Attach files to records in Base

I did a search on "attach files records," and did not find what I'm looking for. (I concede I may have missed it, so please have mercy if I did.)

I want to attach various types of files to specific database records, including .doc, .txt, .jpeg, .pdf, .wav, .mp3 and possibly some other formats. The idea is that one record might have the usual information, but have a .doc and an .mp3, whereas another might have a .doc and a .pdf, or another a .pdf, .mp3 and three .jpegs.

The idea is to attach all the files associated with a specific record so that I have everything in one place.

Is this even possible without me having to write an app? I could probably install an extension if I knew where and how to find one.

Thanks for any help.

Anne B.

Anne,

On 10/23/2011 06:34 PM, MsBriscow wrote:
Do you need to actually to store the files? If you need to store them
use the data type 'OTHER' also called Blob in other DBMS. It accepts any
entry with a max size 2.1G.

Are you familiar with using a table linked to a base table using a
"foreign key". You indicate that you may have different number of files
stored. I would use a linked table to the main table. The linked table
will have its own primary key and will use the main table's primary key
as its foreign key.
>
> Anne B.
>
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Le 23/10/2011 23:34, MsBriscow a écrit :

Hi Anne,

>
> The idea is to attach all the files associated with a specific record so
> that I have everything in one place.
>
> Is this even possible without me having to write an app? I could probably
> install an extension if I knew where and how to find one.
>

Yes, it is possible, as Jay has indicated in his answer to you BUT, and
this is the nub, if you do it that way using a hsqldb backend, i.e. the
default database engine provided in LibO Base, and even with a separate
table for the binary objects, then you will rapidly hit performance
problems with the default java memory management collapsing under the
strain, which will inevitably lead to data loss, corruption or some
other unpleasant behaviour.

Another alternative to the problem of using binary large objects, is to
store a reference to their location on the disk, i.e. their path, which
is a much smaller VARCHAR string of characters. However, this then poses
the question of how to turn that string of characters into a clickable
link so that the user doesn't have to search in the file system.

The OpenOffice.org forums have already dealt with this question (and the
binary storage one for that matter), I strongly suggest you go and have
a search there.


Alex


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Le 23/10/2011 23:34, MsBriscow a écrit :

Hi Anne,

The link below covers image insertion/display :

http://user.services.openoffice.org/en/forum/viewtopic.php?f=83&t=44124

for other binary objects, you would have to search through the Base forum.


Alex


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Le 23/10/2011 23:34, MsBriscow a écrit :

Hi Anne,

Further to my previous message, there is a discussion on BLOB/CLOB
support in Base here :

http://user.services.openoffice.org/en/forum/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=40606&p=187057&hilit=database+binary+object#p187057

Note that Base with the current 1.8 version of Hsqldb does not
apparently fully support binary objects other than images.


Alex


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Thanks for the links. I looked at them and suspect that what I'm trying to do will be too much for the database. It would be nice to create clickable links to the files I'd like to attach, but I think that's beyond my skills at present and I really don't have the time to learn. Sigh.

You gave me some good food for thought, though.


Anne B.

On 10/24/2011 2:37 AM, Alexander Thurgood [via Document Foundation Mail Archive] wrote:

Le 23/10/2011 23:34, MsBriscow a écrit :

Hi Anne,

The link below covers image insertion/display :

http://user.services.openoffice.org/en/forum/viewtopic.php?f=83&t=44124

for other binary objects, you would have to search through the Base forum.


Alex


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