Scribd
Upload
0 views

Installing Ubuntu as Primary Operating System

This document serves as a handbook for understanding the LibreOffice Base environment, highlighting the differences between spreadsheets and databases. It introduces two database examples, Media_without_macros.odb and Media_with_macros.odb, and explains the functionalities of Base, including data input through forms, queries, and reports. The document details how to manage a simple library system using these features, emphasizing the ease of data manipulation and reporting.

Uploaded by

kanchanarx
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
0 views

Installing Ubuntu as Primary Operating System

This document serves as a handbook for understanding the LibreOffice Base environment, highlighting the differences between spreadsheets and databases. It introduces two database examples, Media_without_macros.odb and Media_with_macros.odb, and explains the functionalities of Base, including data input through forms, queries, and reports. The document details how to manage a simple library system using these features, emphasizing the ease of data manipulation and reporting.

Uploaded by

kanchanarx
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 8

Base

Get Familiarize
with the Working
Environment

Get Familiarize with the Working Environment


Introduction
In everyday office operation, spreadsheets are regularly used to aggregate sets of data and to
perform some kind of analyses on them. As the data in a spreadsheet is laid out in a table view,
plainly visible and able to be edited or added to, many users ask why they should use a database
instead of a spreadsheet. This handbook explains the differences between the two, beginning
with a short section on what can be done with a database.
This chapter introduces two database examples and the entire Handbook is built around
these. One database is named Media_without_macros.odb and the other, extended with
the inclusion of macros, is named Media_with_macros.odb.

Base – a container for database content


A Base file is a compressed folder that contains information for the different work areas of Base.
In daily use, Base initially opens with the following view.

The Base environment contains four work areas: Tables, Queries, Forms, and Reports. Depending
on the work area selected, various tasks—creating new content or calling up existing elements—
may be carried out.
Base starts with the Form view, because forms are the elements most commonly used
when working with databases.

14 Base Handbook

Get Familiarize with the Working Environment


Data input using forms
Simple forms show just one table as in the upper part of the Loan form.

The Loan form has been extended to show additional information:


• The range of persons shown can be filtered on last name to limit the detail shown. If a user
inputs the letter “G” in the Filter (Last Name) field at the right of the Loan table, only
persons whose last name begins with “G” will be shown.
• New borrower information can be input directly into the table fields of the form.
• Details of items to be borrowed are input and shown in the area in the middle of the form.
If a previously borrowed item is overdue and must be returned this area is blocked (no
input possible) and the title will indicate “Loan temporary locked!”.
• Items on loan are shown in the lower area of the form. The date for returning each borrowed
item is compared with the current date and the remaining loan duration shown.

Chapter 1 Introduction to Base 15

Get Familiarize with the Working Environment


• The borrowing date is set as the current date. In the pull-down field at the right of the
Loan Date are the media items which can be borrowed. Items which are already on loan
to the selected borrower are not available for selection.
• Media items selected for loan are added to the current loan details by clicking the
Refresh button.
• In the lower section of the form (Return) it is not possible to delete a data row. Only the
fields Return Date and Extension can be edited. If a borrower was previously locked
and has subsequently returned the overdue item(s), the lending area can be unlocked
by clicking the Refresh button.
All these functions can be carried out without using macros, when the form is set up and filled
in the manner described.

Data input directly into a table

The table structure for such a form is relatively basic and easy to set up. In the table shown above,
the same data can be directly input in the rows and columns of the table as when using the form.
• The first field shows a primary key (“ID”) which is automatically generated. More on
this topic can be found in the chapter on Tables.
• The second field, Media_ID, stores the primary key of the Media table, a number which
refers to the Media. In the form the media id, title and author are shown in the drop-
down menu.

16 Base Handbook

Get Familiarize with the Working Environment


• The third field, Reader_ID, stores the primary key of the Reader table. This key is a
number which refers to the reader. In the form the Last name and First name of the reader
are shown.
• The fourth field stores the loan date. If this date is present and is later than the current
date, the corresponding data set for the reader is shown in the bottom table of the form
under Return.
• The field marked Extension contains information about extensions of the loan for an
item. The meaning of the values 1, 2 and so on is explained later. The database contains
a special table called Settings for this type of information.
The input of this data permits the management of a simple library.

Queries – getting information on data in tables

The query shown above lists all media which are currently out on loan. It calculates for each
item how long it has been on loan and the balance of the loan period.
• All media for which the Return_Date field is empty is listed. As an additional overview,
the medium name is included in the query together with the Media_ID.
• The reference to the Reader is established with the primary key of the Reader table.
• The value of the LoanDays field is calculated as the difference between the Loan_Date
and the current date.
• The number of LoanDays is subtracted from the Loan Time to give the remaining
number of days in the loan period. The Loan Time can vary with different media types.
• In the Settings table a value of '1' for Extension corresponds to an extension of the loan
period of 7 days. In the data set above, the line with Media_ID '2' shows an extension of 7
days.

Reports – presentation of data


Before an actual report in the form of a recall notice can be printed, the recall information must
be entered into the Recall form. The table in the form shows all persons who have borrowed
items with a negative remaining loan time.
For each media item to be recalled, the recall date and recall notice number is entered. The
recall date defaults to the current date. The recall number is an integer incremented by 1 with
each successive recall notice for a particular lender/media.

Chapter 1 Introduction to Base 17

Get Familiarize with the Working Environment


This form, in the current database example without macros, requires user input to create recall
notices. In the macro version, the date is automatically entered and the recall notice printed.

The recall notice is generated by means of a query from the previously input data. The user of the
database needs only to choose the Recall report and a recall letter can be printed out and sent to
all persons who have a recall entry made in the form on the previous page.
In such a report there may be multiple entries (overdue items) for a particular person. If the table
containing the items for this person exceeds the space on a page, it is extended to cover a
succeeding page.
Such a report is more encompassing than a mail merge letter produced with Writer. It
automatically gathers together the data sets for printing and arranges the necessary
accompanying text accordingly.

18 Base Handbook

Get Familiarize with the Working Environment


Chapter 1 Introduction to Base 19

Get Familiarize with the Working Environment


Source: - Libre Office Base Handbook Version 4.0
https://documentation.libreoffice.org/assets/Uploads/Documentation/en/BH4.0/PDF/BH40BaseHandbook.pdf

Get Familiarize with the Working Environment

You might also like