[AccessD] OT: Linux, Open Suite and Access

Ken:

"you would have to rebuild the front-end from scratch (all 
queries,forms, reports, underlying code, etc...) "

That's what I was afraid of/needed to know.  Thanks.

Rocky

Ken Ismert wrote:
> Rocky,
>
>   
>>> Does anyone know anything about porting an Access app to OpenSuite?
>>>       
>
> Actually, I've been looking at OpenOffice, and its data component, Base.
>
>
> The Base application window looks something like the Access window
> (table, query, form and report designers). But the forms and reports
> aren't native objects, in the Access sense. These are handled as XML
> forms, and are hosted by Writer, Open Office's Word equivalent. 
>
> There is broad scripting support: OpenOffice Basic, JavaScript and
> Python are supported. OpenOffice Basic looks a lot like VBA:
>
> http://api.openoffice.org/DevelopersGuide/DevelopersGuide.html
>
> Base uses HSQLDB ( http://hsqldb.org/ ) as its native backend. Let's
> just say it is very different from Jet. It seems to enjoy a good
> reputation, though. 
>
> My initial reaction to Base: it is still very new, and not likely to
> support a sophisticated application like EZ-MRP without a lot of
> bleeding-edge development. You can easily link to Jet backend tables,
> but you would have to rebuild the front-end from scratch (all queries,
> forms, reports, underlying code, etc...)
>
> Base looks promising, and I've been impressed with the Writer program,
> and how well it interoperates with Word document files. Base is worthy
> of looking at and experimenting with, but I feel it would be far from an
> easy task to migrate a full-blown Access app to Base at its current
> stage of development.
>
> -Ken
>
> PS: Check out Koffice, another open source alternative to OpenOffice: 
>
> http://www.koffice.org/
>
> It has its own data component, Kexi: 
>
> http://www.koffice.org/kexi/
>
> My guess is that Kexi is not nearly as far along as Base is, but I will
> be checking it out, too, in the near future.
>   

-- 
Rocky Smolin
Beach Access Software
858-259-4334
www.e-z-mrp.com