Loading a Fox Pro *.dbf

[Paul Bruneau]

Good Morning,

I seem to be missing something very basic.

I have several Fox Pro databases that I need to simply view.
( naturally, I don't own any Fox Pro programs )

Fox Pro and Access are both Microsoft products and I own
only the Access-2003 provided with Office-2003.

There must be a logical reason ( the "basic" I've missied ) why I can
not simply open the Fox Pro file and see how many records are there
and in what order.

But no! Thats not how it gets done. In fact... I have no idea "how" to
get these <DBF> to load like I expected. Im most exasperated by the
idea I may need to create a new and blank database first... when I
have no idea whats in the <DBF> file until I get a change to see it.

I bought the "Dummies" book, but it sure doesn't talk much about this
subject.

So! How do I get a Fox Pro file to load at all?
Any help available will be read and appreciated

Thanks!

Paul

 

[John Conklin]

Paul,

You should be able to link or import that data into your database so you can
view the information stored in the tables.

Just pick dBase IV when you try to import or link.

That should work.

~John

 

[Paul Bruneau]

Thanks John,

I've tried all of those <*.DBF> choices but Nuts!

Access-2003 will tell me its not in the expected format and leave me
at that silly screen telling me to create a table

I just don't know how to start

Anyhow.. thanks for taking the time for me John

Paul

 

[John Conklin]

You could also try opening it in Excel. It has an option to open .dbf
files.

If it open ok there, you can then save it as an .CSV file and import it into
your database.

Other than that not sure how you can get it into your database.

~John

 

[Arvin Meyer]

If you have them, you should be able to use 1 of the dBase filters. If not,
create a DSN using the ODBC administrator (Control Panel ... Administrative
Tools) and use that. If all you need is a record count, Excel uses the same
filters and it should be a bit quicker.
--
Arvin Meyer, MCP, MVP
Microsoft Access
Free Access Downloads
http://www.datastrat.com
http://www.mvps.org/access

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

Fox Pro and Access are both Microsoft products and I own
only the Access-2003 provided with Office-2003.

There must be a logical reason ( the "basic" I've missied ) why I can
not simply open the Fox Pro file and see how many records are there
and in what order.

Logical reason? How about a basic understand of how computers work? You
can't open a Microsoft word file with ms-access, and yet they are from the
same company. You can't open a Microsoft publisher file with ms-access, and
yet they are from the same company.

And, even product that store data usually require their correct program. So,
if we take a simple accounting program from Microsoft like "Microsoft
Money", then once again, the data files cannot be read by ms-access. The
fact that Microsoft money is a data program that just stores data does not
mean that ms-access can open that accounting files.

So, it should be no surprise to you that it usually requites the program
that belongs to the data to open the file.

I bought the "Dummies" book, but it sure doesn't talk much about this
subject.

Ah, ok..you are new to computers. So, this the concept of different programs
being needed to open the respective data that the program creates is a new
idea to you. This is not difficult a concept. You just have to realize that
you as a general rule can't open an ms-access file with a different program.
So, you can't open a ms-access file with FoxPro, and the reverse is also
true. In fact, you can't use Microsoft word to open a ms-access file either.

So, now, armed with this new knowledge, the next question is how is data
shuffled between some of these applications?

Microsoft was the main promoter and developers of ODBC (Open Data Base
Connectively). This has now become a industry standard, and is in fact now
how we can read data from FoxPro. As long as the product your are looking to
read data from (in this case FoxPro) supports ODBC, then you can read the
data.

So, the problem here is as long as the product you want to read data from
supports ODBC, then you can read it. Thus, ms-access can read data from
Oracle, or even be used with the Open source MySql, or in this case FoxPro.
As long as that product supports the industry standards, then ms-access can
read it.

It is interesting to note that one time ms-access in fact did support
reading of FoxPro files,and you did not have to use ODBC. However, each
year, some new format would come out for FoxPro. Hence, the list of programs
that ms-access had to support was growing every larger and larger, and the
list of formats for EACH product was also growing larger and larger. After a
few more years of this, that drop down list of files for ms-access to
support would grow into the hundreds, if not thousands if something was not
done.

Enter the ODBC solution!!

It was simply easier to tell the FoxPro people to support the ODBC standard,
and then be done!!! This means that the FoxPro people are now free to change
their software and come out with new file formats (just like dbaseII,
daseIII, dbaseIV...etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc.....).

So, now the FoxPro people simply have to update their ODBC system, and
ms-access simply uses that!

So, to use FoxPro files, you simply go to the FoxPro people, and get their
ODBC provider. You then just install this ODBC system on your computer, and
thus then can read FoxPro files. And, if the FoxPro people decide to change
their files...then you just go and get a new ODBC driver from them. What is
really nice about this solution is that you don't even have to upgrade
ms-access to the next great version to get new additional import filters or
compatibility with new versions of these other software packages. So, when a
new great version of FoxPro comes out, you do NOT have to upgrade ms-access
anymore!! A very nice industry solution that Microsoft adopted here.

So, use the FoxPro ODBC driver. I believe a fair recent one is installed by
default with ms-access, but if not, then you can download the latest and
great one from the FoxPro people here:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/vfoxpro/downloads/updates/odbc/default.aspx

 

[Paul Bruneau]

Thanks Albert...

I was more bothered by the notion that both database basics are
Microsoft products, and since the Fox Pro file I want to see is a
plain garden variety Flat-File... it should have been much easier
to load the FoxPro file into Access... on account that I don't have
Fox Pro

Its a plain name and address file... standard flat table without
imbedded links or executable fields.

Just can not belive that Access makes access that difficult

 

[Albert D. Kallal]

since the Fox Pro file I want to see is a
plain garden variety Flat-File.

It depends on how far back. If you are talking about a legacy, or old style
FoxPro file, I have no problems linking to, and importing those flies when I
use the dbaseIV import (that is built-in) to ms-access 2003.

FoxPro was originally a dbaseIII clone, and did support/use compatible
files. So, most of the time, for these "old" flat style FoxPro files, I am
simply able to use the dbaseIV import in access 2003.

For later, and more complex FoxPro files..then you just have to use the ODBC
driver that FoxPro now has.

I actually tend to agree with you that ms-access should support later
versions of FoxPro, but the amount of people who ask for this feature is
very low (not a lot of FoxPro stuff around these days). Further, in the rare
case that you do need to import the data, then you do have the ODBC
solution.

It is question of how many people need and use the feature vs how much it
will cost to keep up and implement those changes. At least we do in fact
have the ODBC solution here.