Hello,

This is something I posted yesterday to the OpenOffice discuss
list. I'm sending it here too because the problem is not limited to
OO.o, but (at least) to any office suite based on OASIS suppport.
(original post slightly edited for clarity)

###################################################################

On Sat, May 22, 2004 04:04:28 AM -0500, Rod wrote:
> Daniel:
> >
> >I have never heard of OO.o 2.0 having a new database.  Why do we
> >need one? What's wrong with MySQL?
> >
> For a comp sci PhD... nothing. For a non-programmer, non-hacker, 
> non-geek end-user -- perhaps someone needing a relatively simple 
> relational database for a SOHO type situation... a hell of a lot.
> 
[snip]
> The average end-user probably could not do this without extensive
> help. OOo needs an Access-style database because that's what the
> average end-user needs.

You might remember that I always point out how free formats and
protocols are much more important than this or that Free software:
freedom is not forcing everybody to OO.o, is forcing everybody to
OASIS file formats so users can choose among OO.o, KOffice and then
everything else (even Microsoft Office, why not?).

Lately, I have realized that maybe OASIS, not just OO.o in general,
needs an "Access-style database" because even its *geek* users need
it.

Imagine this:

Real_Geek_1 (oo.o on Windows) can exchange spreadsheets, texts,
presentations... with Real_Geek_2 (KOffice on Linux) and Real_Geek_3
(Proprietary_Something_else on Mac OS), because everything is in OASIS
format.

Emboldened, these three geek employees, who compile a kernel every
morning with their hands, dare now to exchange simple databases, or
sxw files which are actually database forms with queries and
such. This office productivity paradise goes down the drain in a
second.

Geek #1 has only MySql installed, and cannot install new SW at will
(standard procedure in most offices, even *when* you have root
password). Geek #2 is an hardcore PostGreSQL fan, who just fighted
three years to switch his whole company to it. Geek #3 has a version
of MySql (or a platform specific odbc driver) which doesn't support
some new statements....

[The pointy-haired bosses of all 3 geeks start screaming that
everybody must switch back to Windows and Microsoft Office *now*]

I know the "OO.o is superior because it can use many data sources"
school of thought. Question is, how does OASIS deal with this? (I say
OASIS, not OO.o, exactly because the problem should be solved at the
data/query *format*, not application level).

How do you tell a small business that if they switch to OO.o/KOffice
and (just as an example) Linux they have freedom, save a lot, yadda
yadda... but they must attach a MySQL (**) installation and manual to
every form/price list they send to their customers?

Ciao,
	Marco Fioretti

(**) obviously replace with your favourite RDBMS

-- 
Marco Fioretti                 m.fioretti, at the server inwind.it
Red Hat for low memory         http://www.rule-project.org/en/

Technological progress has merely provided us with more efficient
means for going backwards.                    Aldous Huxley
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