Link Base to Access file

1. Open a new Base file; 2. Select 'Connect to an existing database' radio button; 3. Select database type from drop-down list:

4. Click on Next button; 5. Use browse button and file picker to select Access database file;

6. Click on Next button;

7. Select 'Yes, register the database for me' radio button; 8. Select 'Open the database for editing' option; 9. Finally, click on Finish button to save Base file:

The result will be that the Access tables will appear in the Base file and can be accessed to read or write data. Access queries will appear in Base as Views but cannot be edited. Access forms or reports will not transfer to Base and will have to be re-written within the Base file. Both Writer and Calc documents can, also, link to the Access data linked to a Registered Base database.

Stage two.
In due course there may be a need to migrate the data fully from the Access file to Base. The embedded HSQLDB database used by Base is not wholly reliable and it is all too easy to lose data in the import process. Do not delete the Access source files until the transfer has been fully completed and additional back-ups of the new Base files saved. 1. Open a new Base file, but this time the 'Create a new database' radio button should be selected;

2. The simply click the Finish button and save the new empty Base file;

3. With both the New empty database and the existing Base file linked to the Access file both open it is possible to copy (even by clicking and dragging) tables from the existing Base file to the new file;

4. As each table is copied to the new file a dialog will open;

5. The 'Definition and data' radio button should be selected, but there is no need at this stage of select the 'Create primary key' option; 6. Click the Next button;

7. the next dialog will permit you select the order in which the fields are copied, but usually clicking the double right pointing arrows will ensure all fields are copied across;

8. click the Next button to show a dialog that permits the data-type of each field to be checked and to ensure one of the fields is shown as a primary key;

9. finally, click on the Create button to complete the process and at this stage Base will offer to create a new field as a primary key if one has not already been selected. You will get an error message if any problems arise from the import process. Some proprietary Access data-types do not transfer well: for example, boolean or large memo fields can cause problems as can hyperlinks or images. The process is far from fool-proof.