openoffice

milkinc13

milkinc13

milkinc13

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for one on my assignments for college I have to do a database. I have done most of it, but as I have done it in openoffice my tutor won't accept it as it's not in "MS Access" and wants it in this format otherwise he will refuse to mark it due to him not being able to open it. I have explained that I will give him Openoffice to open the file with and he's not having any of it. Is there any way I can do the database and convert it into MS Office so as it can be marked?

thanks in advance
 
1. Give you tutor a whack over the head
2. Repeatedly say that openoffice is free and whack him around the head until he gets the idea that he's being an arse

...
As from the Wiki:
Can I read my Base database from MS Access?

There is no way to use the table linking mechanism in Access to connect to a Base database.

It is possible for a Base database to update data in the Access database. At this time this will require however that the Access database be opened and locked by the Base file.

Data could also be passed back to the Access database by creating a linked CSV file in the Base database. Then linking to this CSV file to a table in the Access database.
Click to expand...

There also doesn't appear to be any export or save as option for MS Access like there is for Word/Powerpoint/Excel
 
Gah, what an idiot your tutor is being. Surely the assignment was set to determine that you can design and normalise a database, not as a demonstration of your Access skills.
 
did the tutor state at the begging of the assingment that it had to done in M$ office?

if not take it further - extremly narrow minded if you ask me.
 
So if you'd have used Oracle Enterprise on Solaris he would have failed you?!

The man is a muppet. Access hardly qualifies as a database in the first place and a proper tutor would have asked for you to document the proper database design not an actual "creation" in some poxy desktop database tool. No wonder schools/colleges/universities produce people with no useful computer skills.
 
deano said:
did the tutor state at the begging of the assingment that it had to done in M$ office?

if not take it further - extremly narrow minded if you ask me.
Click to expand...

It says nowhere on the assignment breif that it has to be done in MS Office.

College has office 03 and I can only get hold of 07, so if i did buy office it would be incompatible as I would be doing it in 07 and not 03 so either way i'm stuffed
 
Why should your tutor go out of his way to install extra software just to mark your work? It sounds unlikely that he never mentioned you should use Access.

Anyhoo, you can probably export your database into some common format that Access will like. You can then save the version from Access to be compatible with older versions I would imagine.
 
Email the tutor about it.. he might let you use some other software if you ask him.
 
milkinc13 said:
when I asked him he said "if I can't open the file I can't mark your work" in other words buy MS office
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Your tutor should be valuing your use of open source alternative software (as any future workplace should, as it has the potential to save them money and shows a certain broadmindedness of thinking & willingness to be adaptable).

Surely if the assignment doesn't state that you have to use Access then Openoffice or other alternative should be fine as long as you are filling the criteria set by the assignment?

If there's still plenty of time to do the assignment I would suggest taking it further (easier said than done if the tutor decides to hold a grudge) - maybe an informal chat with his senior?

I think saying "if I can't open the file I can't mark your work" is reasonable to an extent but surely installing Openoffice to the college pcs isn't all that difficult? Even if it's just to the tutors pc?
 
milkinc13 said:
It says nowhere on the assignment breif that it has to be done in MS Office.

College has office 03 and I can only get hold of 07, so if i did buy office it would be incompatible as I would be doing it in 07 and not 03 so either way i'm stuffed
Click to expand...

Talk to your tutor about this point.

Logically you could never pass so there has to be a misunderstanding somewhere.
 
he could do the work at college or surely the Office '07 he says he has access to can save to a file that's openable by Office '03
 
first rule of education- always do what your tutor says :)

If your database is written using a different program from everyone else's

a) If your tutor has to mark 30 similar pieces of work he doesn't have the time to faff around with other bits of software just to read 1 person's assignment

b) It makes it more difficult to make a valid and fair comparison to your assignment with other people's

Office 2007 should allow you to save your document as a .mdb, although it uses a new native format for it's files.

Otherwise you'll be having to burn the midnight oil in your college computer lab ;)
 
I had this issue with a video module once.

The lecturer refused to mark the work because he didn't have the codecs installed. I wouldn't have said anything but I was using a bog standard codec, and it turned out he was running WM Player 9 and this was why he couldn't open it :rolleyes:

I suppose he has a right to say he wants a universal standard so he doesn't have to switch programs, but in all honesty it's free so he's just being lazy.

My advise would be to go to a head of department, explain the situation and if they agree it's just fine to do it in open office then just hand it in with a copy of OpenOffice in a folder for him to install ;)
 
If he hasn't specified it in the assignment description he doesn't have a leg to stand on. Probably only worth your while making a ruckus about it if you honestly don't have time to redo it: don't make a stand on principle alone because, even if your department sees your point and sides against the tutor, that particular tutor will have plenty of opportunities to get back at you for making him look bad in the future...

M0KUJ1N said:
first rule of education- always do what your tutor says :)
Click to expand...
"Was der Meister nicht kann, vermöcht' es der Knabe, hätt' er ihm immer gehorcht?" ;)
 
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