How to Populate an OpenOffice Base From an Excel Spreadsheet
By Donna Armstrong
OpenOffice is free software similar to Microsoft Office. With OpenOffice Base, users can create spreadsheets and databases. OpenOffice programs can also be used to view and edit Microsoft Office documents. Populating an OpenOffice Base file with information from an Excel spreadsheet will allow you to create your own database without having Microsoft Office installed.
Step 1
Open the Excel spreadsheet in OpenOffice Calc. Start the Calc program and select "Open" from the "File" menu. Locate the Excel spreadsheet you are using to populate the database and click on the "Open" button. Check the information in the spreadsheet to make sure everything is in the correct column.
Step 2
Give each column a name in Calc. Insert a row into the spreadsheet at line "1." Type the names of the columns in this row. Then highlight the entire spreadsheet and copy the contents. Pressing the "CTRL" and "A" keys at the same time will highlight every line in the spreadsheet. To copy, right-click and select "Copy" or press "CTRL" and the "C" key at the same time.
Step 3
Open the OpenOffice Base program and select the database you wish to add the information to. Select the "Tables" button on the panel on the left side of the screen.
Step 4
Paste the copied information into the section of the edit area marked "Tables." Simply right-click inside the "Tables" section and select "Paste" from the drop-down menu. The program will open a window to walk you through the import process.
Step 5
Name the table in the import window. Check the box next to "Definition and Data" and then click "Next."
Step 6
Choose the columns you want to import from the list on the right side and click the left-pointing arrow button. Click "Next" when all the columns that you want imported are in the left window.
Step 7
Follow the directions in the import window to format each column. Choose whether the column is text, number or date. Click "Create" when you have finished.
Step 8
Click on the "Yes" button in the Primary Key window that pops up. This will automatically create a primary key for the table.
Step 9
Click on the name of the new table in the "Tables" section of your screen and check to make sure all the information imported correctly. Forms, reports and queries can now be created from the information in this table.
References
Writer Bio
Donna Armstrong is a freelance writer who has been writing since 2005. She has provided copy for catalogs, newspapers, newsletters, blogs, informational and e-commerce websites. She has written on a variety of subjects including state-of-the-art electronics and household products. She has worked for such websites as Work.com and Realtvaddict.com. She attended the University of Texas, where she studied history and education.