Is LibreOffice Base the right tool for my situation? [closed]
Hi! I freely admit to being a newb, and will be as succinct as I can and try and edit this down/organize as much as possible. Feel free to ask for more detail. However, FYI, I'm really terrible at conciseness and knowing which details are important/which aren't. If anyone has tips on this, especially quantitative/specific ones, I'd love to hear them.
Now, down to business. :)
Objective:
- Trying to create a database to keep track of mods and custom content that I've downloaded for a game
- Hoping to be able to share the project--not the data itself, since everyone who plays the game will have a different set of downloaded mods/CC, but the structure of the database and such, so that anyone who wants to (hopefully including non-coders) can have their own database of their content (to make it easier for them to know what they have, what might need updating/be broken as of the latest official game patch, etc.)
- Basically, I'd love to have this function a bit like Calibre, except for mods/CC instead of ebooks, and without all the other fancy features Calibre has like ebook conversion, etc. (And also Calibre is, as far as I understand, its own entirely separate program, where mine would preferably be more like...like sharing a template for a database, kind of? Like, I'm envisioning sharing a basic "template"-type file, with things like forms/queries mostly built in but blank or sample data, and then also sharing a download link to LO or whatever program(s) necessary.)
Examples of data I might include:
Name/title/whatever of mod or CC
Creator(s)
Description
(Preferably) thumbnail/photo of item or what it does, if applicable
Date you last updated it
Download URL
Creator URL(s)
File location
Compressed file location (if applicable)
Game pack(s) necessary for use (if applicable)
Maybe custom tags, if possible and not too terribly difficult to implement
etc.
Criteria for choosing a database tool:
Absolutely necessary:
- No money spent (I just don't have any RN, and I don't think other players would generally want to spend on something like this either)
- Pretty darn sure that what I want is a relational database, since I'll probably need/want to include many-to-many relationships that will need to be resolved and stuff
Necessary if at all possible:
- Would like to be able to use both GUI and SQL methods to create the database (this is what led me to LO in the first place--was looking for Microsoft Access alternatives because I have Access but wouldn't be able to easily share my finished product because the software costs)
- Would like to be able to mostly do the creation and putting-together of the database myself (I've seen a couple of tool options that seem to be more for completely non-coders, and I'd rather not use that kind of thing)
- Basically, I'm just trying to ...
What exactly is a Mod/CC, specifically the CC part?
There is nothing wrong with your questions. Overall it is a lot to take in, considering the number of questions you have, but all are valid questions.
By the sound of your problem I get the feeling that you are a man with a purpose and a vision but lack a clue.
If you need to support more than one OS then you increase the number of support issues that will arise. If you use an office suite to implement your solution then each user must become competent at handling the office suite. If there are a lot of mods to enter, scanning them in is far less tedious. If scanning is to be done then code must be written to perform the scan.
You will need to understand the problem before you decide on a solution. From the sound of it you need some programming and database skills. Your ...(more)
From the content of the OQ it seems a mod is a modification and CC is custom content
Hey, sorry I've not been around much. My mental health has taken a dive the past few days, and I haven't been up to much.
Yes, sorry about the jargon; forgot it even was jargon! @robleyd is right--modifications and custom content. (If it helps you understand, we're dealing with Sims 4. Changes to the game can range from clothing/objects created entirely by players, to things that are just recolored/retextured, to changes in code to make Sims do/not do a specific thing, to massive projects that overhaul huge amounts of game functioning. Any of these (some more than others, esp. any with code/XML) have a chance of breaking themselves, other game parts, or both next time an official patch is released, & some people have thousands of CC items/mods, so it's a lot of work to maintain your "library" but still have ...(more)
@Amy de l'ABC, anyone taking on this sort of project is bound to run into mental issues, at some stage... Thank you for explaining what CC stands for. I still stand by my previous statement that each developer will need to become proficient at using Base, if they are to use it as a tool to solve this problem of tracking mods and CC. If you believe Base offers a shortcut to developing such a software then be warned, it is not a shortcut, it is just another tool that can get the job done. The question to ask yourself is "is it the right tool for the job?". I would argue that it is not. I would also strongly suggest you get a dialog going on IRC as this post is getting very lengthy.