Converting Appleworks Database to what?

My post in another thread gives you some options. Unfortunately, nothing can read/open/convert an AppleWorks database. Generally, you will need AppleWorks 6 to open & copy/paste or save as… ASCII/plain text to open in some other format.

If your database is quite simple, then Bento would probably do, though it is much more limited than AppleWorks. Otherwise FileMaker Pro is the only practicable option. In both cases, as Peggy says, you will have to export as ASCII text and import into the new program; obviously you can only bring data over, not layouts or calculations.

More information on the subject here:

http://homepage.mac.com/rfwilmut/notes/aw/page5.html
http://homepage.mac.com/rfwilmut/notes/aw/page6.html

From Appleworks, export as a text (ASCII file)

Open the text file with Numbers.

Yvan KOENIG (VALLAURIS, France) vendredi 4 septembre 2009 14:57:06

There isn't any really compatible database program to AW database so you need to look at several options to keep at least the information you have in your AW database documents. Another suggestion apart from those mentioned above is iList. It is nothing fancy but among the databases I have tried out it seems workable.

Consider TextEdit.

If your database has only four fields and is kept sorted, then export or copy/paste to TextEdit.

A TextEdit file is not interrupted by page breaks and, unlike some databases, has live scrolling, so it's faster than many apps at scrolling through a long list of data. And you can use Command-F to find a particular date or word. And you can display more of your journal entries on screen just by dragging the window wider - how many apps will do that? And you can add photos. And it's cheap.

Hi,

I've been playing with sqlite. 10.5 and 10.6 comes with a sqlite database engine. You can access it using +Sqlite Database Browser+ or if you are using Firefox you can install a plugin +Sqlite Manager+.

It is not quite as simple as the Appleworks database. I have been able to able to import the data from my Appleworks database but it currently appears in a spreadsheet like table. You can run queries and views. Unfortunately, there is no forms but I've been playing a bit with html and javascript to see if I can create an input form which can add rows to the database and run reports.

I'm at the beginning stages so I don't know if it will work or not but everything is open source and it is simply costing me my time.

Hope this helps.

First of all, the best way to insure that your journal entries are preserved for your lifetime and your children's lifetime is to save it as a text file. Once your data is in a text file you'll have access to the data just as you did in the AppleWorks database - read it, edit it, add new entries, etc, you just can't sort it. Years from now, with AppleWorks long gone, you'll still be able to read what you did on 4/22/1985. And if sometime down the road you decide you want the data in a real database, if you keep that text file formatted as it is, same tabs and returns, then click-click it's in.

Second, copy and Paste takes seconds - select all the records, hit Command-C, open a TextEdit file, or any word processor or text editor, and hit Command-V. If there is a problem because of too many records then copy/paste them in smaller gulps, or just click Save As and choose ASCII Text.

You could try Bento - there is a free trial, so it would cost you nothing to find out whether it's suitable (I don't know how it would react to thousands of entries).

The advice to keep it as a text file is a good one - it wouldn't be too much extra work to keep both a text file and a database - then whatever happens you will still be able to access it.

First, take your file and burn it on a CD or DVD. Back it up on an external harddrive too. I'm a belt and suspenders kind of person.

As you've read, nothing will read/convert an Appleworks database file into anything to continue using it as a database file. I've looked into a few things (Filemaker for one) and thus am still using Appleworks 6.2.9. I really need my databases.

You can also consider printing the whole darn thing. Yes, lots of paper for hardcopy but it's a sure fire way to preserve it. Set up a layout to save the most paper. When you're done you might consider using the Levenger Circa system to punch the pages and put it in an attractive leather circa journal.

Then...consider switching to a blog. You can keep it private and never publish it. I started by using software I downloaded to my computer. That way I can save the file and it's never published. Or I can opt to publish it. Now I just use Wordpress, Blogger or Livejournal. Livejournal has it's moments, but you can use the "personal" option each time so it's private and no one ever sees it.

I'm still waiting for that iWorks database that will convert all of my Appleworks database files. But I'm not holding my breath.

mlaiuppa wrote:
I'm still waiting for that iWorks database that will convert all of my Appleworks database files. But I'm not holding my breath.

Unless Apple decides for some reason to change the name of the iWork package, you'll wait forever for a database component to "iWorks", mlaiuppa. 😉

It's "iWork" (no "s").

But not holding ones breath while waiting for an iWork database also seems to be advice worth taking.

Regards,
Barry

What is really boring is that creating a database for iWork would noy be difficult.

Take FileMaker, remove the components allowing it to exchange datas thru the Web, Reduce it to a single user app like iWork components and you have what we need.

When I learnt that FileMaker was working on a low cost product, I thought that they where building what I described.
In fact they just mimic my grand mother shoebox and sold it under the name Bentoy.

Yvan KOENIG (VALLAURIS, France) vendredi 23 octobre 2009 18:52:19