How to get started

brianfay · OOo Enthusiast Joined: 09 Jul 2003 Posts: 133

I know Base is new enough that it's no surprise that Amazon doesn't have a OpenOffice Base for Dummies title yet, but I'm wondering if there isn't a good text that would give me a start in databases as a whole.

Most of the things I've seen are pretty high-powered. I'm looking to create a gradebook for the classes I teach. I have it set up as a pretty complicated spreadsheet in Calc, but there are clearly some areas where I would do better to have it as a database rather than spreadsheet (especially when a student exits school or a new student arrives). So I'm really looking for a souped-up spreadsheet.

That's the kind of thing I'm working toward. I've used the manual that's being worked on and also worked through the example that is stickied in this forum. I'm missing some of the basic terminology though and it would be great to take a database 101 course.

So are there any suggestions of where to turn? Thank you.
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Lazy-legs · Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2005 11:59 am Post subject:

A good book on database design is the best way to avoid frustrations, bad designs and waste of time. My favourite is Inside Relational Databases. This is the best book on database basics I've ever read. Alternatively, take a look at Database Design for Mere Mortals: A Hands-On Guide to Relational Database Design

Kind regards,
Dmitri
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brianfay · OOo Enthusiast Joined: 09 Jul 2003 Posts: 133

Thanks for the recommendations. I had looked at the second book on Amazon, but not the first. I'll check my library for both or order one of them if need be. Thanks again for the help.
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BookLady · Super User Joined: 03 Nov 2004 Posts: 727

You might try http://www.utexas.edu/its/windows/database/datamodeling/index.html

With a tip of the hat to DrewJensen for turning me on to this link Wink

Dale · Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2005 7:29 pm Post subject:

Maybe we ought to make this thread a sticky - and ask people to post useful links here as they find them. I know when I get around to playing with Base I'll need something along these lines.

Brian, would you care to edit your original message accordingly?
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nuttyguy20 · Newbie Joined: 23 Nov 2005 Posts: 1

Must admit that trying to figure out how to do the one-to-many relationship in Base is tricky. (Read: I'm not getting the results I want.) Having a sticky on this and many other simpler problems would be great.

brianfay · OOo Enthusiast Joined: 09 Jul 2003 Posts: 133

[quote="Dale"]Maybe we ought to make this thread a sticky - and ask people to post useful links here as they find them. I know when I get around to playing with Base I'll need something along these lines.

Brian, would you care to edit your original message accordingly?[/quote]

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Sorry for the delay. I finally got back and made it a sticky. Thanks for the suggestion.
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DrewJensen · Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 8:03 pm Post subject:

nuttyguy20,

What kind of problems are you having with your data?

If you could put some specifics in a different post someone might be able to help.

Drew
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Dale · Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 8:28 pm Post subject:

Hm. Looks like I've successfully managed to get someone to create a sticky that could have been served by adding to Lazy-Legs OOo Base beginner tutorial. Apologies, Dimitri, I should have looked first. My intention was to get a place to put useful links for database beginners. Things like tutorials on data structure, table design, SQL etc.

Now that the damage is done, how would y'all like to post any such links here or in Dimitri's thread.

For an example of how to put a BASE database together start with DrewJensen's sticky
Beginners - Example Database - Base Tutorial (If you're a beginner and have searched these fora you should already have seen this.)

Andrew Pitonyak also has a database page here which I've not read at the time of posting. However, based on his past work I think it might be a little advanced for the audience I had in mind for this thread but extremely useful as a reference once your past the real basics.
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To err is human, but to destroy your slippers in the process takes a real son of a bitch: Me!

OOo documentation from the source
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brianfay · OOo Enthusiast Joined: 09 Jul 2003 Posts: 133

I didn't realize that it was a dupe either. If it would be helpful I can try to un-stick this message. Let me know.
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Dale · Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2005 3:35 pm Post subject:

I've put cross-links in both threads, so it should be easy (and obvious) to find one from the other. The only real issue with stickies is they clutter the top of the list making it awkward to find new posts. There aren't that many in the Base forum at present - your call.

If clutter becomes an issue at a later date our long-suffering moderators can choose to un-sticky threads...
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To err is human, but to destroy your slippers in the process takes a real son of a bitch: Me!

OOo documentation from the source
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Guides, FAQ, How Tos

brianfay · OOo Enthusiast Joined: 09 Jul 2003 Posts: 133

I unstuck it.

That said, i still don't know how to get started with Base. I wish that their was a workbook for it and would pay money for such a thing. I'm thinking of the workbook that came with my first copy of WordPerfect 5.1. It was great and had step-by-step instructions to work through a set of documents. I went through that workbook over the winter break and returned to college understanding how to do most everything I needed. It also got me excited enough that I went on figuring things on my own. Hmm, how did I ever figure things out before the internet? He-he.
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