Need dbase IV file structure editor
Jeffrey Needle
of a dbase IV file without owning the dBase product?
Thanks.
bwa!!
JI?
Yrrah
> Does anyone know of a freeware app that will let me alter the structure
> of a dbase IV file without owning the dBase product?
I'm not sure if these programs can handle dbf IV files and can do what
you want:
"WinDBF32 is a database program that can handle dBase, FoxPro and
HiPer-Six files.
Allows the use of native dBase (xBase) field types: character,
numeric, logical, date, memo and blob."
http://www.buchenwald.de/software/index-e.html
"DBF Viewer Plus is a portable DBF table viewer plus some additional
features for editing and searching.
DBF Viewer has the following features:
* Add, Edit, Deleting and Updating records.
* Pack Table.
* Zap Table (Empty).
* New Table (Create a DBF File)
* Set Table Type"
* Much more
http://www.alexnolan.net/software/dbf.htm
Both programs appear to be abandonware.I kept them in my archive, just
in case...
Yrrah
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Man-wai Chang
> Does anyone know of a freeware app that will let me alter the structure
> of a dbase IV file without owning the dBase product?
1. Remember to BACK UP the file FIRST!!
2. Google "modistru.exe"
3. ODBC is free!
4. google "freeware modify dbase structure"
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Jeffrey Needle
> On 7/15/2010 12:33, Jeffrey Needle wrote:
>> Does anyone know of a freeware app that will let me alter the structure
>> of a dbase IV file without owning the dBase product?
>
> 1. Remember to BACK UP the file FIRST!!
> 2. Google "modistru.exe"
> 3. ODBC is free!
> 4. google "freeware modify dbase structure"
>
Sigh.
Mass response to all. Tried all the suggestions -- nothing works. I'm
trying to use the data in Softmaker Office and it seems to require
dBaseIV format files for its database. All of these programs open the
dBase files, but produce a file not readable by Softmaker.
Thanks to all. I'll continue searching.
B. R. 'BeAr' Ederson
>>> Does anyone know of a freeware app that will let me alter the structure
>>> of a dbase IV file without owning the dBase product?
[...]
> Tried all the suggestions -- nothing works.
Last year I suggested dbfNavigator to you for another *.dbf-related
problem:
Message-ID: <3m4t6h2fo1p7$.d...@br.ederson.news.arcor.de>
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.comp.freeware/msg/448150bf4da8f8f4
This fine program also permits you to modify the structure of dBase IV
files. Exception are files containing memo fields. You can do anything
with these files inside dbfNavigator, but not modify their structure.
There's another program capable of this task, though: DbfTools by
Adrian Jescu. Unfortunately, this one become abandonware even before
dbfNavigator. A still working download is here:
http://www.torry.net/pages.php?id=1451
The next hurdle may be installation. It is packed with an early GkSetup
version, which will not permit installation on current Windows versions.
So you either need to install inside a virtual machine or on an older
PC. (I don't remember a tool to extract GkSetup files, at the moment.)
On the bright side: After the installation, you can copy the *.exe (with
or without its accompanying files) anywhere. The program itself runs
fine on every Windows version from Win9x to Win7.
Because the program isn't available from an authors site, anymore, I
again post an MD5 checksum of the *.exe I loaded nearly 10 years ago
from Adrian Jescu's homepage:
ea9ad35f9f949193360f5b81b14eddd4
HTH.
BeAr
--
===========================================================================
= What do you mean with: "Perfection is always an illusion"? =
===============================================================--(Oops!)===
Jeffrey Needle
> On Thu, 15 Jul 2010 11:17:03 -0700, Jeffrey Needle wrote:
>
>>>> Does anyone know of a freeware app that will let me alter the structure
>>>> of a dbase IV file without owning the dBase product?
> [...]
>> Tried all the suggestions -- nothing works.
>
> Last year I suggested dbfNavigator to you for another *.dbf-related
> problem:
>
> Message-ID:<3m4t6h2fo1p7$.d...@br.ederson.news.arcor.de>
> http://groups.google.com/group/alt.comp.freeware/msg/448150bf4da8f8f4
>
> This fine program also permits you to modify the structure of dBase IV
> files. Exception are files containing memo fields. You can do anything
> with these files inside dbfNavigator, but not modify their structure.
>
I have two memo fields, and they're important.
> There's another program capable of this task, though: DbfTools by
> Adrian Jescu. Unfortunately, this one become abandonware even before
> dbfNavigator. A still working download is here:
>
> http://www.torry.net/pages.php?id=1451
>
> The next hurdle may be installation. It is packed with an early GkSetup
> version, which will not permit installation on current Windows versions.
> So you either need to install inside a virtual machine or on an older
> PC. (I don't remember a tool to extract GkSetup files, at the moment.)
> On the bright side: After the installation, you can copy the *.exe (with
> or without its accompanying files) anywhere. The program itself runs
> fine on every Windows version from Win9x to Win7.
>
> Because the program isn't available from an authors site, anymore, I
> again post an MD5 checksum of the *.exe I loaded nearly 10 years ago
> from Adrian Jescu's homepage:
>
> ea9ad35f9f949193360f5b81b14eddd4
>
Thanks. I'll give it a go.
> HTH.
> BeAr
Cousin Stanley
>> On 7/15/2010 12:33, Jeffrey Needle wrote:
>> Does anyone know of a freeware app that will let me alter the structure
>> of a dbase IV file without owning the dBase product ?
> ....
> I'm trying to use the data in Softmaker Office and it seems to require
> dBaseIV format files for its database. All of these programs open the
> dBase files, but produce a file not readable by Softmaker.
It might be worth trying ....
o Use one of the alternate programs suggested
to open the dBase IV files
o Export as .csv files
o Import as .csv files into Softmaker
if possible
--
Stanley C. Kitching
Human Being
Phoenix, Arizona
H-Man
Jeffry,
I've SO 2006. PlanMaker should open a .dbf file and allow access to the
data anyway. I've not tried it so I can't verify results.
--
HK
Jeffrey Needle
Sadly, Softmaker doesn't import anything. All I can do is create a
dBase file externally and have Softmaker open it. Of course, Softmaker
can create the fields for a file, and if I were starting from scratch,
it would be okay. But this is not the case. But thanks for the thoughts.
Jeffrey Needle
Now there's an idea!
I just tried it, and by using various manipulations, managed to bring in
the dbf data, and then used one of the other apps offered in this thread
to make the changes and save the data back. It worked!
My greatest thanks to you for this thought, and to all who helped in
this effort.
B. R. 'BeAr' Ederson
> by using various manipulations, managed to bring in the dbf data, and
> then used one of the other apps offered in this thread to make the
> changes and save the data back. It worked!
Although I'd like to say "Congratulations!" for your success, reading
all your old and new posts in this thread, I'm more and more at loss,
what you wanted to accomplish in the first place. (And why you did
not have been successful, earlier.)
Softmaker 2006 (Planmaker *and* Textmaker) reads /any/ version of dBase,
that supports memo fields (i.e.: dBase III, IV and 5 - all tested with
files containing memo fields). Planmaker also writes dBase files.
Planmaker also reads and writes *.csv, tab-separated and other textual
database files. (Among a couple of other database/calc formats.) Softmaker
Office does /not/ read (Visual) Foxpro files (which also come with the
extension *.dbf), though.
DbfNavigator reads and writes any of the above formats. So if you have
(for instance) a Foxpro *.dbf, which will not open with Softmaker Office,
then open the file in dbfNavigator and save it to dBase IV or the like.
With DbfTools, you can modify the structure of any *.dbf mentioned
above (memo fields or not), including Foxpro, but excluding Visual
Foxpro files. (This format is too new for DbfTools, while dBase 5 files,
OTOH, should be fine, again.)
So you should have been successful without huge detours. For later use
I'd suggest to identify the source of your problems. Else you may run
into them over and over again. Chances are, that your original database
is damaged. If this is the case, the export->change->import cycle
*may* have repaired it. But there *may* as well be data missing or
damaged.
Btw.: After a step like exporting and re-importing the data I always
found it mandatory to check the result for charset problems. The *.dbf
export and import filters are especially prone to creating mess with
charsets... :-(
Best wishes.
Jeffrey Needle
> all your old and new posts in this thread, I'm more and more at loss,
> what you wanted to accomplish in the first place. (And why you did
> not have been successful, earlier.)
>
Snipping the rest of the post...
Good questions. Here is my experience.
When you create a dBase-compatible file and try to open it in Softmaker
Office, there can be unexpected problems. Specifically, I use several
date-oriented fields in a csv file that are not formatted as dates. I
often need to include other data than a simple date. I use a simple
text field and insert dates into that field. Programs that convert from
csv to dbase look at field names (first row in the csv file), see the
word Date, and format the field as a date. This is precisely *not* what
I want. Additionally, memo fields are difficult to manage using the csv
format.
These are the kinds of difficulties I've encountered with Softmaker. If
they had a simple csv file import, it would likely never have been a
problem.
Thanks for the help.
Man-wai Chang
> trying to use the data in Softmaker Office and it seems to require
> dBaseIV format files for its database. All of these programs open the
> dBase files, but produce a file not readable by Softmaker.
Do you know Clipper (a xBase compiler)? It got a new life here.
http://www.harbour-project.org
But I suppose you were not a programmer... :)
--
@~@ Might, Courage, Vision, SINCERITY.
/ v \ Simplicity is Beauty! May the Force and Farce be with you!
/( _ )\ (x86_64 Ubuntu 9.10) Linux 2.6.34.1
^ ^ 16:24:01 up 6 days 25 min 1 user load average: 1.08 1.03 1.00
B. R. 'BeAr' Ederson
> When you create a dBase-compatible file and try to open it in Softmaker
> Office, there can be unexpected problems. [...]
Hm. Although most tests I ran through Softmaker worked out fine, you
may have specialities in your data, that don't come out so well with
that Office suite.
Maybe you switch to Open Office? At least, you'd have access to OO Base,
then, which permits direct change of the structure of dBase files. These
steps are necessary:
- Select "Connect to an existing database: dBase"
- Choose the Path where your *.dbf file(s) reside(s)
Options: it is not necessary to register the database with OO, but it
should be opened for editing and tables will /not/ be created with
table wizard
- Choose the name for an *.odb file, which acts as a wrapper for the
access to your *.dbf
- Select <Tables> from the database main bar and select the *.dbf file,
whose structure shall be changed inside the [Tables] window
- Select <Edit -> Edit...> from menu
- Highlight the fields you wish to change and edit "Field type" and/or
Field Properties
- New fields can only be *appended* at the end of the field list (you
can create any type of dBase fields, including date and memo)
- Close the Window and save the changes when prompted
Done. ;-)
> Thanks for the help.
No problem. It is nice to come up-to-date with these tools, again.
Since I have lots of payware and some self-written stuff for xBase
at hands, freeware xBase programs get out of focus from time to time.
;-)
Jeffrey Needle
>> Mass response to all. Tried all the suggestions -- nothing works. I'm
>> trying to use the data in Softmaker Office and it seems to require
>> dBaseIV format files for its database. All of these programs open the
>> dBase files, but produce a file not readable by Softmaker.
>
> Do you know Clipper (a xBase compiler)? It got a new life here.
>
> http://www.harbour-project.org
>
> But I suppose you were not a programmer... :)
>
Ha! I used to be. It's interesting that Clipper is alive and well! I
never thought it. It's been a long time since I've programmed anything.
This looks like it might be fun to mess with. Thanks.
Jeffrey Needle
>
>> When you create a dBase-compatible file and try to open it in Softmaker
>> Office, there can be unexpected problems. [...]
>
> Hm. Although most tests I ran through Softmaker worked out fine, you
> may have specialities in your data, that don't come out so well with
> that Office suite.
>
> Maybe you switch to Open Office?
Believe me, it's never far from my thoughts. But it's such a big,
heavy-feeling app. It may be that it will be where I finally end up.
Thanks!
Bear Bottoms
@news.eternal-september.org:
Google Docs works for me Jeffrey.
--
Bear Bottoms
Owner of Freeware website: http://bearware.info
Jeffrey Needle
No database module yet. That's the key for me. Is there one in the offing?
Bill Bradshaw
Clipper program was in 1990. I moved on to C and Sequiter Codebase. Brings
back memories.
<Bill>
Man-wai Chang
> never thought it. It's been a long time since I've programmed anything.
> This looks like it might be fun to mess with. Thanks.
Indeed. You could finally run your old apps in 64-bit Linux over a
network console! ;)
--
@~@ Might, Courage, Vision, SINCERITY.
/ v \ Simplicity is Beauty! May the Force and Farce be with you!
/( _ )\ (x86_64 Ubuntu 9.10) Linux 2.6.34.1
^ ^ 15:18:01 up 7 days 23:19 1 user load average: 1.00 1.00 1.00
Man-wai Chang
> I still have Clipper Summer 87 and version 5.0 on my shelf. I think my last
> Clipper program was in 1990. I moved on to C and Sequiter Codebase. Brings
> back memories.
Does Sequiter CodeBase now have programmer-friendly user-interface
objects now?
--
@~@ Might, Courage, Vision, SINCERITY.
/ v \ Simplicity is Beauty! May the Force and Farce be with you!
/( _ )\ (x86_64 Ubuntu 9.10) Linux 2.6.34.1
^ ^ 15:18:01 up 7 days 23:19 1 user load average: 1.00 1.00 1.00