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I developed a database for our exploration points and would like to connect it directly to QGIS instead of exporting to CSV. So, (if possible) how can I connect LibreOffice Base to QGIS?

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    Andres - my advice would be to use PostgreSQL instead of LibreOffice Base. My experience with both tools is that PostgreSQL can handle the data side of things, and since you can 'add PostGIS layers' to QGIS, you can also check the box to 'Also list tables with no geometry' and voila - you have your non-spatial PostgreSQL tables accessible too!!! However, you may have a reason for using LibreOffice Base, which I'd be interested to hear! (also: PostgreSQL has drivers for LibreOffice, meaning you can connect your PostgreSQL AND PostGIS tables to LibreOffice!!!
    – Inactivated Account
    Commented Jun 3, 2015 at 19:31
  • Probably doable with ODBC help.libreoffice.org/Common/ODBC_Connection and GDAL ODBC driver gdal.org/drv_odbc.html
    – user30184
    Commented Jun 3, 2015 at 20:20
  • Thanks a lot for your answer. The fact is that we are a small mineral exploration company, and I'm basically forcing everyone to use opensource software. Libreoffice offers a very complete package for office applications. In the past we managed our exploration data as Excel files, and that has major data loss and corruption risks. We also use QGIS to map our exploration databases, so it made sense to me trying to connect them.
    – Andres Aristizabal
    Commented Jun 3, 2015 at 20:20
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    @AndresAristizabal I did a little talk on Geodesign at FOSS4G last year that discusses integrating PostgreSQL/PostGIS + QGIS + LibreOffice vimeo.com/106233274 To me it's such an incredible and powerful open source stack ...
    – Inactivated Account
    Commented Jun 3, 2015 at 21:03
  • Thanks mapBaker. I will give it a shot to Postgresql. I really thought this should be a lot easier.
    – Andres Aristizabal
    Commented Jun 3, 2015 at 22:24

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Libreoffice Base has the benefit of potentially becoming something like ESRI's personal geodatabase format. The main reason for NOT using PostgreSQL is that you want (or need) data stored in files rather than on servers, so it's understandable to want to use Libreoffice Base.

It should be easy to export BASE into a format easily used by QGIS: sqlite. Spatialite adds GIS features sort of like how ESRI adds GIS features to ACCESS databases within its personal geodatabase.mdb format. (or how PostGIS enables ProstreSQL database servers.

You can use QGIS DB Manager and supplement it with Spatialite GUI, a powerful sqlite frontend. sqlite is lightning fast and able to store a tremendous amount of data within a single file.

So, my answer would be to utilize your BASE data by exporting it into sqlite and connecting QGIS to it. There is no reason to use ProgreSQL unless you have multiple offices that are feeding data into a single database.

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    Thank you very much user12711. Your approach fits a lor better what I'm looking for. I will give it a try.
    – Andres Aristizabal
    Commented Dec 1, 2015 at 16:56
  • I have been looking into connecting base directly to a Spatialite database. I installed the ODBC driver from ch-werner.de/sqliteodbc and got Sqlite 2 and 3 as connection options. I have not yet gone further but it might be an option for you as well.
    – MrKingsley
    Commented Aug 25, 2016 at 11:24

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