ActinicCatalog.mdb and Open Office Base

[graphicz]

Is it possible for someone to write a KB article on using Open Office Base to edit the ActinicCatalogue.mdb? (http://www.openoffice.org/)

Given that Office 2003 will not be supported after April this year (2014) and the cost of some hundreds of pounds to upgrade it seems eminently sensible to use OO.

Does one have to do the steps contained in this FAQ:
http://www.openoffice.org/FAQs/ms-access/ms-access.html
Or can Base be used 'out of the box' to edit the Actinic (Sellerdeck) database?

I am grateful for any definitive views.

Thank you.

[malbro]

Is it possible for someone to write a KB article on using Open Office Base to edit the ActinicCatalogue.mdb? (http://www.openoffice.org/)

Given that Office 2003 will not be supported after April this year (2014) and the cost of some hundreds of pounds to upgrade it seems eminently sensible to use OO.

Does one have to do the steps contained in this FAQ:
http://www.openoffice.org/FAQs/ms-access/ms-access.html
Or can Base be used 'out of the box' to edit the Actinic (Sellerdeck) database?

I am grateful for any definitive views.

Thank you.

Sellerdeck uses microsoft access database via odbc so tthe pc part is already setup for you, name is ActinicCatalognn where nn is the version number, if you have multiple versions on a machine there will be multiple ODBC entries.

i would assume you still have to do the second part of the page to set up the oo Odbc entry.for Oo

[Krithika]

Morning Jonathan, Malcolm

According to my colleague in development, any DataBase edit tool may be used to fix a DB however we recommend Access as we do not assess any other DB tools. Whenever using a tool to fix the DB always close all applications that have the DB open and then take a backup of the DB before making any changes.

Making changes while SellerDeck is running may cause problems as SellerDeck caches data and won't be aware of changes made directly to the DB until restarted.
Hope this helps.

Regards

[graphicz]

It's not going to happen!

Although you can open the database and edit it in OOo base it works on it in .odb format and you cannot save it back to .mdb
https://forum.openoffice.org/en/foru...p?f=13&t=19567
It's a shame as many companies are moving to open source operating stystems and software to save thousands in licensing, and one town in Germany has gone completely Open Source.
So...

It looks like we are all stuck with this:

[Mike Hughes]

I'm sure I've posted this before but can't find the thread any more.

This is what I use http://www.alexnolan.net/software/mdb_viewer_plus.htm

And it's free.

Mike

[graphicz]

Hi Mike

Thank you - you are a diamond geezer!

J

[graphicz]

For interest: it is Munich who have switched over to Ubuntu. There's some stories that the UK Government may now be looking to cut down MSOFFICE licensing.

With that in mind, is there a way that Sellerdeck could run on ActinicCatalog.odb rather than ActinicCatalog.mdb? Perhaps even free the Sellerdeck installation from IE as well?

As we move forward with Selledeck, surely we don't have to be so Microsoft dependent???

[Jan]

Hi Jonathan,

I don't think it would unless Sellerdeck changed some of the code, the way to do it would be change the ODBC connection to point to the odb file but I am pretty sure that Sellerdeck recreates the ODBC connection on startup and so the change would be discarded. I suspect that even if that hack worked that you would have issues using parts of the products because the ODBC drivers / database for the two different systems would be different.

Regards,

[Mike Hughes]

I have to admit I like the database being in .mdb format. The big thing for me is that it all integrates nicely under excel and there are some simple free tools for basic editing.

I'm not sure what the problem is with Access 2003 becoming 'unsupported' ?

And access 2013 on it's own is under £100 anyway. Not bad if it lasts you 10 years before an upgrade.

Mike

[graphicz]

Lack of support lays the software open to security attacks.

60% of all data thefts from computers happen unknown to the user and most occur from infected websites NOT from downloaded material.

The UK Government is now supporting the idea of a move towards Open Source software. http://www.theguardian.com/technolog...t-office-suite

[Mike Hughes]

True. Except we're talking about an application that's only used to access / create a database application for local use. I don't see how anyone can see using access 2003 as a security risk.

Certainly not when we're talking about it's use to access the actinic catalog db.

Mike

[graphicz]

Thee are as many hits in Google on why it is not a good idea to continue with unsupported software as you have time to read!

Here is a review article complete with typos!
http://www.csoonline.com/article/738...acker-activity

This from Microsoft
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windo...ofsupport.aspx

What does end of support mean to customers?
It means you should take action. After April 8, 2014, there will be no new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free or paid assisted support options or online technical content updates.
Running Windows XP SP3 and Office 2003 in your environment after their end of support date may expose your company to potential risks, such as:
Security & Compliance Risks: Unsupported and unpatched environments are vulnerable to security risks. This may result in an officially recognized control failure by an internal or external audit body, leading to suspension of certifications, and/or public notification of the organization’s inability to maintain its systems and customer information.
Lack of Independent Software Vendor (ISV) & Hardware Manufacturers support: A recent industry report from Gartner Research suggests "many independent software vendors (ISVs) are unlikely to support new versions of applications on Windows XP in 2011; in 2012, it will become common." And it may stifle access to hardware innovation: Gartner Research further notes that in 2012, most PC hardware manufacturers will stop supporting Windows XP on the majority of their new PC models.

As regards the Access issue specifically. Frankfurt has gone open source and now the UK Government is looking at moving to Open Source to save the huge sums spent on licensing:
http://www.theguardian.com/technolog...t-office-suite

There is some very exciting development going on in Sellerdeck and the company is looking to the future. My suggestion is that the future will be increasingly Open Source and perhaps plans should be made to free the product from the yoke of Microsoft in years to come.

[NormanRouxel]

not sure what the problem is with Access 2003 becoming 'unsupported'

It will share a lot of code with the current version. If a bug is found in the current release, it will be patched. However the very action of documenting / patching said bug may help the malware writers attack the old version.

[Mike Hughes]

I know I'm often slow on understanding other people's points of view but there are several different things going on here and I get the impression you're lumping them all together as reasons why sellerdeck shouldn't use an access database.

1. Office 2003 is becoming unsupported. So either upgrade Office or use an open source version. Whether sellerdeck uses an access database or not has no impact on this.

2. If you're unhappy to use Access 2003 then you can get the latest version of Access for under £100. Then you have no worries.

3. I'm not a developer but from my perspective the whole debate about open source Vs microsoft on the desktop has disappeared. People just want to be able to use the tools they know and understand in a safe and secure manner. Microsoft has won that battle.

Yes, there may be some huge employers who think it's worth the hassle of making the switch to open source to save on licensing fees. I think most small business now accept that there is a cost to using microsoft but as long as it's not unreasonable we're quite happy to pay it.

Mike

[jont]

I think most small business now accept that there is a cost to using microsoft but as long as it's not unreasonable we're quite happy to pay it.

Indeed, it is like any other business cost - whether a van, powertool or oven - the cost needs to be met as part of the operating costs. A lot of companies will be wary of moving to Open Source especially when exchanging files between customers as the fidelity of the original can not be guaranteed when converting. Productivity can also drop when switching as the menus are never quite the same.

Microsoft has a lot of haters but when it comes to Office it is worth every single penny.