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Quick Guide to Creating and Editing OpenOffice.org 3 Base Databases

Section One: Overview of Base

Starting Base

To launch the Base application within the Microsoft Windows operating system, follow these steps:

Beginning at the desktop, click on the Start button located in the lower-left corner of the screen, and select Programs or All Program from the menu list that appears.
Select the OpenOffice.org 3.0 application folder that appears, and select Base from the applications options that appear.
Each time Base is launched either from the Start Menu or from the New menu within OpenOffice.org, a Database Wizard will appear. Select the appropriate Database Type by clicking on the radio buttons provided. Follow the on-screen instruction that the wizard provides in creating a new database or connecting to an existing network database.

To launch the Base application within a Linux-based operating system, follow these steps:

Beginning at the desktop, click on the Start button located in the lower-left corner of the screen, and select Office Productivity from the menu list that appears.
Select the OpenOffice.org 3.0 Base application icon from the list that appears, and the application will launch.
Each time Base is launched either from the Start Menu or from the File menu within OpenOffice.org, a Database Wizard will appear. Select the appropriate Database Type by clicking on the radio buttons provided. Follow the on-screen instruction that the wizard provides in creating a new database or connecting to an existing network database.

Displaying Toolbars

Base contains many toolbars to assist in formatting and editing your database. Sometimes you may need to view certain toolbars to assist you with creating your database, while other toolbars may need to hidden from view to prevent from getting in your way and free up screen space for other tools. To view or hide a toolbar within Base, follow these steps:

Click the View menu and select Toolbars from the menu list. A list of available toolbars will appear.
Select a toolbar to appear within Base by simply clicking on the appropriate toolbar within the list. If a toolbar within the list has a checkmark beside it, this means that the toolbar is already visible within the Impress application.
If you wish to hide a toolbar from view within Base, simply click on it from the list. Toolbars listed that do not have a checkmark beside them indicates that the toolbar is hidden from view within Base.

Status Bar

If the Impress status bar, located at the bottom of the Impress application window, is not visible when you open an Impress document, you may make it so by going to the View menu and select Status Bar from the menu that appears. A checkmark should appear next to the menu option when the status bar is visible. If you wish to hide the status bar from view within Impress, simply click on it from the list. When the menu option does not have a checkmark beside it, this indicates that the status bar is hidden from view within Impress.

Adjusting Page View

To adjust the view of the document you are working in, click on the View menu and select Zoom from the menu list. You may also select to Zoom by clicking on the magnifying glass icon within the Standard toolbar located just beneath the main application menu.

Using the Navigator

The Navigator allows a user to quickly view objects that are within a document. The Navigator displays “categories”, or the various contents within the Navigator window. Within each category contains the objects that are present in the document.

To view and utilize the Navigator while creating and editing Impress documents, follow these steps:

To open the Navigator window, click on the Edit menu and select Navigator from the menu list. You may also view the Navigator window by pressing the F5 key at the top of your keyboard.
If you see a “+” icon located next to a category within the Navigator, that indicates that there is at least one object within the document related to that particular category. Click the “+” sign to expand the list to view the objects related to the category. To quickly jump to the location in your document where the object is placed, double-click on the object listed in the Navigator window.

Viewing and Editing the Styles and Formatting Organizer

The Styles and Formatting Organizer allows you to quickly select pre-defined formatting options to include in your documents simply by double-clicking on a style option listed within the Organizer. To view and edit the Openoffice.org Formatting Styles Organizer, follow these steps:

To view the organizer, click the Format menu and select Styles and Formatting or simply press the F11 key at the top of your keyboard. A palette will appear displaying by default the various paragraph styles available.
When the Organizer palette is open, you will notice a small toolbar within the window. You can view other formatting styles as well by clicking on the appropriate button. From left-to-right, the style options you may view include Graphics and Presentation styles. In the popup menu located at the bottom of the Styles Organizer window, be sure the menu has the option All Styles selected to view all of your available options for each style.
You can also create or modify formatting styles based upon existing styles by right-clicking on a style listed within the Organizer and select the appropriate command from the contextual menu that appears. You may also delete custom styles you created from the Organizer by right-clicking on it within the list.

Registering a Database File

Before database records can be utilized with other applications within the OpenOffice.org office suite, the database document must be registered. If a database file is not registered within OpenOffice.org, then other applications within the suite will not be able to identify the correct database to extract the records from.

If a database is created using the Database Wizard, then the wizard can automatically register the database upon request during the creation process. However, Base databases can also be registered manually quickly and easily. To manually register a Base database file within OpenOffice.org, follow these steps:

With the database file already open, click on the Tools menu and select Options from the menu options that appear.
When the OpenOffice.org User Data window appears, click on the plus “+” icon located next to the OpenOffice.org Base option located on the left side. When doing so, a list of options will appear related to the Base application.
Select Databases from the OpenOffice.org Base options that appear by clicking on the label. When doing so, the list of databases that are already registered within OpenOffice.org will appear in the Registered Databases selection area on the right side of the window. To register the database document, click the NEW button, then click the BROWSE button in the Create Database Link dialogue window and locate the database file. After locating the file, select it and press the OPEN button. The Create Database Link dialogue window will reappear, where the OK button can be pressed to register the database.
To complete the registration, click the OK button within the OpenOffice.org User Data window.

Section Two: Working With Tables

Creating a New Database

To create a new Base database, follow these steps:

Start the Base application from the Start Menu. Or within OpenOffice.org, go to the File menu, select New from the menu options that appear and select Database from the submenu that appears.
When the Database Wizard window appears, select the Create A New Database radio button and click the NEXT button located at the bottom of the window.
In the next window, select to have the database registered by clicking on the Yes radio button. Within the same window, click both checkboxes available to have the software open the database for editing and have the table wizard assist with creating the necessary tables for the new database. Then click the FINISH button located at the bottom of the window.
When the Save As window appears, select the location where the database should be saved. Moreover, select the file type and file name for the database. Then click the SAVE button.
After the application has saved the database, the Table Wizard window will appear. In the Category selection area, select whether the database will be used for business or personal purposes by clicking on one of the radio buttons provided. Depending on the category selected, the Sample Table popup menu will provide a list of possible databases to create. Select the type of database to be created from the Sample Table popup menu.
When a sample table has been selected, a list of available fields associated with the type of table will appear in lower half of the window. In the Available Fields selection area, click on a field to add to the table and click the RIGHT ARROW button. The field will then appear in the Selected Fields selection area. Repeat the process for each field to be added to the table. When all appropriate fields have been selected to appear in the table, use the UP and DOWN arrow buttons to change the order in which the fields will appear within the table. Then click the NEXT button located at the bottom of the window.
In the next window to appear in the Table Wizard, click on a field within the Selected Fields selection area. In the Field Information selection area, various formatting selections can be assigned to each field. Make the appropriate format options for the selected field. The repeat the process for each field available in the Selected Fields selection area. Then click the NEXT button.
In the next window to appear, select the checkbox available to have Base create a primary key for the table and select the Automatically Add A Primary Key radio button. Then click the NEXT button.
In the next window, type a name to identify the table being created using the text field provided. Moreover, select the Insert Data Immediately radio button. Then click the FINISH button to create the table for the database.

Creating a Table Using the Table Wizard

To create a new table within a database file, follow these steps:

In the Database pane located on the left side of the window, click on the Tables icon.
In the Tasks pane located at the top of the window, double-click Use Wizard To Create Table to launch the Table Wizard.
In the Category selection area, select whether the database will be used for business or personal purposes by clicking on one of the radio buttons provided. Depending on the category selected, the Sample Table popup menu will provide a list of possible databases to create. Select the type of database to be created from the Sample Table popup menu.
When a sample table has been selected, a list of available fields associated with the type of table will appear in lower half of the window. In the Available Fields selection area, click on a field to add to the table and click the RIGHT ARROW button. The field will then appear in the Selected Fields selection area. Repeat the process for each field to be added to the table. When all appropriate fields have been selected to appear in the table, use the UP and DOWN arrow buttons to change the order in which the fields will appear within the table. Then click the NEXT button located at the bottom of the window.
In the next window to appear in the Table Wizard, click on a field within the Selected Fields selection area. In the Field Information selection area, various formatting selections can be assigned to each field. Make the appropriate format options for the selected field. The repeat the process for each field available in the Selected Fields selection area. Then click the NEXT button.
In the next window to appear, select the checkbox available to have Base create a primary key for the table and select the Automatically Add A Primary Key radio button. Then click the NEXT button.
In the next window, type a name to identify the table being created using the text field provided. Moreover, select the Insert Data Immediately radio button. Then click the FINISH button to create the table for the database.

Creating a Table Using the Table Design View

To create a new table within a database file using the Design View, follow these steps:

In the Database pane located on the left side of the window, click on the Tables icon.
In the Tasks pane located at the top of the window, single-click Create Table in Design View to launch the Design View window.
When the Table Design View window appears, click within the first available field underneath the Field Name column. Type a field name that best describes the information that will be entered into the field. When creating field names, be sure they do not contain any spaces. For example, a field name labeled Date Acquired should be typed as DateAquired. When completing the Field Name, press the Tab key on the keyboard to proceed to format the Field Type.
When tabbing to the Field Type column, a popup menu will appear to enable selection of the type of data the new field will contain. Select the appropriate field type, and make any additional configurations needed associated with the field within the Field Properties selection area located at the bottom of the Table Design window. Then press the Tab key on the keyboard to proceed to the Description column.
In the Description column, type a description for the new field being created (optional).
Repeat steps 3 through 5 for each new field to be created. When completing the new field entries, click on the Window menu at the top of the Table Design window and select Close Window from the menu options that appear or simply press CTRL+W on the keyboard to return to the main Base application window. When closing the window, a prompt window may appear asking whether to save the changes being made to the table. Click the YES button to do so and the window will close.

Adding a New Field to a Table

To add a new field to an existing table, follow these steps:

In the Database pane located on the left side of the window, click on the Tables icon.
In the Tables pane located at the bottom-right of the window, select the Table to be edited by single-clicking on the icon.
Click on the Edit menu at the top of the application window and select Edit from the menu options that appear.
When the Table Design window appears, click within the first available field underneath the Field Name column. Type a field name that best describes the information that will be entered into the field. When creating field names, be sure they do not contain any spaces. For example, a field name labeled Date Acquired should be typed as DateAquired. When completing the Field Name, press the Tab key on the keyboard to proceed to format the Field Type.
When tabbing to the Field Type column, a popup menu will appear to enable selection of the type of data the new field will contain. Select the appropriate field type, and make any additional configurations needed associated with the field within the Field Properties selection area located at the bottom of the Table Design window. Then press the Tab key on the keyboard to proceed to the Description column.
In the Description column, type a description for the new field being created (optional).
Repeat steps 4 through 6 for each new field to be created. When completing the new field entries, click on the Window menu at the top of the Table Design window and select Close Window from the menu options that appear or simply press CTRL+W on the keyboard to return to the main Base application window.

Changing the Length of a Field

To change the length of a field to add or reduce the number of characters that can be entered, follow these steps:

In the Database pane located on the left side of the window, click on the Tables icon.
In the Tables pane located at the bottom-right of the window, select the Table to be edited by single-clicking on the icon.
Click on the Edit menu at the top of the application window and select Edit from the menu options that appear.
When the Table Design window appears, click within the gray area to the left of the Field Name that is to be formatted to select the entire row.
In the Field Properties selection area located at the bottom of the Table Design window, select the data currently in the Length text field and enter the value for the new field length. If the data within the Length text field is grey, this symbolizes that the data length is pre-defined by the Field Type selected and cannot be changed without selecting another Field Type.
To exit the Table Design window, click on the Window menu at the top of the window and select Close Window from the menu options that appear or simply press CTRL+W on the keyboard to return to the main Base application window.

Saving a Table

To save additional changes made to a table within the Table Design window, click on the File menu and select Save from the menu options that appear. A table can also be saved by pressing CTRL+S on the keyboard or by clicking on the Save button located within the Table Design toolbar.

Adding Records to a Table

To add records to an existing table, follow these steps:

In the Database pane located on the left side of the window, click on the Tables icon.
In the Tables pane located at the bottom-right of the window, open the Table that records will be added to by double-clicking on the icon.
When the Table window appears, press the Tab key to automatically create a Record ID and begin entering a new record. Each time a new record is created, another record line is created to allow another record to be entered following the current one.
To exit the Table window, click on the Window menu at the top of the window and select Close Window from the menu options that appear or simply press CTRL+W on the keyboard to return to the main Base application window.

Editing Records Within a Table

To edit records within an existing table, follow these steps:

In the Database pane located on the left side of the window, click on the Tables icon.
In the Tables pane located at the bottom-right of the window, open the Table that records will be added to by double-clicking on the icon.
When the Table window appears, select the record field that is to be edited. Once the record field has been selected, editing can be performed.
To exit the Table window, click on the Window menu at the top of the window and select Close Window from the menu options that appear or simply press CTRL+W on the keyboard to return to the main Base application window.

Sorting Records

To sort records within a table, follow these steps:

Within an open database file, click on the Tables icon located on the left side of the document window within the Database pane.
In the Tables pane located on the bottom-right of the window, open the desired table for record sorting by double-clicking on its icon.
Using the left mouse button, click on the appropriate field label for the records to be sorted. When doing so, the entire column for the field will be selected.
To sort the records for the selected field, click either the SORT ASCENDING or SORT DESCENDING buttons located within the Table Data View toolbar at the top of the window. For example, if a user wishes to sort the records within the field labeled “LastName” in alphabetical order from A to Z, they would choose to sort in ascending order. If a user wishes to sort from Z to A, they would choose to sort in descending order. When doing so, the records are sorted accordingly.

Specifying Field Properties

After a table has been created, a user can specify that certain fields containing data have specific properties attributed to them. Examples include a specific field must contain an entry (the field cannot be left blank), that a field contain a default value in the event of many entries containing the same value, that a field should contain no more than a certain number of characters, that the data appearing within the field possess a specific format and more.

To specify field properties within a Base table, follow these steps:

In the Database pane located on the left side of the window, click on the Tables icon.
In the Tables pane located at the bottom-right of the window, select the Table to be edited by single-clicking on the icon.
Click on the Edit menu at the top of the application window and select Edit from the menu options that appear. A user can also select the edit command by right-clicking on the table icon and select Edit from the contextual menu that appears.
When the Table Design window appears, click within the gray area to the left of the Field Name that is to be formatted to select the entire row.
In the Field Properties selection area located at the bottom of the Table Design window, specify the appropriate field properties utilizing the options provided.
To exit the Table Design window, click on the Window menu at the top of the window and select Close Window from the menu options that appear or simply press CTRL+W on the keyboard to return to the main Base application window. When closing the window, a prompt window may appear asking whether to save the changes being made to the table. Click the YES button to do so and the window will close.

Deleting Records

To delete a record within a table, follow these steps:

In the Database pane located on the left side of the window, click on the Tables icon.
In the Tables pane located at the bottom-right of the window, open the Table that records will be added to by double-clicking on the icon.
When the Table window appears, right-click within the gray area to the left of the record and select Delete Rows from the contextual menu that appears. The record will then be deleted from the table.
To exit the Table window, click on the Window menu at the top of the window and select Close Window from the menu options that appear or simply press CTRL+W on the keyboard to return to the main Base application window.

Section Three: Working With Queries

Creating a Query Using The Query Wizard

To create a new query within a database file, follow these steps:

In the Database pane located on the left side of the window, click on the Queries icon.
In the Tasks pane located at the top of the window, double-click Use Wizard To Create Query to launch the Query Wizard.
When the Query Wizard window appears, the first step will be to select the fields from an existing table to include in the query. In the Tables popup menu, select a table and then select the appropriate fields. Then click the NEXT button.
In the second step of the Query Wizard, select which fields the query is to sort using the Sorting Order selection areas provided. Then click the NEXT button.
In the third step of the Query Wizard, select the search conditions for the query using the Search Conditions selection area provided. Then click the NEXT button.
In the fourth step of the Query Wizard, a summary will be presented based upon the search conditions selected in the previous step (optional). If the summary does not reflect the search conditions that are desired, click the BACK button to return to the Search Conditions selection screen. Otherwise, click the NEXT button to proceed to Step #5 of the Query Wizard.
In the fifth step of the Query Wizard, specify the groupings for the query using the Grouping selection area provided (optional). Then click the NEXT button.
In the sixth step of the Query Wizard, select the grouping conditions for the query using the Grouping Conditions selection area provided (optional). Then click the NEXT button.
In the seventh step of the Query Wizard, assign an alias to the fields selected for the query using the alias textbox provided (optional). Then click the NEXT button.
In the eighth and final step of the Query Wizard, an overview of the query specifications is given. A name can be given for the query by utilizing the Query Name textbox provided. Moreover, select how to proceed with the creation of the query by selecting the radio buttons provided. To complete the creation of the query, click the FINISH button.

Creating a Query Using the Query Design View

To create a new query within a database file using the Design View, follow these steps:

In the Database pane located on the left side of the window, click on the Queries icon.
In the Tasks pane located at the top of the window, single-click Create Query in Design View to launch the Design View window.
When the Query Design View window appears, the Add Table or Query window will also appear. Using the radio buttons available within the window, tables or queries that have been created within the database file are listed for availability to perform a query. To select a table or query, single-click among those listed and click the ADD button. If a query may be performed among multiple tables or queries, repeat the selection procedure. Once all desired tables or queries have been selected, click the CLOSE button within the Add Table or Query window. The Query Design View window will be available, and the tables or queries previously selected will be available within the upper pane.
In the fourth step of the creating a query, select which fields to utilize to run the query by using the first Field popup menu provided within the lower pane of the window. A popup menu can be made available within any field in the lower pane by simply by using the mouse pointer to click within the desired field.
In the fifth step of creating a query, select the table that is associated with the field from Step #4 by using the Table popup menu provided within the same column.
In the sixth step, select the sort criteria for the query using the Sort popup menu provided within the same column (optional).
If statistical calculations are desired for the query, the seventh step of creating a query is to select the function for the calculation desired by using the Function popup menu provided within the same column (optional). Functions supported within Base include Average, Count, Maximum, Minimum, Sum and Group. Depending upon the function selected, criterion may also need to be selected by entering the appropriate values within the Criterion field provided within the same column. For example, if the desired value to query from the records are all of those within the table fields selected with a value of 5 or greater, then select Minimum from the Function popup menu and enter 5 within the Criterion filed provided.
If multiple fields are desired for selection to perform a query, repeat steps #4 through #7 above using the additional columns provided within the lower pane of the Design View window. If the additional fields should appear when the query is created, select the appropriate fields by using the computer’s mouse and clicking within the appropriate Visible checkboxes.
To complete the creation of the query, run the query by clicking on the Edit menu and selecting Run Query from the menu options that appear. Queries can also be ran by clicking on the Run Query button located within the Query Design toolbar at the top of the application window. If the toolbar is not visible, it can be made to appear by clicking on the View menu, select Toolbars from the menu options and selecting Query Design from the submenu options that appear.
To save the query performed, click the File menu and select Save As from the menu options that appear. When doing so, a window will appear prompting a Query Name to be entered. Enter an appropriate query name and click the OK button. When returning to the main database file window, click on the Queries icon located on the left side of the window within the Database pane. When doing so, the query that was saved should appear within the Queries pane in the lower portion of the window.

Using the Query Design View Window

An alternative to using the Query Wizard to create a query is to utilize the Query Design View window. While both methods of creating a query can provide the same results, the use of the Query design view can provide more flexibility during the query creation process. To use the Query Design View window to create a query, see the instructions for “Creating a Query Using the Query Design View” available in this appendix.

Selecting Fields for a Query

In order to create a query using the Query Design View, one must first select one or more tables so that fields are available for querying. When creating a new query using the Query Design View, the application will automatically ask for tables or queries to be selected for use in creating a new query. However, before a query has been saved or cleared, fields within other tables can be selected to perform a new query.

To select fields for creating a query using the query design view, follow these steps:

Within the Query Design View window, click the Insert menu and select Add Table or Query from the menu options that appear.
When the Add Table or Query window appears, click the radio buttons available within the window to view a list of tables or queries that have been created within the database file that are available for performing a query.
To select a table or query, single-click among those listed and click the ADD button. If a query may be performed among multiple tables or queries, repeat the selection procedure.
Once all desired tables or queries have been selected, click the CLOSE button within the Add Table or Query window. The Query Design View window will be available, and the tables or queries previously selected will be available within the upper pane.

Running a Query

Once criteria have been selected to perform a query, the RUN command must be executed to produce its results. To run a new query within a database file, follow these steps:

Using the Query Design View, enter the desired criteria for the query. This includes selecting desired fields, sort criteria, functions and more.
Once the desired criteria for a query has been selected, run the query by clicking on the Edit menu and selecting Run Query from the menu options that appear. Queries can also be ran by clicking on the Run Query button located within the Query Design toolbar at the top of the application window. If the toolbar is not visible, it can be made to appear by clicking on the View menu, select Toolbars from the menu options and selecting Query Design from the submenu options that appear.

Saving a Query

Once a query has been ran, a query can be saved so that the results can be accessed later. To save a new query within a database file, follow these steps:

To save the query performed, click the File menu and select Save As from the menu options that appear.
When selecting the Save As menu option, a window will appear prompting a Query Name to be entered. Enter an appropriate query name and click the OK button. The query has now been saved.
When returning to the main database file window, click on the Queries icon located on the left side of the window within the Database pane. When doing so, the query that was saved should appear within the Queries pane in the lower portion of the window. The query can be viewed by double-clicking its icon within the window.

Printing the Results of a Query

At the time of the printing of this book, queries cannot be printed using Base. If a situation arises where records from a database needs to be available in print form, consider creating a report. While reports cannot perform statistical calculations or detailed criteria selected for querying, data selected for the creation of a report can be sorted and grouped. For more information regarding the creation of a report within Base, see the instructions for “Creating a Report Using the Report Wizard” available in this appendix.

Closing a Query

To close a query that has been created, follow these steps:

Within the query window, click the File menu and select Close from the menu options that appear.
If the query has not been saved, the Base application may display a prompt window asking whether to save the changes made to the query. If the query is to be saved so that its results can be viewed later, click the YES button to proceed in naming the query and saving it before it is closed. If the query should not be saved, click the NO button and the query is closed.

Clearing the Query Design

If a user wishes to make corrections or changes to criteria selected prior to or after running a query, they can clear the Query Design View window as opposed to closing it and restarting. To clear the Query Design View window, click the Edit menu and select Clear Query from the menu options that appear. The Query Design View window can also be cleared by clicking on the Clear Query button located within the Query Design toolbar at the top of the application window. If the toolbar is not visible, it can be made to appear by clicking on the View menu, select Toolbars from the menu options and selecting Query Design from the submenu options that appear.

Deleting a Query

Once a query has been created and saved, it can be deleted from the list of queries appearing in the main database file window. To delete a saved query from a database file, follow these steps:

Within the main database file window (the window that appears when first opening the file), click on the Queries icon located on the left side of the window within the Database pane. When doing so, the query that was saved should appear within the Queries pane in the lower portion of the window.
Select the query that is to be deleted by single-clicking it within the Queries pane.
To delete the selected query, click the Edit menu and select Delete from the menu options that appear. Deleting a query can also be accomplished by right-clicking on the query and selecting Delete from the contextual menu that appears.

Including All Fields in a Query

When creating a query where all fields need to be included, a user could individually select each field using the multiple Field popup menus provided within the lower pane of the Query Design View window. However, a user could choose to include all fields within a query by simply selecting the field name containing the asterisk from the first available Field popup menu.

To include all fields in a query, follow these steps:

Begin the process of creating a new query by selecting fields for the query. (See the instructions “Selecting Fields for a Query” within this appendix for details regarding this process, if needed.)
Once a list of fields are available for querying, use the first Field popup menu provided within the lower pane of the window to select the field name that contains an asterisk (*) in its name. This selection is usually the first to appear in within the popup menu. A popup menu can be made available within any field in the lower pane by simply by using the mouse pointer to click within the desired field.
Complete the query by selecting the desired criteria. When completed, run the query. All the fields available for selection should be included in the query results.

Entering Criteria

When a user creates a query, they are usually doing so to view records that fulfill certain criteria. Criteria can be included in a query by entering text or numerical values within the Criterion field located under the field name to which it applies. When entering numerical values, be sure to type the numbers without any additional characters included. For example, if the criterion to query includes $2,000, then the numerical value should be typed as 2000 within the Criterion field.

Using Comparison Operators Within Queries

A number of comparison operators are supported within the Base database application. Supported comparison operators include > (greater than), < (less than), >= (greater than or equal to), <= (less than or equal to) and NOT (not equal to).

To utilize these comparison operators within a query, simply type the appropriate comparison operator within a Criterion field in addition to the desired text or numerical value for the criterion. For example, if the desired criterion for a field is to be all records that is greater than three, type >3 within the appropriate Criterion field.

Using Compound Criteria Within Queries

Base, as with many database applications, support the use of compound criteria within queries. Compound criterion typically involves two types: AND criterion and OR criterion. With AND criterion, each criterion selected for their respected fields must be true for the results to appear within the completed compound criteria query. With OR criterion, any true result for each individual criterion will appear within the completed compound criteria query.

To enter compound criteria within queries using AND criterion, follow these steps:

Begin the process of creating a new query by selecting at least two fields for the query. (See the instructions “Selecting Fields for a Query” within this appendix for details regarding this process, if needed.)
For each field selected for a query, enter the desired criterion within the appropriate Criterion field. Each criterion may include text, numerical values or comparison operators.
When completing the selection of desired criteria, run the query. The query should only include results that are true for each criterion selected.

To enter compound criteria within queries using OR criterion, follow these steps:

Begin the process of creating a new query by selecting at least two fields for the query. (See the instructions “Selecting Fields for a Query” within this appendix for details regarding this process, if needed.)
For the first field selected for a query, enter the desired criterion within the appropriate Criterion field. The criterion may include text, numerical values or comparison operators.
For any of the additional fields selected for a query, enter the desired criterion within the OR field located under the same column as its associated field.
When completing the selection of desired criteria, run the query. The query should include all results that are true for any of the criterion selected.

Using Wildcards for Queries

When entering a criterion for a query, regular expressions can be used. However, Base also supports the use of wildcards when entering criteria as well. Wildcards are characters that are used in substitute of regular characters to either broaden or narrow query results. Two wildcard expressions are supported within Base: “?” and “*”.

The “?” wildcard is used to substitute for exactly one arbitrary character. For example, typing “Ho?se” would return House and Horse. The “*” wildcard is used to substitute zero or more characters. For example, typing “B*t” will return all record entries starting with a “B” and ending in a “t”, such as Bat or Boot.

Selecting Criteria for a Field to Not Appear in the Query Result

Occasionally, a query may need to be created where the criteria selected for a particular field should not appear in the results. If selected criteria should not appear in the results when a query is ran, a user may specify this output by utilizing the Visible checkboxes within the lower pane of the Query Design View window. To make a criterion visible or invisible within the results of a query, use the mouse pointer to click within the appropriate checkbox. If a checkbox is empty, this indicates that the criterion for the selected field will not appear in the results when a query is run.

Sorting Data in a Query

When creating queries, one of the options a user has is to select whether to sort the results of a query in ascending or descending order. For example, if a user wishes to sort the query results of last names in alphabetical order from A to Z, they would choose to sort in ascending order. If a user wishes to sort a query from Z to A, they would choose to sort in descending order.

To select the sort criteria for a query, use the Sort popup menu provided within the lower pane of the Query Design View window. More than one field can be selected for sorting, depending upon the query results the user wishes to create. If multiple fields are selected for sorting, fields located nearest to the left side of the window are sorted first. Therefore, users should select the fields of most importance for querying beginning on the left side of the Query Design View window.

Omitting Duplicates Using the Distinct Values Command

Depending upon the number of fields and the criteria selected when creating a query, duplicate entries may appear within the query results. If duplicate results occur and the user wishes to omit all duplicates from the query results, the user may do so by executing the Distinct Values command.

To execute the Distinct Values command within Base, follow these steps:

Begin the process of creating a new query, if have not already done so. (See the instructions “Selecting Fields for a Query” within this appendix for details regarding this process, if needed.)
Click the Edit menu and select Distinct Values from the menu options that appear. Users can also execute the Distinct Values command by right-clicking within the row label area of the Query Design View window (the gray area on the left side of the lower window pane that contains the name of each query selection option) and select Distinct Values from the contextual menu that appears.
Once the desired criteria for a query has been selected and the Distinct Values command has been executed, run the query by clicking on the Edit menu and selecting Run Query from the menu options that appear. Queries can also be ran by clicking on the Run Query button located within the Query Design toolbar at the top of the application window. If the toolbar is not visible, it can be made to appear by clicking on the View menu, select Toolbars from the menu options and selecting Query Design from the submenu options that appear.

Section Four: Working With Reports and Forms

Creating a Report Using the Report Wizard

To create a new report using the Report Wizard, follow these steps:

In the Database pane located on the left side of the window, click on the Reports icon.
In the Tasks pane located at the top of the window, single-click Use Wizard To Create Report to launch the Report Wizard.
When the Report Wizard window appears, the first step will be to select the fields from an existing table to include in the report. In the Tables or Queries popup menu, select the table or query data will be selected from and then select the appropriate fields. Then click the NEXT button.
In the next step of the Report Wizard, customize the field labels by entering the labels into the text fields provided (optional). Then click the NEXT button.
In the third step of the Report Wizard, customize the group levels using the selection area provided (optional). Records are grouped based upon the values in the selected fields. Up to four fields can be grouped in a report. Once fields have been selected for grouping, click the NEXT button.
In the fourth step of the Report Wizard, customize the sort order of the fields using the selection area provided. Then click the NEXT button.
In the fifth step of the Report Wizard, select the layout in which the report data will be presented (optional). Make sure Default is selected for the header and footer layout, as well as the data layout, if the report should not possess a custom layout. Make the appropriate layout selection and click the NEXT button.
In the final step of the Report Wizard, select a title to save a report as by entering a title into the text field provided. Also, select to create a static report or a dynamic report by clicking the appropriate radio button provided. A static report is where the data in the report will not change, and a dynamic report is where the data in the report may change periodically based upon the data entered into the corresponding table. Then click the FINISH button to complete the process of creating a report.

Printing a Report

To print a report that has already been created, follow these steps:

Within the report window, click on the File menu and select Print from the menu options that appear. Or press CTRL+P on the keyboard to prompt the Print window to appear.
To print one copy of the entire report, simply press the OK button and the report will begin to print. Otherwise, use the Page Range and Copies selection area to customize the print configuration before clicking the OK button.

Creating a Form Using The Form Wizard

To create a form using the Form Wizard, follow these steps:

In the Database pane located on the left side of the window, click on the Forms icon.
In the Tasks pane located at the top of the window, single-click Use Wizard To Create Form to launch the Form Wizard.
When the Form Wizard window appears, the first step will be to select the fields from an existing table to include in the form. In the Tables or Queries popup menu, select the table or query data will be selected from and then select the appropriate fields. Then click the NEXT button.
In the next step of the Form Wizard, select whether to add a subform or to continue with the primary form creation. Then click the NEXT button.
If the creation of a subform was not selected in the step above, skip to Step #7 below. If the creation of a subform was selected in the step above, the third step of the Form Wizard is to select the fields from another existing table to include in the form. In the Tables or Queries popup menu, select the table or query data will be selected from and then select the appropriate fields. Then click the NEXT button.
In the fourth step of the Form Wizard, select the appropriate fields to join between the subform field and the main subform field using the popup menus presented. Then click the NEXT button.
In the fifth step of the Form Wizard, customize the arrangement of the forms using the Label Placement and Arrangement selection areas provided (optional). Then click the NEXT button.
In the sixth step of the Form Wizard, select the data entry mode using the selection area provided. Then click the NEXT button.
In the seventh step of the Form Wizard, select the appropriate styles to be applied to the form utilizing the selection areas provided. Then click the NEXT button.
In the final step of the Form Wizard, select a name to save the form as by entering a form name into the text field provided. Then, using the radio buttons provided, select how to proceed after the form has been created. Click the FINISH button to complete the process of creating a form.

Printing a Form

To print a form that has already been created, follow these steps:

Within the form window, click on the File menu and select Print from the menu options that appear. Or press CTRL+P on the keyboard to prompt the Print window to appear.
To print one copy of the entire form, simply press the OK button and the report will begin to print. Otherwise, use the Page Range and Copies selection area to customize the print configuration before clicking the OK button.

Section Five: Saving a Database File

Saving a File as a Native Base Database Document

Currently, the only file type supported for saving a Base database file is the native OpenDocument format. To save a document in the native Base 3.0 OpenDocument format, follow these steps:

Click on the File menu and choose Save As from the menu list.
A window will appear and prompt you to choose a location to save your document. Choose the location you want to save a document to in the Save In popup field.
In the field File Name, type the name you would like to save the file as.
In the Save As Type popup menu, select the OpenDocument Database (.odb) file format.
Click the button SAVE to complete the operation.

Section Six: Correcting Database Document Errors

Using Cut, Copy and Paste

Using Cut, Copy and Paste is one of the most fundamental operations you will perform to correct document errors. You may also use these commands to transfer text or graphics from one document into another. If you are unfamiliar with using these operations, use these steps to assist in determining which to use when correcting document errors:

Highlight the text you want to cut or copy.
To eliminate text to reinsert in another location in the document, click the Edit menu and choose the Cut menu option.
To duplicate text in another part of the document, click the Edit menu and choose the Copy menu option.
Place the cursor at the location you want the text to appear.
In the Edit menu, choose the Paste menu option.

Deleting Text

To permanently delete text from your presentation, follow these steps:

Highlight the text you want to permanently delete.
Press the Delete key on your keyboard to permanently remove the text from your document.

Using Undo

If you make the mistake of deleting something you didn’t wish to do or make a formatting error, immediately go to the Edit menu and choose Undo from the menu list that appears to go back to the document’s previous state before the error was made. You can continue to select the Undo menu command multiple times to continue to go back to each previous step.

Section Seven: Importing Into and Exporting From Base

Unlike many database applications, Base (as of version 3.0) does not have Import or Export commands that allow you to easily exchange records between other database applications such as Access or FileMaker Pro. However, database records from other applications can be imported into and exported from Base using a workaround technique. In either situation, a spreadsheet file will be utilized to exchange data between Base and another database application.

Importing Records Into Base

To import records from another database application into Base, follow these steps:

Using the database application that currently contains the database tables and records to be imported into Base, use the application’s Export command to export the records into a spreadsheet file. Fore example, if the records to be imported into Base are currently stored in a Microsoft Access file, use Access’ Export command to export the records from a selected table as a Excel spreadsheet file.
Next, a new Base database file needs to be created. Start the Base application from the Start Menu. Or within OpenOffice.org, go to the File menu, select New from the menu options that appear and select Database from the submenu that appears.
When the Database Wizard window appears, select the Create A New Database radio button and click the NEXT button located at the bottom of the window.
In the next window, select to have the database registered by clicking on the Yes radio button. Within the same window, click the checkbox available to have the software open the database for editing. Then click the FINISH button located at the bottom of the window.
When the Save As window appears, select the location where the database should be saved. Moreover, select the file type and file name for the database. Then click the SAVE button.
Next, open the spreadsheet file created in Step #1 that contains the records to be imported into Base. When the spreadsheet file opens, select the cells that contain the data to be imported. The Select All command should not be used when performing this task.
With the spreadsheet cells selected that contain the records to be imported into Base, click the Edit menu and select Copy from the menu options that appear.
Now switch over to the database document created at the end of Step #5. With the database file open, single-click on the Tables icon located on the left side of the window in the Database pane.
Within the Tables pane located in the lower portion of the database window file, click the right mouse button and select Paste from the contextual menu that appears. When doing so, the Copy Table window will appear.
Within the Copy Table window, type a name for the new table using the text field provided. Under the Options area of the window, leave the Definition and Data radio button selected. Also, click the checkbox provided to have Base create a primary key for the field name ID. Then click the CREATE button.
Open the new table created by double-clicking its icon with the left mouse button. When the table opens, the records selected from the spreadsheet file should appear.

Exporting Records From Base

To export records from Base for usage within another database application, follow these steps:

Make sure the database file in which records will be exported from is registered within OpenOffice.org. (See the instructions “Registering a Database File” within this appendix for details regarding this process, if needed.)
Create a new Calc spreadsheet document by clicking the File menu, select New from the menu options that appear and select Spreadsheet from the submenu options that appear.
When the new Calc spreadsheet document appears, click the View menu and select Data Sources from the menu options that appear. Data Sources can also be viewed by pressing the F4 key on the computer keyboard.
Just above the Calc worksheet area on the left is a window that will appear listing all registered databases. Next to the database in which records will be exported from, click the “+” icon next to it. Then click the “+” icon next to the Tables icon to view all tables contained within the database file selected. Select the table in which records will be exported from by single-clicking its icon with the left mouse button.
Once a database table has been selected, the records contained within that table will appear to the right of the registered database list. The records are now available for copying to the worksheet. The easiest way to do so is by clicking on the empty record label box located to the upper-left corner of the record area. Then, holding the left mouse button down, drag the pointer down to cell A1 within the worksheet area. The pointer when placed above cell A1 will transform itself to include a “+” icon below the end of itself. This indicates that the data can now be placed within the worksheet. To do so, simply release the left mouse button and the records will now copy into the Calc worksheet.
With the records copied into the spreadsheet document, go to the File menu and select Save As from the menu options that appear.
A window will appear asking to choose a location to save the document. Choose the location to save a document to in the Save In popup field.
In the field File Name, type the name to save the file as.
In the Save As Type popup menu, select the file format to save the document in a format that is supported by the database application in which the records will be copied into. For example, if the records are to be imported into a Microsoft Access database file, select the Microsoft Excel (.xls) file format.
Click the button SAVE to complete in saving the spreadsheet file.
Once the records are saved within a spreadsheet file, most database applications support importing those records by selecting the file using the Import command. For example, the records saved within a file formatted as a Microsoft Excel (.xls) document can be imported into Microsoft Access by using its Import Wizard. Use the application’s Help menu to view documentation regarding importing data from a spreadsheet file.