]

I am trying to design a form. When I use the wizard, I am unable to move the fields on the form. If I create the form in Form Design, I don't know how to tell it the table to base the form on.
How do I create a form in Design Mode?
How do I tell the Design Mode what table to base the form on?
How do I move fields around after the form is finished?

[UnklDonald418]

You should be able to move components around on a form created by the Wizard if you open the form in the Design Mode. Right click on the form and choose Edit.

Here is a link to a Tutorial about using the Design Mode. It should help you get started.

viewtopic.php?f=83&t=32757

[rcrmonte3]

Thanks for your reply. I finally got back to the project and your instructions worked perfectly.
Now for the big topic--macros. I need to design/write a macro that will total the amounts entered in a form, and other macros as of now undetermined. However, not being an IT geek, I am clueless of how to design a macro in Open Office, and I don't see anything in the Help contents/topics that will give me step-by-step, easy to understand directions to designing & writing a successful macro.
Is there a simple instruction book or something that will help?
How do I design & write my own macros? Are there any macros in O/O that I can use? Can they be modified?

Thanks for your help.

[UnklDonald418]

For some oO components such as Calc and Write there is a macro recorder but it doesn't work with Base.
Learning Macros in Base is a very steep hill especially if you aren't well versed in Object Oriented programming, so it's usually best to avoid them if at all possible. You might be better served to get a book on SQL and learn what you can do with that because it can do some of those tasks like calculating totals without resorting to macros. There are several online SQL tutorials. I have used the one at http://www.w3schools.com/sql/default.asp but there are some differences in formatting so usually you can't just cut and paste. Another tutorial is at http://www.sqlcourse.com/.

There is a beginning macro tutorial at http://sheepdogguides.com/fdb/opof6button.htm. Currently Andrew Pitonyak has a couple of documents on Macro programming in oO Basic that are available for free download at http://www.pitonyak.org/oo.php There is a lot of information there, but they're not really set up as tutorials. Some of his macros will work with cut and paste, but many of them will need to modified before they will work. Then the documents at https://wiki.openoffice.org/wiki/Docume ... pers_Guide gives the details of programming in oO. But most of those examples are in JAVA which doesn't easily translate into Basic. Then there are some folks who swear by Python, which is also supported by oO, but I haven't found much on macro programming in that language.

If you click on “Board index” at the top of this screen and scroll down to “Macros and UNO API” you will find some good information although at times it can be challenging to locate what you are seeking. Of course you can ask questions there also.

If you really do go for macro programming, you will need to learn to use the built in debugger which is called the IDE (Integrated Development Environment) and get and learn to use the MRI extension found at http://extensions.services.openoffice.o ... ction-tool

Backup often when using Base especially during macro programming. When messing with macros I copy my Base document to a flash drive every hour or two. It can be really disheartening to recover from a crash only to discover that all your data tables have vanished!

Good Luck