The following description shows how you can connect OpenOffice as a database application using ODBC to MaxDB database instance HOTELDB. The example was tested on Windows 2000 using OpenOffice version 1.1.2.
· You have installed OpenOffice Version 1.1.2 (http://www.openoffice.org).
· You have installed the MaxDB software including the ODBC driver (see Installation Manual, Installation Profile) and configured it (see ODBC, Installing the ODBC Driver).
· You have created database instance HOTELDB and the database user MONA and filled the tables with data (see SQL Tutorial, Setting Up Database HOTELDB).
· The HOTELDB database instance is in operational state ONLINE.
· The X Server is started.
...
1. To call the ODBC data source administrator, choose Start ® Settings ® Control Panel ® Administrative Tools ® Data Sources (ODBC)
2. To create a new data source for HOTELDB, go to the User DSN tab and choose Add...
3. Choose the MaxDB ODBC driver MaxDB and then make the following entries:
ODBC configuration of data sources
Property |
Value |
Data Source Name |
Specify a name such as maxdb_hoteldb |
Description |
Description, such as My hotel database |
Server |
Computer on which the database instance is located. You can leave this field empty if the database instance is located on the local computer. |
Database |
HOTELDB |
To make optional entries, choose Settings.
4. Confirm all entries and close the ODBC data source administrator.
5. To start OpenOffice, choose Start ® Programs ® OpenOffice.org 1.1.2 ® Spreadsheet
6. Choose View ® Data Sources
The data sources that were already defined are displayed.
7. To make the HOTELDB database instance available as a data source in OpenOffice, choose Tools ® Data Sources and then New Data Source. Make the following entries:
OpenOffice configuration of data sources
Tab |
Property |
Value |
General |
Name |
Specify a name such as Hotel database |
|
Database Type |
ODBC |
|
Data Source URL |
Specify a data source, such as maxdb_hoteldb |
ODBC |
User Name |
MONA |
|
Password Required |
Select this option. |
8. On the same dialog, choose the Tables tab. The system asks you to enter the password for database user MONA. Enter the password RED.
Always specify the user name and password in uppercase.
All tables belonging to database user MONA are displayed.
If problems occur when you log on to the database instance, or if the tables are not displayed correctly, then you can switch on the ODBC trace for troubleshooting; see Traces. Note that writing a trace seriously affects the performance of the database system.
You can now use database instance HOTELDB as an OpenOffice data source. OpenOffice provides the following options, among others:
· Saving SQL queries
· Graphically designing SQL queries
· Creating input forms for inserting and changing values in the database instance. To start the form autopilot, choose File ® AutoPilot ® Form
Input form for table RESERVATION
See also: