eAction

Databases have long scared me the way algebra did in high school. It just seems way too complicated for me. So I’ve managed to back out of most situations where I was suppose to set up a database. Fortunately, most software these days has that all built in, so it’s possible to live a productive life without knowing how to set up and build a database from scratch.

But when you get into linux you end up learning things you never thought you would.

I’ve known for some time that I really ought to find a suitable database in which to set up all my articles so I could keep track of where and when they were published, submitted, and whether I got paid and how much. I also ought to build one to replace my old card file on my friends and relatives and our letters and cards sent between us. Basically a contacts database, but with my own special fields.

So now in my new SUSE 10.1 I noticed I had some database programs, and I decided a couple of weeks back to check them out and see what they could do. How easily might I use them?

I found four; KFormDesigner, Kexi (KDE family), OpenOffice Base, and Tellico, which is for book collections or other collections. Kexi looked the easiest, so I checked and found a Handbook online, and have been following the directions and learning that it isn’t so hard to create a database after all. You need tables, and forms, and queries to tie the tables and forms together.

My one problem is that if I make a mistake it crashes. I think it’s because I assigned a wrong source for a form field. Now I have to learn how to undo that, or else start with a new database and not make that mistake again.

If it takes me too long to solve this problem, I will just switch to one of the other programs and see if I can catch on as easily there. I guess the important thing is to remember, - as with my larger Linux Learning Curve - to allow time to discover and learn. The worst thing to do is to give up too soon. Just think; once I learn how to do one well-functioning database, I will be able to apply this knowledge to many other things that need to be recorded and set up in such a way that I can pull all kinds of data up with just a well based question.