Apache OpenOffice Community Forum

These are my new tests with 4.1.2 version (restarting OO every time enabling / disabling java):
1)

Villeroy wrote:1) Open any Writer or Calc document.
2) Hit F4 or menu:View>Data Sources
3) Right-click the "Bibliography" and choose "Edit Database" from the context menu.

Java disabled: edit does not work
Java enabled: edit does not work
in both cases the error message appears by closing OO: "Open office ended unexpectedly".

2)

Villeroy wrote:You could also create a new dBase database with Java enabled or not:
menu:File>New>Database...
[X] Connect to existing db
Type: dBase and point to some directory which may be blank or having some *.dbf files already.

Java disabled: new table does not work
Java enabled: new table does not work

I think I understand that java has nothing to do with the issue.

Got no option to choose document (have never done this before, so don't know exactly what is supposed to happen.

Sorry, my bad. Screen shot from another topic:

The upper part lets you sort, select or filter the records you want to print.
The lower part lets you choose the output, if you want to send it to some printer, one file or multiple files.
After choosing the "Printer" option and confirmation of the dialog you will see the normal print dialog.
After choosing the "File" option and confirmation of the dialog you will be prompted for a file path.

Output: File instead of Printer to save some paper.
Single document prints all letters into one document.
Save individual documents prints each letter into one file. The file names can either be numbered (doc01.odt, doc02.odt) or derived from some unique field content Miller.odt, Smith.odt, Richard.odt etc.

Serial letters (aka mail merge) are the most frequent use case where "ordinary users" are confronted to some kind of database.

Villeroy wrote:

Got no option to choose document (have never done this before, so don't know exactly what is supposed to happen.

Sorry, my bad. Screen shot from another topic:

The upper part lets you sort, select or filter the records you want to print.
The lower part lets you choose the output, if you want to send it to some printer, one file or multiple files.
After choosing the "Printer" option and confirmation of the dialog you will see the normal print dialog.
After choosing the "File" option and confirmation of the dialog you will be prompted for a file path.

I don't get to that stage.
"Then print, confirm that you are going to print a serial letter"
After clicking on print I get the question "Do you want to print a form letter?"

I click Yes. Nothing happens. No printer dialoque.

lgusaas wrote:I don't get to that stage.
"Then print, confirm that you are going to print a serial letter"
After clicking on print I get the question "Do you want to print a form letter?"

I click Yes. Nothing happens. No printer dialoque.

Then this issue is more serious than just not being able to use Base (who can anyway?) because it affects an important part of Writer. We could test this with spreadsheets, csv files and all kinds of 3rd party databases instead of dBase but I think it won't work with any type of data source.
AOO 4.1.2 for the Mac can not merge mail and it is not a Java issue.

I have the same challenge but note that there seem to have been very few posts about this. So would there be an earlier version of OO available (how?) that would serve as a workaround?

You can find 4.1.1 version here: http://www.openoffice.org/download/

Thanks @charlie.it that did the trick. Just a glitch with v4.1.2 then
You have saved me a lot of angst and time
Happy holidays

You should change your Forum signature back to 4.1.1. Use "User Control Panel" link at top of Forum window, Profile tab.

Good point - now done

Is there any update on this?

Is Issue 126622 the right one to watch for details on any resolution?

Yes. In my opinion https://bz.apache.org/ooo/show_bug.cgi?id=126622 is number one issue of all issues.

I tried the Base version 4.1.2 with new macOS 10.12 Sierra. It does not work as with the previous ones.

If is definitively the a regression between OpenOffice 4.1.1 and 4.1.2. Has nothing to do with your machine, Java or the operating system.

A few hours ago, I got a notification about the issue: https://bz.apache.org/ooo/show_bug.cgi?id=126622#c16
Please test the offered package on your Mac!

Villeroy wrote:If is definitively the a regression between OpenOffice 4.1.1 and 4.1.2. Has nothing to do with your machine, Java or the operating system.

A few hours ago, I got a notification about the issue: https://bz.apache.org/ooo/show_bug.cgi?id=126622#c16
Please test the offered package on your Mac!

I tested this package. Base works.

Can you access the pre-installed dBase Bibliography?
Could you please connect a new database to some spreadsheet and another one to some text directory? I think spreadsheet is the most important type because a big group of users does mail merge based on spreadsheets.
Some text files with ready made database: viewtopic.php?f=100&t=23727

Villeroy wrote:Can you access the pre-installed dBase Bibliography?
Could you please connect a new database to some spreadsheet and another one to some text directory? I think spreadsheet is the most important type because a big group of users does mail merge based on spreadsheets.
Some text files with ready made database: viewtopic.php?f=100&t=23727

Sorry, I don't use spreadsheets or mail merge. My one existing database works and I can create a new one. I don't have time to learn new operations.

Villeroy wrote:Please test the offered package on your Mac!

Villeroy wrote:Can you access the pre-installed dBase Bibliography?

Villeroy wrote:Could you please connect a new database to some spreadsheet and another one to some text directory?

The tests are all positive.
Edit: I could also install the package for the Italian language

But now I'm curious. Why this version works? Where is he from? Why it is not officially available?

Edit: Report Builder 1.2.1 doesn't work, it crashed OO.
Edit: Report Builder 1.2.1 works now after user reset.