Recent changes to LibreOffice Base

[zugzwang]

I am currently running Version: 6.1.2.1, Build ID: 6.1.2.1-4.fc29 in fedora 29
(64 bit). Before today, I had not tried to update my Base table in over a year.
Today I noticed some strange anomalies.

1. I could not edit the data until I had altered the table design, making one
   of my integer fields the primary key. Before, my table had no primary key.

2. Within Base, with my table opened, I could not find a way to save
   (i.e. export) the table data into a non-proprietary “delimited” text format
   (e.g. csv file), rather than a proprietary format (e.g. such as an odt file).
   See question 2 below, for elaboration of “delimited” text format.

3. Within Base, with a new table created with no data, with the columns
   designed appropriately, I could not find a way of importing a csv file.

Questions

1. How do I edit the data in a table in Base that has no primary key?

2. Within Base, with a table opened, how do I save the data into (for example)
   a (standard) comma separated text file (with either the .txt or .csv) extension?
   Here, standard denotes that each record goes on a separate line, that each field
   ends in a comma (or some other otherwise unused delimiter), and that the text
   file contains no other (special) information.

3. Within Base, with a new empty table (no data), where the table’s fields are
   formatted appropriately, how do I import data from a (standard) comma separated
   text file, informing the table whether the delimiter is a comma or some other
   (otherwise unused) character?

[Ratslinger]

@zugzwang Please only one question per post. Others cannot find an answer to their question if it is buried with others.

[Ratslinger]

Hello,

How do I edit the data in a table in Base that has no primary key?

If the Base file is based upon a text file (Text in lower left corner of main Base screen), then you do not need any key field. However, you are limited by what can be done with the tables. One such limitation is queries - only one table in select.

The answer for #2 & #3 are similar to each other. CSV files would be opened in Calc where various delimiters are accepted. From there you copy the data then right click the table where the data is to be applied. In the first dialog screen presented select Append data, insure the correct table name is being used (top of dialog) then follow the subsequent screens.

You can in a similar manner create a new table without it being predefined. In this case you should have column headings, select Definition and data on the first dialog screen and Use first line as column names checked. then follow subsequent screens.

For more information you will find the Base documentation helpful → LibreOffice Base Handbook

[zugzwang]

Very helpful response; answered all questions, solved problems (once I figured out that I also had to paste the table into a libreoffice spreadsheet and then export to csv). and pointed me to the right documentation. Thanks very much.

[zugzwang]

BTW… topic indicates interesting streamlining of functionality. At first, I thought that it was daffy to remove this functionality from Base, but since there is no apparent problem copying/pasting from Base to Calc and from Calc to Base, then the functionality is preserved and the LibreOffice developers don’t have to maintain (redundant) csv import/export out of more than one libreoffice app.