# Any OpenOffice database gurus out there?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-openoffice-database-gurus-out-there/380162
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [November 12, 2006, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-openoffice-database-gurus-out-there/380162 "2006-11-12T23:10:25Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2006, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-openoffice-database-gurus-out-there/380162/1 "2006-11-12T23:10:25Z")
I recently bought a new laptop, and the MS Office package I have doesn’t include Access – which I use for, among other things, a database of my DVDs. “No problem, I can use OpenOffice!” So I downloaded OpenOffice, and installed just the Base application (their version of Access).
I created a Base file that connects to my Access database, and I can view/edit the table and create queries, but for some reason I can’t create any forms or reports – those options are grayed out. This is my first time using OpenOffice, so I can’t even guess at the problem. I can live without forms and reports, it just seems like functionality that should be available and I can’t figure out why it isn’t.
Any ideas/suggestions?
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### Author:  [@Imasquare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imasquare)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2006, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-openoffice-database-gurus-out-there/380162/2 "2006-11-13T05:37:19Z")
[QUOTE=Misnomer]
Any ideas/suggestions?
[/QUOTE]
Try the Open Office Forums for Base at [http://www.oooforum.org/forum/viewforum.phtml?f=10](http://www.oooforum.org/forum/viewforum.phtml?f=10)
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### Author:  [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2006, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-openoffice-database-gurus-out-there/380162/3 "2006-11-13T06:11:28Z")
Thanks, but I meant ideas/suggestions for what I might try – not where else I could look for answers. Sorry for being unclear. 🙂 I knew about the forums, and will head there if this thread is fruitless.
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### Author:  [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2006, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-openoffice-database-gurus-out-there/380162/4 "2006-11-13T15:52:27Z")
Just a wild off-the-wall guess here - but could the reports/forms function be tied to the other parts of Office, such as Text and Database (Word and Excel) functions?
So when you only installed the Access function you’re missing part of what you need?
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### Author:  [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2006, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-openoffice-database-gurus-out-there/380162/5 "2006-11-13T19:14:43Z")
I probably should have tried that first. :smack:
I won’t get to install the rest of OO until tomorrow evening (I’m in class tonight), but I’ll report afterwards. Thanks!
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### Author:  [@Imasquare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imasquare)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2006, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-openoffice-database-gurus-out-there/380162/6 "2006-11-14T00:29:23Z")
[QUOTE=Rico]
Just a wild off-the-wall guess here - but could the reports/forms function be tied to the other parts of Office, such as Text and Database (Word and Excel) functions?
So when you only installed the Access function you’re missing part of what you need?
[/QUOTE]
I reckon you’re right. I just created a form in Base and it used the word processing component (Write) as the form editor.
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### Author:  [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2006, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-openoffice-database-gurus-out-there/380162/7 "2006-11-16T02:31:37Z")
I finally got around to the full install of OpenOffice, and that did the trick. Thanks again, **Rico**! 🙂