Hello
I'm new in Betrieve databases. I've got a strange database without
documentation and I have to prepare data export to MSSQL. Today I've tried to
find any api for C++ but I couldn't find any useful information how to move
data from .dat files.
Do you have any information how to "get into" this file and read data??

Trociu

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You will need the DDF files in order to use any 3-rd party software.
The DDF files are file.ddf, index.ddf and field.ddf. These contain
the file layout so that you can use ODBC or other products. You might
try contacting the program vendor to see if they will provide them.
If not you can always use a tool called BtSearch at www.nssdd.com that
can help you analyze the structure and build the DDF files. Once
built then it will also export to dbase or ascii formats.

Gil

Trociu <trociu (AT) autonom (DOT) ict.pwr.wroc.pl> wrote

BtSearch is a good tool.
This does depend on the ".dat" file being an actual Btrieve format
data file to work.

As to "get info", very little is actually stored in the data files.
If it is a Btrieve format file you can depend on getting the record
length and data type for any data that falls on an index.
If you are lucky the programmer was lazy and wrote everthing in easily
decipherable ASCII strings. If you are not lucky it will be some
obscure application specific data type. Other than the record
segments that fall on indexes, bytes are bytes and the database engine
only stores and retrieves them (no translations).

Leonard

On 17 Oct 2004 20:56:59 GMT, Trociu <trociu (AT) autonom (DOT) ict.pwr.wroc.pl>
wrote:

On 2004-10-19, Leonard wrote:
verions.

in binary format.
Do you think it is a good idea to make a copy of .dat file, insert one record
using application and compare old and new file??

Trociu

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write me : trociu@autonom ict pwr wroc pl
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You should be able to open your file using BtSearch32 as long as you
have the Pervasive Btrieve drivers installed. Select the menu option
Create DDF files for existing files. In analyzing the file BtSearch
allows you to view the data in all of the various Btrieve data types
as well as a few additional. As far as entering a data record with
specific data this is a good idea as it helps you determine the file
layout. There is an online video showing how to go about creating the
DDF files at www.nssdd.com under the support option. If you wish to
contact me from www.nssdd.com and we can take this off line.
Thanks,
Gil

Trociu <trociu (AT) autonom (DOT) ict.pwr.wroc.pl> wrote