Data Source selection issue

[dalenielsen1]

I have created a form, a customer list with drop downs for some fields such as date, city, zip, etc.
Then created new text document...data source table shows other fields such as name, address however the drop down fields showing only numbers (corresponding ID number). How do I get data source to show the drop down selections instead of the numbers?

[Villeroy]

Unfortunately, the data source window shows only raw data from tables and queries.
If you need those data for a mail merge in Writer, you can create a query merging the required tables and then use that query for the mail merge.
Open the query designer, select the involved tables. Link the common fields (foreign keys and primary keys) by dragging a line between the column names. Then double-click the field names. Add alias names and sort orders if you want. The F5 key shows the resulting record set. Save the query under some name and save the database document. You will find the query in Writer's data source windo.

[dalenielsen1]

thank you much for your response just to be clear you say "in Writer" what is this?

[dalenielsen1]

Open Office 4 windows 10

[robleyd]

thank you much for your response just to be clear you say "in Writer" what is this?

Writer is the word processor component of Apache OpenOffice, which you can use in combination with a data source - e.g. database - to create a mail merge document.

[dalenielsen1]

might you be able to walk me through this...Not sure you understand my problem how do I link O,1,2,3,4,5 etc to the actual slection on the form?...Why does it display only raw data or the numbers...are you sure you understand?

[dalenielsen1]

For instance, 0 would be attributed to Livermore as one of the dropdown box selections in the "City" Field on my form. Then "1"=Pleasanton;2=San Francisco3=Dublin;4=San Ramon;5=Danville etc. Why does it show the numbers instead of the city names?? I will try with w spreadsheet...just confirming that you understand my issue

[robleyd]

I understand your issue but as I don't use Base I don't know the solution; I was responding to your question about Writer.

[dalenielsen1]

I have a table for city a table for zip a table for square feet table of customer list(which shows numbers instead of the actual selections from the drop down boxes) Why would I, as you recommend, want to merge these tables...If you understand my problem, can you please walk me through the steps is if i was a caveman?

[dalenielsen1]

ok thank for answering a question i didnt have

[dalenielsen1]

Anybody else out there could help a cave man? better off with stone tablet sometimes...what good is having a convenient drop down box such as date,City,Zip code, etc. for instance on a form that I created, when you cant do a mail merge... unless you can...Anybody? Come on how do I change data source result from raw data numbers attributed to each drop down selection TO the actual selection itself?

[dalenielsen1]

how do I get table to reflect actual selections (from drop down box) from a created form and not raw data numbers attributed to each drop down selection?

[dalenielsen1]

anybody from apache out there?

[Villeroy]

how do I get table to reflect actual selections (from drop down box) from a created form and not raw data numbers attributed to each drop down selection?

You can't. Tables and queries show raw data. List boxes belong to the realm of forms.

anybody from apache out there?

Nobody from Apache. This is a 100% user forum.

.If you understand my problem, can you please walk me through the steps is if i was a caveman?

Base is not for you. Forget it.

[UnklDonald418]

how do I get table to reflect actual selections (from drop down box) from a created form and not raw data numbers attributed to each drop down selection?

You can't, in the realm of relational databases (databases with relationships between multiple tables) you must use queries as a data source for mailmerge. The query can make the substitutions to display text data from the linked table rather than the foreign key value stored in the primary table.
Designing a query requires knowledge of SQL and intimate details of the tables and relationships in the database.
It appears you don't have the SQL skills to design a working query so I suggest you upload a sample database so someone can help with the query design.
[Forum] How to attach a document here

[dalenielsen1]

thanks for the reply...yes I agree I dont have the SQL skills to design a querry esp not knowing what SQL is? SQL? anybody?

[Villeroy]

SQL is what formulas are in spreadsheets. Most spreadsheet formulas return single values. Among other things, SQL statements select data sets from tables. They convert stored data into information.

[dalenielsen1]

Standardized query language got it... anyone speak SQL? taught myself how to weld so this should be a piece of cake even for a caveman like me.
how hard could it be?
Boy o Boy love technology making life easier yay good job apache open office idiots as useless as Base and this forum

[Villeroy]

Base has a query designer, a graphical tool which allows you to click together very simple SELECT statements. It chokes on slightly advanced ones. This might be simple enough.
Create new query in design view
Double-click involved tables
Drag lines between related table columns
Double-click columns from different tables.
There is a button toggle between graphical design and plain SQL text. The SQL looks like SELECT <various columns> FROM <various tables> WHERE X.A=Y.B AND Y.C=Z.D
Store query
Store database