[Kexi] Using Kexi databases/queries in KWord (or other KOffice apps)

[Matija Šuklje]

Dne ponedeljek 31 julij 2006 01:45 je Sebastian Sauer napisal(a):
> It still depends on what you like exactly to do and how complex it is at
> the end. Well, if it's only to push data from one app to another, then I
> could write such a script with just ~10 lines of code :)

Well ...ten line's still a lot of coding if you're a complete beginner in 
Python :P

> yeah. Auto-generated reports (so, such simple as our current "simple
> prints") would be really _the_ ideal solution. The report-engine is still
> one of our biggest TODOs (IMHO) and may eat a lot of time. So, something
> for Kexi 2.0 :-)

Nice! I sure hope it comes out alright. :D

> Well, the query-designer has 3 modes; the dataviewmode, the designmode and
> the textmode. I normaly work by myself in the textmode cause I just know
> SQL. Others are for sure able to use the designmode to simple "click the
> query together".

I got it so far. The thing is that I haven't done any SQL for a long 
time ...and even so I just know the ultra-basic stuff (which I can't remember 
usually :P)

> Your porposal goes a step future. So, wizards that help the user and
> suggest solutions. Again I agree here and afaik it's also on our TODO (but
> I fear it doesn't have that high priority currently cause there are still
> things like reports :-)

Actually I'm not thinking in the lines of wizards - I don't really like 
wizards, personally. I'm thinking in the lines of hmmm ...have you ever used 
Quanta+? AFAIR when you start typing a tag it lists just below the text 
cursor all the possible (and logical) options. e.g. This could work as well 
in the SQL mode as in the "clicky" mode ...I think. I imagine I'm not the 
only one who doesn't know SQL commands by heart.

The "clicking" GUI I feel (I could be terribly wrong though!!) is right now 
suitable only for simpler queries. All I could figure out by trial-and-error 
is that in it:
 - you can only make queries where something bigger smaller or equal to 
something (and not, if it is "not" or if it is "or")
 - the date format used to type data in is localised (in my case DD-MM-YY), 
while the one in the query is stricktly in the YYYY-MM-DD format
 - there is no apparent hint (at least as far as I looked) to the unknowing 
noobie that text entries  have to be entered in quotes

> It is implemented since version 1.5 and Kexi comes with complete bindings
> for all of the database-functionality. So, in fact, you are even able to
> e.g. write a little python-script that uses reportlab.org to create very
> complex statistics and reports. With questions about Kross you may even got
> the perfect partner here cause I wrote Kross + the bindings and if, what I
> don't believe yet, some functionality is missing, I am able to add that
> functionality within a short time :-)

*goes check dot.kde.org* Hey! It really is ...heh, I thought I read the name 
somewhere before.

I'll try ...but don't expect anything anytime really soon - as I said I'm 
pretty bad/new/poor (you pick your favourite) at coding and scripting.

> Looking through those bugs at bugs.kde.org related to KOffice, there is
> currently no item which deals with the integration between the
> applications. Also there are no usage-scenarious dealing with that
> question. Well, since we are currently dealing with how to solve it, we
> could also wait till it's more clear what exatcly need to be done at the
> KOffice-front (so, from the technical point of view which I am able to
> provide). Once we know them, it could help to write down the whole scenario
> + the tech-details, so that others may are able to read it + extend it or
> even get an impression for what we could need it. As developer it's always
> nice to have such kind of user-feedback cause it helps to went into the
> right direction and to see where problems may are located or what users
> really expect.

Hmmm ...I think I'll wait with the report for now. I've talked on IRC about 
the interaction a bit already with some of the devs a while ago and currently 
I just can't find the time to write down a whole userscenario and bugerport 
in one go. I'm glad to help though ;)

> For such cases we have IRC as realtime-medium.

I know ...it's probably one of the few lists out there that work almost in 
real time ;)

> Would be wonderfull to be
> someday able to just write mails by thinking, so without the needing to
> hack into a keyboard.

It'd certainly work faster ...weeeeeeell, if it would be good enough to filter 
out other thoughts. Imagine writing your boss a report while listening to 
your favourite song, reading webcomics and articles on the page and talking 
to a cute co-worker - that could look like a mess.


-- Matija
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