How to Create Queries in OpenOffice Base

OpenOffice Base is a free open-source database program that helps you organize your data and find specific information quickly and easily. Once you have set up a table with your data, you can create a search query to run in the database. The results are displayed in a spreadsheet-style table, which you can then save, export as a different file type or print.

Instructions

1

Launch the OpenOffice Base application on your computer by clicking the "Start" menu and selecting "All Programs." Scroll down until you will see the "OpenOffice" folder. Click on it, and select "OpenOffice Base" from the drop-down list.

2

Click the "Queries" tab at the side of the window to open a new query table for your questions. Select "Task" and then choose "Create Query in Design View." Select a table from the "Add Table" dialog box, click "Add" and then click "Close." Wait for the table to appear.

3

Set up the query information. Double-click the field in the table that your question refers to; this moves the field to the "Fields" section on the query grid. You can also use the drop-down menus on the query grid to select the field you want to query. Set the criteria for your query by clicking in the "Criterion" cell, and typing the criteria. Display the query as text by clicking on the "Switch Design View On/Off."

4

Run your query by clicking "Run Query." The query will then be displayed on the upper portion of the monitor. Save this query by clicking on the "File" menu, and then selecting "Save."