Hi,

I want to open tables from a compiled Foxpro 2.6 application. I dont
have FoxPro 2.6 but I have Visual FoxPro 6.0 and Access. (The tables
are .DBF)

The problem I have is with the memo fields. With VFP 6.0, I can import
the table that have a memo field but the memo field itself is blank
(that is the information is missing).

With Access, the tables that have a memo fields will not import at all
giving the message “External table isn’t in the expected
format”. Also, the ODBC drivers for Foxpro 2.6 are no longer
functionnal or supported.

I suppose the problem has to do with the way XBASE treats a memo field
and I need to go beyond that.

I have three objective in mind for doing this.

1.) Changing the information in the database directly without using
the application.
2.) Use VFP 6.0 to build the links between the tables and use VFP 6.0
as a report writer.
3.) Ensure that I can in fact open and connect all tables before I
purchase a report writer that will work with my database (such as
FoxFire, Crystal Report Writer, or R&R)

Although I heard a lot of good about FoxPro, I have no experience
whatsoever with it, (I just installed VFP 6.0 and opened it for the
first time) and dont know what is feasible or where to look.

I also heard about a new product from Microsoft Visual studio.net
which seems to be a magic bullet and might be able to achieve this.

Any ideas as to feasibility regarding this ?

On 18 Jul 2003 12:56:40 -0700, mbalmoral (AT) netscape (DOT) net (Maurice Balmoral)
wrote:

Not sure what you mean by 'importing' tables to vfp6. Vfp6 can open FPW2.6
files natively. Just go to the command window and type 'Use <tablename>'.
Everything should be there unless the memo file itself is corrupt (the .fpt
file).

Just an aside about your point #1. It may not be a good idea to change
information in a table through the back door unless you fully understand all
the table links etc. Changing information in one table may well have an
impact in another table that the application takes care of in code. If you
don't take care of the same situations through the back door, you may just
render the application itself useless.

Alan

My real address is alan at attcanada dot ca
(with a 'p' on 'alan' making it 'alanp',
and no spaces). I'm sick of email spam.

Hi Alan,

When I wrote importing, I meant opening a DBF table. I did that by
adding a free table to a project in the project manager window or by
opening a DBF table through the open command of the file option in the
VFP menu. Those two methods give the same result as a use and browse.
The .FPT file cannot be opened directly.

I could browse the .DBF table with VFP but the content in the memo
field is MEMO, instead of the true content. I suspect that this is
because there is no link between the DBF file and the FPT file. I am
looking at files separately with nothing to tell FoxPro the link
between the two. I need to get more knowledge of FoxPro itself to
link the two files plus some other related DBF files, into a true
database.

With the knowledge that VFP6 can open FPW2.6. , I used the VFP6 ODBC
drivers from Access to open the table with the memo field and I can
now see the full content of the memo field.

Thanks also for the warning about the backdoor. I intend to use that
for global changes in rare circumstances after extensive testing.

Maurice



lemmebe (AT) frednwilma (DOT) com wrote in message news:<i6sghv4o491q5k2f7cb8h06l0lo54hbu27 (AT) 4ax (DOT) com>...

lemmebe (AT) frednwilma (DOT) com wrote in message news:<2h6phvggc9ivndi3b1s0diiq92v6skv545 (AT) 4ax (DOT) com>...
Wonderful, it worked fine. Thanks