Data Sources in Base - Cannot view them.

[moonscape]

I am running Ubuntu and LibreOffice 6.3.0.4.
I am trying to create a database in Base that links to spreadsheet in Calc. That part was easy.
But I need to take data from the Calc sheet and add some of it to other tables in Base.

But when I create a new Base database, I am never able to see the View>Data Sources.
I have tried F4. I also manually added Data Sources under my View menu drop down.
An entry for Data sources now appears under View>Data Sources. But it is grayed out and won’t let me click.

Overall, my objective is to have a Base database which links to a Calc spreadsheet.
I will update the spreadsheet with certain data and save it. This data only works in spreadsheet so I can’t do it direct into calc.
I will later run the Base database and will use an update query to selectively add some of the new data from Calc to other records within other Base tables. I am not trying to use Base to change data in Calc, only to get data from Calc.

I used to to this exact same thing in Access and it was very easy using “linked” tables which were directly linked to an xls file.

But in Base, if I link to a Calc spreadsheet there are two problems:

1. When I create a database (DBS_A) linked to Calc, this database will now not let me add any other data tables within that database. So it only has the linked tables to Calc. So I can query these, but i cannot use that data to add to other tables.

2. To get around this, I have been trying to create a 2nd database (DBS_B), to perhaps link to DBS_A which links to Calc spreadsheet. But because I am unable to view the Data Sources, I can’t link to the other Base database.

A few points:
a) The databases are all registered and I can see them under Tools>Options.
b) the issues feels like it is some type of configuration problem which is just not letting me view any data sources
c) when I am in calc I can view all data sources. the ability is there, and I can see the registered databases that I have created.

I am really stuck here.
Any help would be much appreciated !

thanks

[Ratslinger]

Hello @moonscape,

What you are attempting is to have Base, which has a data source connection already, connect to another data source in order to pass data from one source to another. You stated:

I used to to this exact same thing in
Access and it was very easy using
“linked” tables which were directly
linked to an xls file.

Base does not contain this function. It can be done through Macros (have done as a test but it is complex) within Base itself. In your case it may be better to write a macro in Calc, select information and have a macro there access and update the appropriate DB.

Macros, especially of this type, are not easily created and are specific to your needs.

One similar request, tdf#56234, has been on the books for some time. There may be other requests.