Re: RFC - Using Gnumeric as a Database source

[Christian Neumair <chris gnome-de org>]

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