The text at https://help.libreoffice.org/Common/Query_Design#Parameter_queries is rather confusing and on occasions it seems to be wrong. This is the first time that the concept of "variable" has been introduced, but it is not defined anywhere. Is it meant to mean that an SQL variable is created and assigned a value? The square bracket notation does not work, but without an example it's difficult to see what the author meant (translation problem?). Certainly putting << =[Prompt] >> (without the angle brackets) in the "criterion" row of a query design doesn't work. As it currently works, the text after the colon is not the variable name, but the prompt which is output by LO. Or is this also the name of an SQL variable? The comment about placeholders is a bit too terse. One can assume that the comma in the example is not a literal (but "and" might be clearer), but just what constitutes a "special character"? "Such as..." shouldn't really appear in a technical document. And the last line of the section uses the word "placeholder" in a completely different context. I would be willing to help clean up this text but don't have editing rights. The help wiki doesn't seem to have a "register" option - probably a good idea to stop amateurs like myself from messing up the system :)
I'll change the component to documentation and set to NEW. Editable help wiki is indeed in the works, although it would not be a plain old wiki, but having some more customized and efficient workflow. You are invited to join the help file task force, which currently hangs out on #libreoffice-design on IRC (@Freenode) If you haven't used IRC, here is a quick way to join: http://webchat.freenode.net/?channels=libreoffice-design Quick intro to the handful of useful commands: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IRC/Tutorial#What_are_some_basic_commands.3F The documentation team also uses a mailing list: http://nabble.documentfoundation.org/Documentation-f1645240.html Information about the documentation process: https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Documentation
Thanks Beluga. I'll look at those links. I'm not enough of an LO expert to be able to produce much help documentation (if I were, I wouldn't be using the help files!) - it's only when I look for help and it doesn't help that I feel I might be able to be of use.
After a lot of help from various members of your team I've managed (I hope!) to produce a revised version. I think it will need a bit of modding before incorporation in the help package. But I can't upload it as the uploader won't accept a .xhp file. How do I get it here, please?
(In reply to Peter Toye from comment #3) > But I can't upload it as the uploader won't accept a .xhp file. > How do I get it here, please? You can archive the .xhp file and upload this archive.
Created attachment 120719 [details] Modification to database query help file. modified from folder libreoffice-5.1.0.0.alpha1\helpcontent2\source\text\shared\explorer\database
Thought it was complaining about the format of the file, not just the description. Hope this is OK.
Created attachment 120843 [details] Improved help file v.2 Improved replacement file.
I've moved the paragraph on subforms to the preceding section, and rewritten most of it. Also moved the para on wild cards in value input to the Parameter Input section. And tidied up a bit of text.
(In reply to Peter Toye from comment #8) > I've moved the paragraph on subforms to the preceding section, and rewritten > most of it. > > Also moved the para on wild cards in value input to the Parameter Input > section. > > And tidied up a bit of text. Thank you a lot for your contribution, Peter. I will prepare the patch in the near future.
tagezi committed a patch related to this issue. It has been pushed to "master": http://cgit.freedesktop.org/libreoffice/help/commit/?id=7e8d97ebb560b267f1e60c5f8c367660d0629a6b tdf#95542 proofreading text of the Parameter queries chapter