OpenOffice 2.0 Nears Beta Testing
OpenOffice.org 2.0, the open-source office suite sponsored by Sun Microsystems Inc., is getting closer to reality.
Source: eWeekThe latest prebeta edition, OpenOffice.org Snapshot Build 1.9.m65 (680_m65), is feature-complete and reveals an office suite that includes a personal DBMS (database management system) and improved Microsoft Office file compatibility.
While StarOffice—OpenOffice's commercial, closed-source brother—has long had a database, Software AG's ADABAS D relational DBMS, OpenOffice has not had one.
Microsoft Office, with which OpenOffice is often compared, comes with the Access database. Starting with 2.0, however, OpenOffice will include the open-source HSQL database engine.
HSQL is a Java-based database. It is an SQL (structured query language) DBMS engine that's also designed for use with JDBC (Java DataBase Connect). As such, it's a database designer tool, not an office-worker tool.
To make HSQL useful to office-users, OpenOffice 2.0 will include a user-friendly front end, OpenOffice Base. With this, users can access existing dBASE, Microsoft Access and MySQL databases, among others. It also can be used to create databases. OpenOffice Base also includes easy-to-use report, form and query creation wizards.
0
Comments