How to create forms in base?

freem · October 7, 2023, 7:51am

Hello.
I am using debian 12, “bookworm”, with libreoffice calc version 7.5.6, installed the libreoffice-sdbc-hsqldb package as well. No other LO package is installed, which means I have only those: libreoffice-base, libreoffice-base-drivers, libreoffice-sdbc-hsqldb, libreoffice-base-core, libreoffice-common, libreoffice-core, libreoffice-java-common, libreoffice-style-colibre, liblibreoffice-java.

I can create tables and queries, but for some reason, all entries in “forms” are greyed, disabled. I am guessing I am missing a prerequisite, but documentation does not says anything, just «click on “create form” to create a form» (yes thanks).
This also applies to reports.

I have never used base, and my last memories of microsoft access are around 10 years old, but I do believe things there were easy, which is why I thought LO base would be a good candidate for the software I’d like to build (which will have to be usable and maintainable by non devs, hence the choice).

mikekaganski · October 7, 2023, 8:13am

Oh, I definitely believe that this is the illustration why the habit of Linux distros’ LibreOffice package maintainers to split it into modules is an idiocy. It only serves as a footgun. OK, one could expect that modules related to differently-licensed parts could be separate (like PDF export support, based on poppler; or Java support) - but everything else just must be a single package, including “core”, Writer, Calc, Math, Draw/Impress.

Forms are implemented using Writer. If you don’t have respective packages, the space you saved would be minimal, but the functionality would be disabled. How many users could benefit from such a limited installation, as opposed to all the users who are hit by the modularity, I wonder?

Indeed, this is from me, who is not a Linux user; and so, I could misinterpret it - maybe e.g. “libreoffice-core” includes Writer? Then simply ignore my rant.

freem · October 7, 2023, 8:18am

Indeed, installing writer seems to fix the issue. Now, on the point of idiocy, if they could not technically do it, they would not, so package maintainers share the guilt with developers who didn’t add a clue as to why a GUI is present but disabled, when implementing what I guess is kind of like a plug-in system.

Then simply ignore my rant.

Well, it was a useful rant, so I will not

mikekaganski · October 7, 2023, 8:20am

No bug report = no problem.

freem · October 7, 2023, 8:27am

This applies to distro as well as to LO though. I don’t know the software architecture of LO so I can’t say much, but what you said and what I see suggest that there are libraries (libreoffice-base-core, libreoffice-core, libreoffice-common) common to all modules, but that this feature is placed in the wrong binary (libreoffice-writer) while the feedback system is lacking the ability to inform the user about the missing component.

But you’re right, no bug report means no problem. Users are free to go back on MS access, as well. If there is one attitude I don’t like from several open source contributors (but not all thankfully) this is the one. This very constructive comment do not really gives me the will to create a ticket… but let’s do it, I’ll just link to this though, since the details are already here.

freem · October 7, 2023, 8:29am

Thinking more, I won’t. This apparently would require me to create another account.

iplaw67 · October 7, 2023, 9:25pm

It probably wouldn’t be acted on anyway, as bugs like this are largely ignored, even when they are reported.

In a similar vein, the version of LibreOffice provided for macOS contains a number of menu entries that simply do nothing, yet they have not been removed. They do nothing because they rely on Java, to which Appstore apps are not supposed to make calls. So, LO is deliberately built without Java support for release through the app store, but the UI not adjusted to take account of this deliberate change, leaving the user to believe that certain menu entries work, when in fact they can not. Go figure.