Hi Joe :)
   I used to do this all the time for various clients and employers....

   First if you have SuprTool and it's related products available look at using
'em ... as they have been written to work with .dbf type files... ie comma
delimited output...

   Second... if at all possible have your client send you the actual database
files... Do you know what is being used to create the data?  The xBase Family
all can reference each others files but it helps to work natively....

   If you have any input on how the data is extracted and the client won't send
the .dbf itself.... then ask them to use the 'EXPORT' command.... this will
allow them to specify all of the criteria of the receiving file... see below for
the FoxPro syntax for the 'EXPORT' command.  Note that FoxPro and Access will
both do this.... and will support SQL in the FOR and WHILE clause...

EXPORT TO <file>
   [FIELDS <field list>]
   [<scope>]
   [FOR <expL1>]
   [WHILE <expL2>]
   [NOOPTIMIZE]
  [TYPE] DIF | MOD | SYLK | WK1 | WKS | WR1 | WRK | XLS

    Personally, I always used this in conjuction with the 'APPEND FROM' command
to move data from my 3k to FoxPro for processing because the xBase languages are
so powerful for string manipulation (very akin to BASIC on the 3k) ... and
because we, at the time, didn't have BASIC for the 3k.  I also used the 'EXPORT'
command to produce comma delimited files and used SuprTool to import the data
into Image databases on the 3k.

Let me know if you need more info :)

Somewhat off topic.... the xBase family of products descend from a product
called 'Vulcan' IIRC and Clipper was the first of the family to have the ability
to compile the code into an executable...

Art "Love to play in xBase! hehe" Bahrs

----- Original Message -----
From: "Joe Amuquandoh" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, December 04, 2002 8:06 AM
Subject: [HP3000-L] DBF FILE


> Hello,
>
> We are going to be receiving files from a trading partner. They have
> indicated that the file is in DBF format and the fields in this file are
> delimited
> using DBF standards.
> Has anybody had experience in dealing with DBF files on the HP3k?
> How do we convert a DBF file to a flat file(ascii), to be read on the 3k.?
> Do we need any kind of utility to do this conversion?
> What kind of software creates files with the DBF extension, is it XBase?
>
> Thanks for your help as always.
>
> Joe
>
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