Database Programming with OpenOffice.org Base & Basic
by Roberto Benitez
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Book Summary Information
Author: Roberto BenitezEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-09-10
ISBN: 0557007585
Number of pages: 352
Publisher: Lulu.com
Book Reviews of Database Programming with OpenOffice.org Base & Basic
Book Review: Great for Java Programmers Too!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a fantastic book.
I use this book to program in Java. I feel it is as good at instructing Java and C++ for an experienced programmer as it does for the Basic programming language. I do not know Basic very well but the code examples act as concise pseudo-code which lets me know where to start and where I need to go. As I will explain latter it is easier to read the example code for understanding than it is to read Java or C++ code fragments.
If you do not know anything about programming OOo with Java, you will need to download and install the SDK from OOo web site and I strongly recommend downloading the Developer Guide PDF. Of note: OOo Developer Guide 2.3 seems to be missing documentation for mail merges which this book contains a section which was very useful. Also, you must study and run several of the example programs provided in the SDK so you understand and are comfortable with the UnoRuntime.queryInterface method.
Programming Java with OOo is challenging at the very beginning... this is because of the UNO architecture which OOo has used for it's API. Once you are past this short initial learning stage, things become much smoother. The main thing to learn is that unlike Basic, Java is very concerned with type... We know this of course (if you are a Java programmer) but where it gets tricky is that with UNO you are rarely given the Base Object but an Interface instead. It is something like working with a client/server system. When you create an instance in Java you get a picture into a base object, but it is like the base object is locked away on the server and you just have this controller. If you want to change to a different interface (get a different set of controls) which this object supports then you need ask the UNO Runtime for that particular interface for this particular object (the interface and the object are parameters to the UnoRuntime.queryInterface method, which then returns an object of the type you wanted... hopefully, or there is an exception, then you cast that object to the type you know it is... it isn't pretty). Programming with this form looks strange at first but it is a requirement. Basic does not require type safety so it's like you are working with the object directly because you have the sum of all the interfaces at your disposal (there are A LOT of interfaces). What this means for programmers of type safe languages is that you need to have a browser window open to OOo API guide to keep track of what type of object you are working with so you can produce the correct interface for each method call.
There are two more things a Java programmer may need:
1) If you are a Netbeans fan as I am, then you had best install the [...] (you will need the SDK downloaded already and an installed version of OOo), this will allow you to create OOo projects with all required libraries (you get the option of creating an OOo project after installing).
2) Someone to ask questions of, I have found the people at [...] very helpful.
I know this review is aimed at Java and applies somewhat to C++ programmers but it is important for them to know that this book is valuable to them as well. Some may also wonder what an external programming language offers over Basic... I would say that it is possible to do more than script an open running OOo instance but to use OOo in "headless" mode and co-opt it's functionality for the internal use of your projects.
I think it would be good if the author could add a small section on Java programming explaining some of the things mentioned here, I think it would only take a few pages and help a lot of programmers. For the value it has given me, and the great reduction in searching the web and for it's vastly superior readability to the Developers guide I give it five stars.
Thank you Roberto and Cecilia and best of luck to everyone on their projects.
Ken.
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