FoxPro 2.6 DB - Want to convert the old .dbf files to Access or ???, but I cannot find the .dbc/data 3

[DBRookie61370]

Hello all - I am new to this forum. I have been tasked with pulling old data from a FPro DB 2.6 to whatever I can. The problem that I am having is I cannot seem to find the DB. I have done a search for .dbc files and have returned nothing. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated and thanks ahead of time!!!

 

[TamarGranor]

If this is from FoxPro 2.6, then what you're looking for is DBF files and their associated FPT and CDX files.

The database container (DBC) wasn't introduced until Visual FoxPro 3.0.

Tamar

 

[DBRookie61370]

Thank you! So I need to go to each and every DBF file and pull them into Access one at a time?

 

[DBRookie61370]

....and do you know what would be the best way to extract these files?

 

[Olaf Doschke]

You could install the VFP ODBC driver you still get at

http://download.microsoft.com/download/vfoxodbcdriver/Install/6.1/W9XNT4/EN-US/VFPODBC.msi

(This is the direct download link of the english MSI setup package, the download page was removed recently).

It's aversion 6 driver and there is nothing later, but it obviously is sufficient for 2.6 DBFs

You can configure it to a "directory of free tables", and then import as from a DBC to Access.

Bye, Olaf.

 

[JRB-Bldr]

Going from FP to Access??? Shudder!!!!
Why step down in performance and capability?

If anything, I'd put the data into one of the SQL Server's (MS SQL - Express or Full, MySQL, etc.)
And if I had to migrate the application to something, I'd migrate it up to VFP9. 2nd choice for the application would be into one of the .NET languages

Regardless, there are 3rd party tools out there to help.
One is dbConvert ( dbconvert.com )

As Tamar advised you above, the file types that you will need to look for are:
* DBF files (Data Table files)
* and their file-name associated FPT (Memo field files)
* and IDX/CDX (Index files)

For old Foxpro (not Visual Foxpro), you will not have a Database container (DBC,DBT,DBX) files to hold the Data Tables.

Good Luck,
JRB-Bldr

 

[DBRookie61370]

I agree that going from FP to Access is not a step up. We only need to extract the data into a dleiomited format for an audit. We do not use the DB anymore, but we have a lot (10 years worth) of data that needs to be pulled out.

Thanks,
Harold

 

[JRB-Bldr]

we have a lot (10 years worth) of data that needs to be pulled out.

So my next question is why take the time and effort to put the data into Access at all?

I am guessing that the end result you might be seeking would require the data to be in some other (non-Access) form.
If so, you could most likely make the conversion directly into that format right out of the FP data tables.

Good Luck,
JRB-Bldr

 

[DBRookie61370]

True, but the only issue with that is we cannot export the data from the application. It is a read on the screen and print out bills one at a time kind of application. I can see all the DBF files. I just need to get the data into Excel or another format that would be easier than one bill at a time.

 

[TamarGranor]

Excel can probably read the DBFs directly. Try the "dBase files" type in the Open dialog.

Tamar

 

[DBRookie61370]

Thanks Tamar!!! I had no idea as I am new to DB's. When they approached me about pulling files from a DB that no longer has drivers or support. You are the greatest!!!