Question about using Date conditions in OpenOffice Base Queries

[Otis]

Hey there. I'm trying to use database software to help automate some budget tasks. My previous experience with database software was in the 1980s, when I developed programs using an MSDOS version of dBASE. However, database freeware these days all seem to be menu driven, and the newer vocabulary is not always clear to me.

Is anyone in the forum familiar with OpenOffice Base? It's the open-source database in Apache's software suite (developed as an alternative to Microsoft Office.)

I'm not understanding some results, after trying to follow online help. Here's my first situation.

I've created a simple database (named HCS) for expenses; each record contains four fields {ID, DATE, TYPE, AMT}.

I would like to sum the AMT field for records in 2022. I need help understanding how to set conditions on the date field when I make the query, in order to restrict the summation to 2022 dates. (I'm using the built-in wizard to create the query.)

Here's the wizard's dialog box for setting the selection conditions (Step 3).



I don't understand why, but, during the first day experimenting, the Value field would immediately change to an Integer (like 44516) after entering the dates. I'd given up, for the weekend. Today, however, the date values do not change to Integers. (I can't tell whether that weirdness is relevant, but it's weird, nonetheless.)

Here's the dialog box for the summation instruction (Step 4).



This is the overview (Step 8).



As you can see, the claim is that no conditions were set. When I click finish, the query runs and simply displays the AMT value from each record.



I took 10 screenshots, during my attempt to use the wizard. I've posted only what seems relevant. I'd skipped Steps 5,6,7 because I'm not listing the records or displaying field names; I just want the sum. (When I query the sum of all records, it works fine.)

I won't be surprised if I've made an obvious mistake. Regardless, I hope to be schooled. ?

 

[Dr.Peterson]

I have no experience with Base, and just scanned what you show, but shouldn't you be doing an AND rather than an OR?



The effect of what you show would be equivalent to "no condition".

 

[Otis]

shouldn't you be doing an AND rather than an OR?

Hi, thanks for taking a look! Actually, I had tried a variety of settings combinations on the wizard screens. Using AND vs OR makes no difference; the result is the same either way: No condition set. (I ought to have taken that screen shot during my first attempt.)

I'm going to reinstall the software. It's crashed seven times, sometimes from simply clicking basic icons (like changing views or clicking the 'Options' menu). Other things don't seem right, either. After a crash, restarting the program leads to a file-recovery screen that tells me the database file cannot be recovered. Yet, canceling out of that dialog box takes me to the default screen, where I'm able to open the file and confirm that it's still intact (i.e., summing all records leads to the expected total). Also, I'm supposed to be able to view an error log, but that option is missing as well.

The help files need updating. There are several references to various menu icons or selection choices that do not appear in the software.

I seem to be getting what I paid for, heh.
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