Matching Names and Ids to a 3rd party DB

[LuckyTri]

I'm using a web-based application that tracks items (parts) in different locations that are assembled in different ways. The app exports user data to users in XML format using Ids exclusively. The app also exports an sqlite DB that maps Ids to Names. I need to make us of this exported DB.

I've created my own Base DB for tracking parts and assemblies that I use and their locations. The ideal design would be to link the Ids in my tables to the ids in the exported DB tables. Base doesn't suport this, so I tried importing the tables form the sqlite DB into my Base DB. This worked (I only need and handful of tables from the exported DB, and they aren't too large). I can now link to these tables to ensure my data uses the right exported Ids and Names, and I can create forms where I enter the names (easy to remember) and get my tables populated with the associated Ids (very long and hard to remember).

My problem is that the exported DB is redistributed in whole from time to time with major patches and upgrades. So I need to be able to refresh the data in my DB. The "copy table" interface in the Base GUI will create a table and copy the data, or append data to an existing table. It doesn't appear to have a way to replace the existing data. (I doubt any Ids would be removed, but if an item was made obsolete its name could change and a new Id added for a replacement part.) So I suspect no deletions would occur, but additions and changes to existing records would.

How should I handle this situation? Is there a way to updated my local copy of the exported table from the new version? Or should I not import the tables into my DB, but use Calc/Writer forms to do my data entry and linking between the tables in the two DBs (mine and the exported one)? Or is there an better way?

Any suggestions are appreciated.

OOo 3.2
Ubuntu 8.10 64-bit / Vista Home Premium SP2 32-bit