Base without HSQL support?

[Drew Jensen]

Howdy,

I'm just going to jump into it.

If the question is; should Base not include the HSQL driver in the 6.3
release I would say no.
Should Firebird Embedded SDBC be the default selection for new Base files,
I'm agnostic.

But Yes to include it as an option (without needing experimental mode).
Here is a 2:40 video of why.
https://us.hostiso.cloud/index.php/s/HZLHLzeW4LBa5wi
tl/dw; Some simple features still don't work with parts of firebird sdbc.

Should the Migration Assistant be enabled by default yes, but the default
button on the Dialog box which opens when the connection to an HSQL
datasource is created stays No. I would recommend an enhancement which is
to include a URL to a TDF wiki page (with the page setup for translation/NL
support) which covers Why it should be done now, and how to perform a
migration both with the Migration Assistant and without.

Right now if the ODB file with HSQL does not have any of the following data
types, decimal, numeric, Image(Blob), Date, Time or TIMESTAMP, the data
transfer will succeed. How many odb files would have one or more of those
IDK but guessing it would be a fair percentage.

Here is the real problem though, imo, right now with 6.3 if you try to
import any external source into decimal and numeric fields with Firebird
there is an issue. If you drag drop a table from any Base file type or from
Calc or import a text file as CSV. The Date, time, TIMESTAMP and Boolean
fields in Firebird also have some issues with the those Import Wizard
functions, but less extreme in that the import function is more restrictive
on what is recognized as valid input compared to the Import Wizard when
using the HSQL sdbc.

More so however there are still prickly issues with Wizards and Designers
(query, form, report) still not fully functional, or working properly, with
Firebird sdbc.

So what I really think should be considered is to focus any developer
resources for the 6.3 release first on pushing the firebird sdbc much
closer to feature parity with the HSQL regarding how much of the Base UI
functions properly with the sdbc, even if that means there is no further
work on Migration Assistant before the 6.3 release.

I think that if the project really wants to be aggressive on ditching HSQL,
as with 6.4, then right now and thru to the 6.4 release there should be a
TDF emphasize on getting people to make the migration from HSQL odb files.
Either to Firebird embedded or an external data base. This would require
work from documentation folks (creating a tutorial, updating a wiki page or
online help and marketing folks to generate awareness and urgency. There
are advantages to actively pushing people to do this now while there is
both HSQL and Firebird in the LibreOffice package. Those advantages however
require that the current Import Wizard (drag drop of tables) would work,
right now all data types can move via the IW routines from a Firebird sdbc
file to a HSQLdb sdbc file BTW, but not back the other way.

Anyway, that is my two cents worth of opinion on how it is at the moment.

Thanks and best wishes,

Drew
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.freedesktop.org/archives/libreoffice/attachments/20190605/49018f36/attachment.html>