Apache OpenOffice Community Forum

Hello,

I am fairly new to the database word. At work I have been using Microsoft Access, but since they updated the computers without notice, I am no longer able to Access our old databases. I was able to successfully install OpenOffice and able to open the old Access file. However, I am unable to add new data to the databases.

The <AutoField> will not automatically create a new line number. I can input the data into the other columns, but the first column is labeled as Auto#. It will not auto number, and after I get to the end of a row, I can not tab down or enter down to the next row. I get an error message saying "Error inserting the new record / Field must contain two (four) digits".

I did not build the original database in Access. This is my only experience with database entry. Any help would be greatly appreciated. A bit of a warning, I will need to be spoken to like a complete newbie. I do not have much experience in the computer word outside of basic word documents, emails, and similar things.



Repectfully,

Dan

Insert data into a table with Base requires that the table has a primary key (PK) defined. MS Access tables do not have always a PK defined. You might validate PK existence first.

With Tables selected in the left column of the main Base window, right click on the table you are trying to add data, then select Edit from the list of options.
Look on the left column of the Table Design dialog, is there a Field with a small yellow key?
The field named "INVOICE/SOnumber" has such a key in the following screen shot. That small yellow key indicates that field is the Primary Key for that table. If none of the fields in your table has such a key, then your Access table is read only and to enter new data will likely require copying your table(s) to a new database.
To accomplish that, from your Access connection press <Ctrl>N to open a dialog where you can Create a new database.
Use all the defaults and select Finish. Navigate to where you want to put the new file and type a name for the database.
With the new database saved and opened, use cut and paste to copy the Access table to the new database.
For a first attempt, just use the defaults in the Copy Table dialog and select Finish. It will ask if you want to create a Primary Key, answer Yes,
With a little luck it should copy the data without errors.
Right click on the newly created table and select Edit to open the Table Design dialog. Select the field with the name ID (it should have the yellow key in the left column) and look toward the bottom of the window and change AutoValue to Yes.
Save the changes and Exit the dialog.
You should now be able to add new data to this database.
It is best to create a Form and use that for data entry, rather than the Table Data View.
This will be an Embedded HSQL database. Be diligent with backups, Embedded databases are susceptible to corruption and without a backup often all is lost!

An introduction of Base can be found at
https://wiki.openoffice.org/w/images/3/ ... thBase.pdf

For a more complete Base Guide see
https://documentation.libreoffice.org/e ... mentation/