NYCPHP Meetup

[Fee, Patrick J (US SSA)]

Mike's right.  

The "memo fields" that he's talking about is the "longer description-type data" that you are searching for.  One of FoxPro's biggest weakness AND strengths was in the fact that each component (table, indexes, forms, reports) was a separate file, unlike Access that keeps all components in a mdb (and an associated index file).   You could split the files up in different locations or compile parts into a binary... and some other interesting manipulations. Conversely, everytime I wanted to archive a working project, I wound up needing to zip 30 or 50 files into a zip file.

There are a couple of tools out there that will take FoxPro files and turn them into a Access or MySQl db.  That won't solve all your issues... but it might allow you to see the data in a more comfortable format based on your previous experience.

I'd be happy to give you the names of the tools if it would help.  I can send them when I get home this evening.

Patrick J. Fee
240-401-6820

-----Original Message-----
From: talk-bounces at lists.nyphp.org
[mailto:talk-bounces at lists.nyphp.org]On Behalf Of mike hjorleifsson
Sent: Tuesday, June 22, 2004 2:26 PM
To: 'NYPHP Talk'
Subject: RE: [nycphp-talk] FoxPro FPT files


Foxpro files, depending on the version are usually in the following
relationship

.dbf -> main data file
.fpt -> memo fields
.cdx -> Index files
.dbc -> data base containers

I am using php on IIS on a win2k server, I created an odbc connection
(system) on the server
And can access these files read/write using the odbc connector in php 

-----Original Message-----
From: talk-bounces at lists.nyphp.org [mailto:talk-bounces at lists.nyphp.org] On
Behalf Of Marc Antony Vose
Sent: Tuesday, June 22, 2004 2:18 PM
To: NYPHP Talk
Subject: [nycphp-talk] FoxPro FPT files

Hi there:

I'm working with data from a museum archival database (PastPerfect) that was
created in FoxPro.  I am not very familiar with FoxPro databases, and I am a
little confused about what the different component files.

Each 'table' seems to have an associated .DBF file and sometimes .FPT file.
Initially, I was ignoring the .FPT files altogether, but there is some data
that I need to parse out of this database that I can't find, and I am
beginning to think that maybe it is stored in the .FPT files?

The data I need to get to is generally longer description-type data, which I
am not seeing in the DBF files.

So...first of all...am I on the right track with trying to find my longer
descriptions?  (I have to ask that, because I am not quite sure what .FPT
files are used for...the MSDN reference refers to them as 'memo files', but
I am not sure what that means.)

Secondly...anyone aware of a class or set of functions that can read these
files?

Anything that could help clear up my confusion is welcome.

--
Marc Antony Vose
http://www.suzerain.com/

Always remember to pillage BEFORE you burn
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