DataForm

×

Warning message

This extension was not updated recently. It might not work with latest versions of OpenOffice.

Primary tabs

Provider:
Comune di Bologna
Maintainer:
yafede
Rating:
4

Average: 4 (23 votes)

Application:
Calc, OpenOffice.org
Tags:
calc, extension, spreadsheet, extension, form, extension, data, extension
Post date:
Wednesday, 15 October, 2008 - 13:00
Statistics
Week: Not tracked - Month: Not tracked - Year: Not tracked - Timeline
Download extension
System Independent version - All releases
Compatible with OpenOffice 4: Unknown
User feedback:
Compatible with OpenOffice 4.x?

This extension generates a data input form for tables in calc, reproducing the Data - Form feature of Microsoft Office Excel.

Installation
Double-click on the extension file and follow the instructions.
After installation close both OpenOffice.org and the Quickstarter (the icon in the traybar), and start OpenOffice.org again.

Usage
In Calc, create a table with at least one row and the headline, for example:
Name | Surname | Cellphone
John | Smith | 1234455

Then, click on a range or any cell of the newly created table (not on empty cells), and go to Data - Form. That's it.
A form will appear letting you insert other records, or edit-delete the old ones.

For developers
You can also call the routine with a specified range as (optional) parameter:
coboDataForm(<B1:D10>)

Bug reports
If you want to help us with bugs, please send an error report with this data:
- error description
- operating system
- openoffice.org version

Available languages
Brazilian Portuguese, Catalan, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Japanese, Italian, Norwegian Bokmal, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Serbian, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish.
If anybody wants to help for the translation in other languages, please post a comment or contact us.

License: GPL v2

Part of the extension is based on the code of this OOoForum discussion:
http://www.oooforum.org/forum/viewtopic.phtml?p=283278

DataForm

Version Operating system Compatibility Release date
1.0.3 System Independent 2.x, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 11/11/2010 - 04:37 More information Download
1.0.2 System Independent 2.x, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 21/06/2010 - 03:19 More information Download
1.0.1 System Independent 2.x, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 28/05/2010 - 03:56 More information Download
1.0.0 System Independent 2.x, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 23/02/2010 - 05:40 More information Download
0.9.0 System Independent 2.x, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 02/03/2009 - 12:13 More information Download
0.8.0 System Independent 2.x, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 22/12/2008 - 09:44 More information Download
0.6.1 System Independent 2.x, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 12/11/2008 - 10:27 More information Download
0.6.0 System Independent 2.x, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 07/11/2008 - 12:10 More information Download
0.5.0 System Independent 2.x, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 03/11/2008 - 10:47 More information Download
0.4.0 System Independent 2.x, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 29/10/2008 - 14:10 More information Download
0.3.0 System Independent 2.x, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 27/10/2008 - 12:09 More information Download
0.2.1 System Independent 2.x, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 22/10/2008 - 05:12 More information Download
0.1.1 System Independent 2.x, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 16/10/2008 - 04:40 More information Download

Comments

On oOo 4.1.2 and Windows 10: functions as promised.
Thank you.

Version 3 of databaserangemanager is more efficient and easier to use

Databaserangemanager works well
1 - if the fields are correctly formatted.
2 - if the first record has no empty fields
3 - if the second record comprises at least one value
Read the help pages DRM included in the help page of AOO

Dataform is obsolete. AOO progress has been made since version 2.1
Dataform not know treat all data formats
See and compare DatabaseRangeManager

database range manager doesn't seem to have same basic simple function. Current stat form I loaded into OO4.0 enter causes records to be skipped on iMac.

This extension appears to be broken. After much fiddling, we can get it to show an input form for 26 fields using the column headers (if *any* cell is empty for selecting "data range" it does not produce the input form.)
However, it systematically overwrites the first row of the existing spreadsheet.
We have tried to define the "data range" by selecting the last row of the spreadsheet, and it reports: "Table not found. Select a range or single cell in the table area and try again", then comes up with a "Basic runtime error. An exception occurred. Type com.sun.star.lang.IndexoutofboundsException."
Conclusion - it looked promising but does not work (at least for us.)

I downloaded this just now, and installed it in Open Office 3.2.1
for operating system Windows XP Pro.

I installed it - the agreement appeared, etc. and the extension manager
showed it installed.

The item appears in the Data menu.

I clicked on the first cell of my table that had data ( i.e. the second row,
first column), then chose Data/dataform.
Nothing appeared. I tried several other cells - nothing.

Any suggestions? This is a really handy feature which I have used
in MS Excel many times.

I wish also you might add some navigation features as in the MS version..

Thanks,!

Salve,
First thanks for the great extension. Works very well on OOo3.2.1. One quick request. Would it be possible to allow the size of the Form window to be adjusted (made bigger). People with longer cells would like to be able to read the entire contents of a cell without scrolling. This is only possible if the Form window can be made wider.
Ciao,
Jonathan

You make a very reasonable request, we''l work on it, but it might take some time because it's not a priority.
Anyway, the extension is open source (you just have to download it and unzip it to see the code), so if anybody else can help us with patches and bug fixing we would appreciate it.

Thanks,
cobo

I encountered a problem with incorrect date values. Will stop the macro and display the source code...
I found a simple solution, show an error message and delete the contents of cell

Function salvaRecord as Boolean
.....

change these lines

  datetime1 = DateValue(txtCampo.Text)
  cella.Value = datetime1

with these other

If IsDate(txtCampo.Text) = False Then
  MsgBox("Valore Data Errato")
  cella.setString("")
Else
  datetime1 = DateValue(txtCampo.Text)
  cella.Value = datetime1
EndIf

Thank you very much for the suggestion, we will check your fix and update the extension as soon as possible!
cobo

I am using the form with Open Office version 3.2 and have not had any problems. I really like it but wish it would pick up more columns that could be seen. Maybe if the format were a couple of columns wide.

Given the date of the release, when I saw other comments of install difficulties I wasn't sure if it worked for 3.1. It works OK. I installed it today on a WinXP system.

Be apprised it does not create a modifiable "Forms" data entry screen where you can move things around the screen. It simply presents a pop-up to generate a new row for an existing table, or edit a row of a table. So it is not nearly the "Forms" functionality that is provided in the Base package, or even the advertised Excel functionality. You won't be building a "GUI" with this.

I downloaded the extension storing the file (DataForm-0.9.0.oxt) on my ubuntu 8.04, OpenOffice 3.1.0 desktop. The installation states to "Double-click on the extension file and follow the instructions." When I double click on the file I get a box pop up that informs me "There is no application installed for this file type".

How can I proceed? Thanks!!

I apologize. A little googling would have revealed the answer. Select tools - extension manager - add, then browse to the download folder and select the extension.

The input into cells that this replaces was using a drop down box. It would be cool if the extension could use them. Also, I have a macro that inserts some text into the current cell that does not work in the form. Also cool if that would work.

Many thanks to the developer. I think I'll put the extension to good work!

bgman.

Hi
I have been waiting for this extension for some time now and am very pleased with your great effort.

Thank you very much.

Texhead

Trying to install this plug-in, I get the following error :

Configuration Parser: a
com.sun.star.xml.sax.SAXParseException occured while
parsing : - {Parser Error : [ line 33]: invalid tokenerror }.

I am on kubuntu 8.04 running openoffice 2.4.1

Hi,
I have received several comments about errors during install of version 0.7.0 of DataForm. I have disabled 0.7.0 and re-enabled 0.6, please try this previous release while I try to undesrtand what's wrong with 0.7.0.
Let me know if it works.

Thank you,
cobo

Hi, could you add support for record navigation through keyboard (PgUp, PgDown, Up, Down, Home, End)? I think this will improve usability for your great extension.

Thank you.

This is a very good idea. We'll work on it, thanks.

cobo

Cool extension. Just wondering if you might consider an improvement where the user could select from a drop-down one of the existing column entries -- so one could either type in a new entry or just select one from a list of those already previous used in the table.

Thank you for your suggestion, but we have created this extension in order to make our users -that were accustomed to the old MS Office Excel- more comfortable with the new OpenOffice.org suite.
This kind of improvement could be certainly useful but would disorient our users, so we won't do it for now.

Anyway, this extension is open source software, so nothing keeps you from taking it, modifying it and doing your own fork.

Cheers,
cobo.

Hi.

I find errors in translation to spanish. I correct the files. Can you recieve the files?

Eduardo Moreno
TOKONHU de México

Hi Cobo

At my day job we're talking about ways to make order-taking easier for our staff, so we've been discussing databases, etc., but these get complex really fast. Then I saw your extension and tried it and it's ideal! It would be really easy to create a spreadsheet with a heading for each field, pop up a form and the staff could enter all the info very easily. So here's my question....

Would it be possible to make the form pop up automatically when opening a file? If so, could it be done so that it only opens with specific files rather than all files? I'm envisioning putting a link on a staff computer pointing to a centrally stored 'order form' spreadsheet file out on our network. Staff could click the link and the form pops up ready to fill out, then they add their info and save the file. The person filling the order could then open the file from their computer and process the order.

I'll totally understand if this is too big a pain to implement.

It's not, because i have nothing to implement! ;-)

You can run ANY macro on the opening of a specific file:
1 - Create your spreadsheet document with the heading and at least one row entry (otherwise DataForm won't work).
2 - Go to Tools - Customize. Select the Event tab. There, select the "Open document" event, and push the "Macro" button.
3 - A window pops up. Here you can select the DataForm macro: click on the "+" beside My macros, then DataForm, and DataForm again
4 - On the right box a list of functions should appear: select the "coboDataForm" function and click "OK"
5 - Click OK again
6 - IMPORTANT: select a cell of your newly created table, DO NOT close the document selecting an empty cell.
7 - Save and close your document.
8 - Now open it again and have fun. :-)

Note that this will work only if you install the DataForm extension in all the computers of your staff.

Well, that's just perfect! Thanks, cobo.

By the way -- I'm running it on OO version 3, and when I installed the extension, it ended up in the OpenOffice macros, not My Macros (see your step 3). Other than that, it's all working like a charm. :)

I checked the installation on OO 3.0
The behaviour you have reported is because the extension management has been changed in OO 3.0. When you install an ext, the extension manager asks you if you want to make available the extension only to the current user or to all the users: in the first case, the extension is stored under "My macros", in the second case it's stored under "OpenOffice macros".

Probably you chose to make the extension available to all the users.

Cheers,
cobo

Thanks for pointing out this, I haven't tried installing extensions in OO 3 from scratch yet.

Cheers,
cobo.

Hello,
I use some keys to naviguate into form dialogbox
Tab = go to next field
Shift + Tab = go to previous field
Enter = validate the record
If I press Enter in the last field, the record is validate but I don't go to a new one.
I press Enter again and it work!

Hi,
Tab and Shift tab were already working as you say.
Hitting return didn't, but now I should have fixed it.. Since version 0.3.0 you can validate a record by single-hitting Return.

Cheers,
cobo

Thank you for the improvement suggestion.
I'll check it as soon as possible.

Cheers,
cobo

Hi !
I upload this estension on Open Office .
How i use it ?
Thank you !
Carpe Diem !

In Calc, create a table with at least one row and the headline, for example:
Name | Surname | Cellphone
John | Smith | 1234455

Then, click on any cell of the table, and go to Data - Form. That's it.
A form should appear letting you insert other records, or edit-delete the old ones.

Cheers,
cobo

try to use it as decribed, but unfortunally nothing happens. Wether I mark the whole range of have the cursor in a cell in first or second row....

Also using OOo 3.0 (OOO300M9 build:9358), running on WinXP

Gottfried

Hi!

DataForm didn´t work after restarting Calc for me. But I got it to work by doing this:

1 Disable DataForm
2 Restart Calc
3 Enable DataForm
4 Restart Calc

Thanks a lot for this useful extension!

Lars

You should try restarting OpenOffice. Remember to close the Quickstarter too.

Cheers,
cobo

Hi Cobo,

It would seem that you are the person to ask.

I have pulled my hair out (whats left of it) trying to get this extension to work, however no matter what I do, I cannot get the DataForm to open up the form at all! HELP!!!!

I think this is a great extension, if I could only get it to work...

I am Using Win 7 RC with OOo3.1.0, extension revision 0.9.0
I thought it was an incompatability with Win 7, until I also tried the same on a WinXP SP3 system..

I am at a loss as to what to do.... I have tried all of the above fixes, but to no avail, removed and reinstalled the extension, disabled, re-enabled etc etc..

Please help, I am now convinced that I have gone wrong somewhere..

Many Thanks in advance

emanjackson

:-(