Re: RFC - Using Gnumeric as a Database source



On So, 2003-12-21 at 18:53 +0100, Rodrigo Moya wrote:
On Sun, 2003-12-21 at 16:44, Uri David Akavia wrote:
Hello all.

I'm sending the mailing list a feature I would like to see implemented
in the 1.3 development cycle - Using Gnumeric as a databse source.

I'll explain: I've used Excel as a small database (we're talking several
hundred lines, where each collumn is a distinct value). This is simpler
than using Acess (Blah) and it is generally simple enough so people can
maintain it, even after I'm gone.
This is for tissue harvested during research. The general idea is that
each line has Collecter, Tissue type, Date, Amount and such like.
I use SUMIF and COUNTIF to measure the amount of Muscle (for example)
that I collected. However, both SUMIF and COUNTIF let you only specifiy
one criteria, so to do something like this I have to use sorting and
other yucks.
I would like expanded SUMIF and COUNTIF - for example
SUMIF(A15:F63, (B="Uri David" AND C="Muscle), G15:G63).

However, it got me thinking. Writing something like this in SQL would be
incredibly easy, but it means that I have to set up Gnumeric as its own
Database source. I think that such enhancment would allow me to set up
much more complex questions, and change them on the fly.
How difficult would it be?

I'm open to comments, and I hope that it isn't too difficult to
implement.

As I see it, it would be quite easy to do it. You could write a libgda
plugin (http://www.gnome-db.org) which provides access to Gnumeric
files. Then, you can access those Gnumeric files via libgda DB-oriented
API, even using SQL.
This sounds like a damn neat idea. I bet he was hoping for a few
specific hints when it comes to implementation (that is, me toooo :), e.
g. what part of Gnumeric's API to use or whether to write something from
scratch etc.

regs,
 Chris




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