Queries — Using the Query Designer

A query is a question you ask of the database to retrieve exactly the records you want — for example, 'show all customers from Pune' or 'list orders above ₹5,000'. A query does not store data of its own; it pulls the required data out of one or more tables each time it runs, and can also sort the result or perform calculations.

LibreOffice Base lets you build a query in two ways: visually with the Query Designer, or by typing SQL directly (covered in the next section). The Query Designer is a graphical, drag-and-drop screen, which makes it a good starting point.

Steps to build a query in Design View:

1. In the database window, click Queries in the left panel, then Create Query in Design View....
2. In the Add Table or Query dialog, choose the table(s) the query should read from, then close the dialog. The chosen tables appear at the top of the window.
3. Add the fields you want in the result: double-click a field in the table, or drag it down into the design grid at the bottom. Each column of the grid represents one output field.
4. For any field, use the grid rows to control the result:
   • Alias — a friendlier heading for the column in the output.
   • Sort — choose ascending or descending to order the result by that field.
   • Visible — untick to use a field only for filtering without showing it.
   • Criterion — type a condition to keep only matching rows (for example, 'Pune' under a City field keeps only customers from Pune; >5000 under an Amount field keeps only large orders).
5. Run the query (press F5 or click the Run Query button) to see the result, then Save it with a name. …