Database. Not like Excel? How to enter it?

[Greycap]

Hello,

Hope some kind soul can help this friustrated and lost new chum, as I've wasted hours just trying to open a database..

I used an earlier version of this software and it worked perfectly with my old (very old) Excel database files. Just had to start Open Office, select data base and the Excel looking page was opened, ready for me to use. Not this latest version, it seems.

Now I can't even open a database and have spent many frustrating hours trying. I have a long list of keywords/phrases I wish to enter. Then sort and remove the duplicates, before putting the keyword list in my web site. Logical?

Now, the darn thing asks me questions I don't understand then, before I can even find the spreadsheet, it demands that I make a folder, or file. I did so - it was empty, of course, then it wants me to upload it. I think that is what is happening, I am now thoroughly confused. So much so, that I am thinking of buying an old Excel from Ebay, but being an old age pensioner, cannot really afford to add to my debts.

I used to be 'fairly' good, with my old Excel (It is too old to work on this computer, unfortunately), but cannot work out what I'm doing wrong.

Hoping someone has an easy, and quick, step-by-step answer.

Greycap.

[TerryE]

Could I suggest that you read the Survival Guide for the forum for hints on posting. I assume that to are using XP. Is this correct? What version of OOo? You also mention "uploading". This term is usually used for sending files to a web server. Is that what you are talking about here?

So can you first find your files using the file explorer?

Did you say yes to the install option to associate the Microsoft files extensions (DOC, XLS, etc.) with OOo? If so you should be able to double click on an XLS in the file explorer, and this will open it in OOo.

If not you should still be able to right-click on the file and select open with then navigate to soffice.exe in the folder Program Files\OpenOffice.org<version>\program.

Whilst I can understand your frustration if you are confused, without specifics it is hard to help.

[Greycap]

Hello Terry,

Thank you for your help.

Sorry if I broke any rules, in any way. I should have read them first, I suppose. It said it was a learners forum, so I thought that summed me up completely.
However, I did first try 'Search', but to no avail.

Anyway, I was just about to come on with my solution.

I just tried looking at it all again and discovered I was needing a spreadsheet. Not a database. Told you it had been quite a while, since I had used Excel.
I found the spreadsheets under 'Calc', a few minutes ago and that did the trick. I would never have thought of looking for spreadsheets under 'calc', but that was my mistake.

Had to go through my keyword elite list and remove the duplications, one at a time, but that was fine. Don't know if even Excel could have performed that task for me. Probably not.

Anyway, thank you for helping. Sorry I confused you with my lack of descriptive powers. Was far better at flying R.A.F. Hawker Hunters, in the 1950's and 60's, than using these blasted computers.

I shall read the rules later, to see what rules I might have broken. If serious, I shall try not to offend further by placing posts, but use Google Search, instead.

Cheers,

Ray.
(Greycap).

[ccornell]

You didn't offend anyone or break any rules Terry was simply suggesting that you read the survival guide because certain critical information was missing from your original post... like what operating system you are using, and what version of OpenOffice.org you are asking questions about. The answers the pros here can provide really depend a lot on these two critical factors. The way things work on a Mac or Linux is different from Windows. Problems someone might have with version 2.0.1 of Openoffice.org might be solved with version 2.3.1 and so on.

So welcome to the forum, and please ask your questions. We will all try to help.

[Greycap]

Hello CCornell,

Thank you for your clarification and your welcome.

Of course, after I read the suggested notes, I got the picture. All the good gen there.

Sounds like a really friendly forum and I shall take advantage of your welcome to join in and try to contribute something - when I learn something worthwhile ]
That might take some time, as I don't even know enough yet, to be able to drag those 'smiley' things over. Tried left click and drag; NBG! Ctrl 'c' and ctrl 'v' NBG!
(Well, that was a jolly weird effect in the preview. To make the smiley face, I used a colon for the eyes, lower case 'o' for the nose and a square bracket for the mouth. Like this: ] That strange face appeared. Not important, but a bit odd.)

Cheers,

Ray.

[Villeroy]

Would you please tell us about your problem? Something like: "I use OOo X.Y under WinLux A.B and when I try to open my file.xyz (created with Fluxcel 9.23) via menu File>Open... I get the following error message/ import dialog / crash / unexpected result..."

[ccornell]

Sounds like a really friendly forum and I shall take advantage of your welcome to join in and try to contribute something - when I learn something worthwhile

You would be surprised how quickly you learn enough to join in. Everyone has some aspect of the overall OpenOffice.org suite they use the most, and everyone discovers some little trick somewhere that can be shared.

Other than assisting other users on the forum, some people also do some contributions on the Wiki at http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wiki Some people are technically inclined and help out on the application development, others help out with the documentation (even correcting spelling mistakes in the Wiki docs is a big help)

You can also just stop by the forum once in a while an read the latest postings... it is amazing what you can pick up from the discussions here. I know I've learned a lot.

That might take some time, as I don't even know enough yet, to be able to drag those 'smiley' things over. Tried left click and drag; NBG! Ctrl 'c' and ctrl 'v' NBG!

Just place the cursor where you want a smiley, and then click once on whichever smiley you want to use. The code for that smiley will be inserted into the forum posting for you.

[TerryE]

Greycap, if you were flying Hunters in the 50s then you're a few years older than me I was born the year of the Coronation, and I did my bit as a subaltern in the RE in the 70s.

Reading this dialogue, the crux is that you are using a spreadsheet as a database, which is entirely sensible for small single table based information lists. In fact if you open any OpenOffice user interface and select File->Open (or Ctl-O) then choose an XLS file; it will open it as a spreadsheet through the Calc user interface.

Yet if you go into the OOo programs list from the Start Menu then you get a list:

• OpenOffice.org Base
  OpenOffice.org Calc
  OpenOffice.org Draw
  OpenOffice.org Impress
  OpenOffice.org Math
  OpenOffice.org Writer

whereas if you go to the File->New within one of the OOo user interfaces you get prompted with the list:

• Text Document
  Spreadsheet
  Presentation
  Drawing
  Database
  etc.

I agree that Calc is not a very intuitive description for a spreadsheet utility, but then again neither is Excel. Maybe it world make a lot more sense to name the OOo programme group:

• OpenOffice.org (Any document)
  Base (Relation Database)
  Calc (Spreadsheet)
  Draw (Drawing)
  Impress (Presentation)
  Math (Equation)
  Writer (Text Document)

where the first is the equivalent of just opening the bare soffice.exe