Creating a new database

Getting Started with OpenOffice.org 3

Chapter 8. Getting Started with Base

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• Planning a database - DRAFT
• [[EN/documentation/ooo3_user_guides/getting_started/creating_a_new_database|]]
• Creating database tables
• Creating a View
• Defining relationships
• Creating a database form
• Accessing other data sources
• Entering data in a form
• Creating queries
• Creating reports

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To create a new database, click the arrow next to the New icon. In the drop-down menu, select Database. This opens the Database Wizard. You can also open the Database Wizard using File > New > Database.

File:NewDB.png

Creating a new database.

The first step of the Database Wizard has one question with two choices: Create a new database or Connect to an existing database. For this example, select Create a new database and then click Next.

The second step has two questions with two choices each. The default choice for the first question is Yes, register the database for me and the default choice for the second question is Open the database for editing. Make sure these choices are selected and click Finish.

If the database is not registered, it will not be accessible to the other OOo components such as Writer and Calc. If the database is registered, other components can access it.

Save the new database with the name Automobile. This opens the Automobile - OpenOffice.org Base window.

Every time the Automobile database is opened, the Automobile - OpenOffice.org Base window opens. Changes can then be made to the database. The title for this window is always (database name) - OpenOffice.org.

As you create a database, you should save your work regularly. This means more than just saving what you have just created. You must save the whole database as well. For example, when you create your first table, you must save it before you can close it. If you look at the Save icon in the Standard toolbar at the top after closing the table, it will be active. Click the Save icon, and this icon will be grayed out again. Not only the table has been saved, but it also been made a part of the database.