Libre Office Base

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I am moving from Windows 7 to Linux MInt 19.3 and have several databases running in Lotus Approach. To save myself the trouble of setting all these up again in Base I wondered if anyone has experience in importing Approach files in to Base – or even if this is possible. I am not sure how Approach stores the files.

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I’ve never used Lotus Approach before so did a test.

1. I downloaded Lotus SmartSuite 9.8 (free of charge) from https://archive.org/details/LotusSmartSuite99 and installed Approach in Windows 7.

2. I downloaded and opened an example Approach database (from http://www.johnbrown.com.au/approach/examples.htm):

3. I exported the database in dBASE format to a folder I created called dBase.

4. I copied this dBase folder from Windows 7 to the Public folder in Linux Mint 19 Cinnamon.

5. Next I swapped over to Linux Mint, opened LibreOffice Base (which defaults to a Database Wizard) and chose to Connect to an existing database and changed the dropdown to dBASE:

6. I clicked on the Next button, navigated to the /home/user/public/dBase folder and clicked on the OK button… then on the Finish button.

7. I named the new database as Video Files List then clicked on the Save button.

8. My new, converted database opened. To check, I opened the video library entry under Tables:

So, it seems the basic process to convert data from Approach to Base is actually really easy. I must point out that I don’t use databases so wasn’t able to test further by testing forms, queries, reports, etc.

Hope this helps…

3 users thanked author for this post.

WSKenWA, PaulK, Paul T

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Lotus approach seems to have been discontinued for some time. But the good news is that there are a lot of open source database systems besides LibreOffice – Base available these days… such as SQLite, PostgreSQL, My SQL, MongoDB, MariaDB, etc.

Maybe check a few of these out?

Alternatives to IBM Lotus Approach for all platforms

https://alternativeto.net/software/ibm-lotus-approach/

Windows 10 Pro 22H2

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Thanks Rick,

It seems to work and I can get the database into Base but I will have to do some homework to sort out what to do next!

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I’ve been an Approach (relational data base), and 1-2-3 (spreadsheet), user for years – nowhere using the products to their full capabilities, but adequately for me.
For some time I’ve considered dabbling with some flavor of Linux(*), but have hesitated because the Approach databases are important to me and I knew that these Lotus products are only Windows based.
I didn’t know that SmartSuite is now free: the licenses that I have ‘came with’ the IBM and Lenovo computers that I have bought. “Back then.”

Thank you, Rick, for this bit of research.

* – Not looking for suggestions as I’m more-or-less following the various topics here.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Charlie

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