Help! "Not a table/DBF" error

Larry Gauthier

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Feb 14, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/14/98

to

I have a small (900KB) database that broke yesterday, and I now cannot 'use'
it because of the "not a table/DBF" error. I have looked at the file with
LIST, and all of the data in it - and record layout - appears to be intact.
I suspect that the only problem is with the file header. Is there a utility
somewhere that will fix this? How about a reference on the DBF file format?

-larry gauthier
eas...@ismi.net

Paul Lee

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Feb 15, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/15/98

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Larry,

For capable Fox file repair take a look at our 'Recover' utility
at our website: http://www.abri.com/

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Paul Lee ........... Abri Technologies ......... http://abri.com/
'Recover' - the top rated FoxPro file repair utility.
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Jack Hairston

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Feb 16, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/16/98

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Larry Gauthier wrote:
>
> I have a small (900KB) database that broke yesterday, and I now cannot 'use'
> it because of the "not a table/DBF" error.

PARAMETERS lcfname
PRIVATE ;
lcFname, ;
lnDbfs, ;
laDir, ;
lni

CLOSE ALL
lnDbfs = 0 && assume only one DBF to fix

*-- Check parameter
DO CASE
CASE PCOUNT() = 0 OR TYPE( "m.lcFname" ) != "C" OR LEN( m.lcFname ) = 0
*-- Fix all the DBFs in the current directory.
lnDbfs = ADIR( laDbfs, "*.DBF" )

CASE AT( '.', m.lcfname ) = 0
*-- File name was passed without file extension.
lcfname = UPPER( m.lcfname ) + ".DBF" && repair it
IF ADIR( laDir, m.lcFname ) = 0
WAIT CLEAR
WAIT WINDOW NOWAIT ;
"EZ_FIXDB: File " + m.lcfname + " does not exist." + CHR( 13 ) + ;
"Supply an extension if it's not .DBF"
RETURN .F.
ENDIF
ENDCASE

IF m.lnDbfs = 0
*-- Only one DBF to check
= ez_fixd2( m.lcFname ) && fix the table
ELSE
*-- Check all DBFs in laDbfs[]
FOR lni = 1 TO m.lnDbfs
IF m.lnDbfs > 1
= therm( m.lni * 100 / m.lnDbfs, "Checking DBF tables" )
ENDIF

= ez_fixd2( laDbfs[ m.lni, 1 ]) && fix the table
ENDFOR
= therm() && release therm() window
ENDIF

*-- Clean up
CLOSE ALL
*:=======================================================
PROCEDURE ez_fixd2
PARAMETERS m.lcFName
PRIVATE ;
lnHandle, ;
lcHdrInfo, ;
lnHdrSize, ;
lnRecLength, ;
lnRecCnt, ;
lcFirst8, ;
lnj

*-- Does the table exist?
IF ADIR( laDir, m.lcFname ) = 0
WAIT WINDOW NOWAIT ;
"EZ_FIXDB: File " + m.lcfname + " does not exist."
RETURN .F.
ENDIF

lnhandle = FOPEN( m.lcfname, 12 ) && open w/unbuffered read/write
IF m.lnhandle = -1 && test for error
WAIT WINDOW NOWAIT ;
"EZ_FIXDB: Could not open " + m.lcfname + CHR( 13 ) + ;
"File Error: " + STR( FERROR(), 2, 0 )
RETURN .F.
ENDIF

lchdrinfo = FREAD( m.lnhandle, 12 ) && read first 12 characters

*--Calculate the header length:
lnhdrsize = INT( ASC( SUBSTR( m.lchdrinfo, 9, 1 )) ;
+ ASC( SUBSTR( m.lchdrinfo, 10, 1 )) * 256 )

*--Calculate the record length:
lnreclngth = INT( ASC( SUBSTR( m.lchdrinfo, 11, 1 )) ;
+ ASC( SUBSTR( m.lchdrinfo, 12, 1 )) * 256 )

*-- ADIR() returns file statistics into the array named 'lafsize'.
= ADIR( lafsize, m.lcfname )

*-- lnRecCnt calculates the record count by subtracting the
*-- header length from the file size and dividing the result by the
*-- record length. (Yes, RECSIZE() will do that, but if we could
*-- open the file as a table, we wouldn't be here.)
IF m.lnRecLngth > 0
lnreccnt = INT(( lafsize[ 2 ] - m.lnhdrsize ) / m.lnreclngth )

*-- Modulus division returns the remainder of division by 256
*-- taken to a decreasing exponent power.
lcfirst8 = LEFT( m.lchdrinfo, 4 ) + SPACE( 4 )
FOR lnj = 3 TO 0 STEP -1
lcfirst8 = STUFF( ;
m.lcfirst8, ;
m.lnj +5, ;
1, ;
CHR( INT( m.lnreccnt / 256 ^ m.lnj )))
lnreccnt = m.lnreccnt % 256 ^ m.lnj
ENDFOR

IF lcHdrInfo = m.lcFirst8
WAIT CLEAR
WAIT WINDOW NOWAIT ;
m.lcfname + " is a table/DBF." + CHR( 13 ) + ;
"No repair necessary."
ELSE
*-- Fix the file.
= FSEEK( m.lnhandle, 0, 0 ) && go to the top of the file
= FWRITE( m.lnhandle, m.lcfirst8 ) && write 1st 4 positions &
RECCOUNT() val
= FCLOSE( m.lnhandle ) && close the file

*-- Clean up.
WAIT WINDOW NOWAIT ;
m.lcfname + " has been repaired."
ENDIF
* = INKEY( 0, "H" ) && wait, hidden cursor, no
mouse
ELSE
= ez_msg( .F., .F., ;
"Header is trashed, and shows", ;
"record length as zero.", ;
"Can't repair file. Sorry." )
ENDIF

RETURN .T. && successful end of job
*: EOF: EZ_FIXDB.PRG

Willem

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Feb 17, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/17/98

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On Sat, 14 Feb 1998 14:30:40 -0500, "Larry Gauthier" <eas...@ismi.net>
wrote:

>I have a small (900KB) database that broke yesterday, and I now cannot 'use'

>it because of the "not a table/DBF" error. I have looked at the file with
>LIST, and all of the data in it - and record layout - appears to be intact.
>I suspect that the only problem is with the file header. Is there a utility
>somewhere that will fix this? How about a reference on the DBF file format?
>

>-larry gauthier
> eas...@ismi.net
>
>
Larry,

This is a 95 out of 100 times a header problem .
I got an old copy of mfoxplus 2.0 that will open the dbf with
copprupted header and :

use notdbf.dbf
append blank
delete
quit
and rebuild index in current version of foxpro / vfp

See if you can find an old copy of mfoxplus,

Good luck

Willem,
the Netherlands

wil...@casema.net

Bruce K

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Feb 18, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/18/98

to Larry Gauthier

Larry Gauthier wrote:
>
> I have a small (900KB) database that broke yesterday, and I now cannot 'use'
> it because of the "not a table/DBF" error. I have looked at the file with
> LIST, and all of the data in it - and record layout - appears to be intact.
> I suspect that the only problem is with the file header. Is there a utility
> somewhere that will fix this? How about a reference on the DBF file format?
>
> -larry gauthier
> eas...@ismi.net

Is it possible that this DBF has been converted into Visual FoxPro
format?

--
Bruce Kube
Systems Analyst
Trendstat Capital Management, Inc.
(Please fix return address if responding directly via e-mail.)

Larry Gauthier

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Feb 18, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/18/98

to

No - it was still a FP file, but with a trashed file header.

The problem has been solved - I used a hex editor to nibble the file header

Bruce K wrote in message <34EAF92B.3CE5@trendstat_com.nojunk_spam>...

tiaaata1

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Feb 18, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/18/98

to

I have a similar problem (one alluded to by Bruce Kube). We have both
WinFox 2.6 and VFP. Tables created in 2.6 seem "upwardly compatible", i.e.
can be read by VFP. But the reverse is not true; the "not a table/dbf"
error occurs. I assume this is because the format of the header record is
different.

Is there a utility to convert the header from VFP format to 2.6 format so
it can be read by the earlier version ?

Thx, Joe

William Fields

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Feb 18, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/18/98

to

The only way I know of how to make a VFP table accessible to FP2.6 is to
use the COPY TO command in VFP with the TYPE FOX2X option.
--
William Fields
US Bankruptcy Court
Phoenix, AZ

tiaaata1 <tiaa...@ix.netcom.com> wrote in article
<01bd3cbd$0255b9e0$b5e06dd1@default>...

Gene Wirchenko

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Feb 19, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/19/98

to

"tiaaata1" <tiaa...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:

>I have a similar problem (one alluded to by Bruce Kube). We have both
>WinFox 2.6 and VFP. Tables created in 2.6 seem "upwardly compatible", i.e.
>can be read by VFP. But the reverse is not true; the "not a table/dbf"
>error occurs. I assume this is because the format of the header record is
>different.
>
>Is there a utility to convert the header from VFP format to 2.6 format so
>it can be read by the earlier version ?

Try
copy to <overthere> type fox2x

[snip]

Sincerely,

Gene Wirchenko

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x=x++; "ex equals ex doublecross semicolon"