The first step to bring Linux on the desktop of companies is to abstract a bit from the user needs and describe in detail what the mentioned software from Microsoft is doing and why it is so important. The main issue why computers are used in the business world is to store and retrieve table-related data, for example inventory lists, product lists, customer lists, accounting tables and so on. 90% of the IT infrastructure in the business world has to do with database management, and GUIs for database management software. The reason why the MS-Access software has become so popular is because it consists of two things:
- a database engine known as the Jet Engine
- a Rapid Application Development software in which the normal user can create forms, reports, views and macros
The combination of both fulfills the needs in the business reality great. The next step is to ask what the Open Source replacement will look like. The good news is, that the technology is available but it's not documented well enough. The database engine can be realized with sqlite and the Rapid application development software can be found under the name Gambas basic.
Let us describe the details of an open source MS-access clone. A single sqlite file stores the data of many database tables. The information is created and updated with sql statements. Sqlite is a very powerful software which is used for anything. The main problem is, that on the command line it's hard to interact with the tool. To make the life easier a rapid application development software is needed. This is a program which allows to create multi document interface applications. That is a single application in which different windows are opened at the same time. For example three tables, plus 2 forms. The Gambas IDE https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gambas was initiated in 1999 and provides such graphical environment. Very similar to MS-Access, Foxpro and other database frontends the user is allowed to create forms and reports. And all the windows are connected to an underlying Sqlite database. Some examples projects have shown, that in theory the combination of Sqlite plus gambas is able to replace MS-Access databases in a business context.
To understand why desktop databases are used everywhere in a business context it's important to analyze the workflow of creating new software in a business context. In context to classical programming project a business software is never written in C++ or in Python. It would take too long to program 20 forms in this language. And normal text oriented programming languages are not flexible enough to change an existing layout. What business users are prefering instead are non-programming options to create applications which has to do with MS-Excel sheets and Visual basic layout software.
These non-classical programming system are ignored by classical programmers. It has nothing to do with programming language development but it's called a rapid application development system. A rad tool is some kind of painting software for creating lots of windows, and in the second step the window buttons are connected with macros. The concept was realized first in the MS-Access software, but many other MS-Windows programs are available for this need.
From a technical point of view it's possible to realize a rad tool in Linux with Open Source as well. It's only a question how many manpower is provided to create such software. The Gambas tool is on the same level like early versions of MS-Access it allows to create smaller business applications and for most purposes this fulfills the needs of the user.
What is missing are documentation and practical examples in which gambas is used in the real world. The amount of literature in which MS-windows based databases were created in the past is much higher. Linux in general and RAD tools for business application in detail are a very new development. In theory this will increase the market share of Linux massive. The reason is, that apart from creating GUI-database, the average business user has no further needs. If a software or an operating system fulfills this single task, the user is happy. He will use the application all the time, and he will recommend it to other.
Dive into Gambas3
After installing the software package the user can create forms. The software has much in common with visual basic. After doubleclicking on a button it's possible to enter basic sourcecode which opens new forms. Creating a complex GUI with different windows and tabs is pretty easy with gambas and some youtube tutorials are explaining the details.
The bottleneck is to establish a database connection. In theory the user has to create a connection first, then a datasource widget is created in a form and then a databrowser will display the content of the sqlite database in the form. The problem is, that it doesn't work. THere is an error message: connection can't be established and the help section has no answer to it.
It seems that Gambas is in an early development status. But the assumption is, that the databse connectivity will work in future versions and apart from Gambas there are similar projects started. One of them Camelot RAD which is a RAD tool around the python language. The idea is similar to Gambas because the user has to create forms and puts some glue code into the application.
sqlite and RAD tools
Let us describe the picture in general. What is available in Linux is the database backend. The user can create a single file in the sqlite format which holds all the tables. sqlite meets without problems every requirement. What is missing is a rad tool for developing forms and reports ontop of an existing sqlite database. Existing projects like gambas, Openoffice base and Camelot RAD are in an early development stage. They are working in theory but it's to early to recommend them as alternative to MS-access.
Suppose the team behind the gambas project is improving the database connection. Then this tool will be used very often in a business context. What the user can do today is to create GUI prototype application.
From an abstract point of view, the key requirement for business application is a RAD tool which allows to create forms, reports which are connected to an underlying sqlite database. In the context of web development the missing RAD tool isn't a problem, because with PHP it's possible to output HTML code. But if somebody likes to create a desktop application he needs such a tool. Programming all the forms in Python with the tkinter framework won't work. It will take too much time. The prediction is, that in 5 years from today a fully working RAD tool is available as Open Source which is using a sqlite database as backend. Such a tool will motivate many million of users to switch to the Linux operating system as their main desktop environment. A desktop database is the missing piece of software to make Open Source a success.