Question about database field description

[Carlos_E_R]

This is just a curiosity.

I have a book catalog database in MySQL, originally created long ago using Rekall (KDE3), and now moved to LO Base (not the contents, just the interface).

The data base fields have a description each, but they do not show in LO Base. And I can not edit them in LO. Any one knows why?

See photo:

Thanks.

Maybe I should check the database using something else, to verify that the description data is really there and not a Rekall thing. Suggestions?

Using:

openSUSE Leap 15.3 Linux.

Version: 7.3.6.2 / LibreOffice Community
Build ID: 30(Build:2)
CPU threads: 12; OS: Linux 5.3; UI render: default; VCL: gtk3
Locale: es-ES (en_US.UTF-8); UI: en-US
Calc: threaded

[RobertG]

Same system here, but not the LO-Version of OpenSUSE.

There are different connections to MySQL/MariaDB databases. Have tested direct connection and connection through JDBC by MaraiaDB-connector.
Open the table for editing, not input data.
There are two fields for description: “Description” and “Column Description”.
Field “Description” is the same as in all other database connections of LO Base. It will be saved directly in the *.odb-file.
Field “Column Description” will show the content, which has been saved as “Comment” in MariaDB/MySQL.

I have tested this “Column Description”. The direct connection doesn’t save what you are writing there. But it will read “Comment” from the MariaDB. So could be you will get the “Description” from Rekall in “Column Description”.
Connection through JDBC will read and write both, “Description” and “Column Description”.
Have written a bug https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=151875, because “Column Description” won’t be saved with direct connection to MariaDB/MySQL.

[Carlos_E_R]

I am using direct connection. I don’t want to risk changing that now that the odb file works.

Yes, I opened the database for edit, you can see it in the photo. I only have a “Description” column, and I can not write anything there. And it doesn’t read the descriptions I wrote (a decade ago or more) using rekall, apparently in MariaDB/MySQL.

[RobertG]

You only have “Description” available with LO-version packages from OpenSUSE and also LO 7.2 and LO 7.3. LO 7.4 will show “Column Description”, but couldn’t save it, like LO 7.1 will do with direct connection.

Please install *.rpm-packages from LibreOffice directly and you could see the “Column Description”.

Only “Column Description” is saved in database. “Description” will be saved in *.odb-file.

How to install separate *.rpm-packages from LibreOffice as user-installation, not as root:
Download *.tar.gz-files from Download LibreOffice | LibreOffice - Free Office Suite - Based on OpenOffice - Compatible with Microsoft
Create a new folder in your home directory (“LO” for example).
Extract the 3 downloaded *.tar.gz-files.
Move all *.rpm-files of the extracted *.tar.gz-files to “LO”.
Create a folder “install” in “LO”.
Open this folder and start Konsole here.
run
for i in ../*.rpm; do rpm2cpio $i | cpio -id; done
LO has been installed only in this folder “install”.
You could start LO through /install/opt/libreoffice7.4/program/soffice.
I have installed more than 20 different versions from LO here parallel to the version from OpenSUSE 15.3 without any problems. Only working with this versions, only using OpenSuSE-version for testing and seeing: “Column Description” isn’t available there.

[Carlos_E_R]

Ok, I see, thanks.

Well, for me it is enough to know the reason, I don’t need to install another set of packages, it is not that important to me.

I can, however, report a bug at openSUSE.

[RobertG]

OpenSUSE 15.3 installs LO 7.3.6.2, which won’t offer “Column Description” in LO-packages. You will need LO 7.4.2.3 to get the descriptions …

[Carlos_E_R]

I’ll wait, thanks