Kexi 0.8 Beta 1 Announcement

APRIL 29, 2005

(special version released with for KOffice 1.4 Beta 1)

KOffice 1.4 is the first official release to include Kexi - the KOffice integrated data management application.

Kexi can be used for creating database schemas, inserting data, performing queries, and processing data. Forms can be created to provide a custom interface to your data. All database objects - tables, queries and forms - are stored in the database, making it easy to share databases.

Kexi is considered as a long awaited Open Source competitor for MS Access, Filemaker and Oracle Forms. Its development is motivated by the lack of Rapid Application Development (RAD) tools for database systems that are sufficiently powerful, inexpensive, open standards driven and portable across many OSes and hardware platforms.

Current version

KOffice 1.4 Beta 1 includes Kexi 0.8 Beta 1, which is similar to the forthcoming release of Kexi 0.9, due to be released independently of KOffice. Databases created with 0.8 release will be compatible with Kexi 0.9.

Features

Overview

• Supports database storage in files and on database servers.
• Graphical interface for creating and altering table structures.
• Form entry, with visual form designer.
• Advanced tabular data view.
• Intuitive query designer - no knowledge of SQL required!
• Integrated SQL Editor available for advanced users.

Data Processing and Access

• Data migration from MySQL, PostgreSQL and MS Access databases (MS Access available as an external plugin).
• KexiDB API available for developers for integration with other applications.
• Scripting support with Python language - hidden for this version.
• (JavaScript/ECMAScript support is planned)
• Easy data report generation (planned).

Database Storage

Kexi can store databases in files and on database servers, while providing a common user interface. Database drivers for the following database engines are available:

• SQLite (Native file format: version 2 and 3)
• PostgreSQL
• MySQL

Support for other database systems is planned for future versions, including the ODBC interface, for simpler and more flexible integration in corporate environments.

More

• Detailed Changes
• Known Problems & Unsupported Features
• For information about downloading and compiling see KOffice 1.4 Beta 1 Announcement.
• Download MS Acccess (MDB) Driver.