View & convert dbf, dBase and xBase files to text, SDF and HTML tables.

PeekDBF

PeekDBF (TM) - xBase File Viewer and Converter - Version 1.2
Copyright (c) 1994 - 1999 P.J. LaBrocca.
Single license fee only $25.00 US.

Windows 95/98/NT/2000 Register/Download PeekDBF 1.2 Demo

PeekDBF User's Manual
Version History
Read Me File
Custom Versions of PeekDBF
Purchase License
Your full copy of PeekDBF 1.2 will be emailed to you within two business days (but usually sooner).

Command Line Summary

peekdbf [-a|-s|-c|-h] file.dbf
  default  
-a
-s
-h
-c
-t
header
all
SDF
HTML Table
comma delimited
test file

PeekDBF?

PeekDBF allows you to peek into industry standard dbf files to view and convert their contents. You don't need the application that created the file.

PeekDBF is a Windows console application. It works with any file that conforms to the dBase/xBase 'standard' table format.

The Windows version has been tested with DBFs from

and DBFs generated by a C program using the Sequiter CodeBase library of dBase/xBase functions. Tables exported from applications that use another table formats, such as Microsoft Access and Microsoft Works, also work.

New Features in Version 1.2

Please read the README file

Installation

See the PeekDBF User's Manual.

Quick Start

Back up important files often! PeekDBF only reads files, it never alters them.

Read the README file.

Please read the PeekDBF User's Manual for more information about interpreting the output from PeekDBF.

The default action of PeekDBF is to display the header information.

peekdbf file.dbf

To see everything, including records marked for deletion, use the -a option

peekdbf -a file.dbf

Since the output goes to the screen, use something like

peekdbf -a file.dbf | more
to display the output a screenful at a time, or (better and recommended)
peekdbf -a file.dbf > output.txt

to save the output to a file that you can view at your leisure.

-a displays the following fields types as a series of hex bytes enclosed in angle brackets: Y, T, B, I, M, G, and M (binary).

Converting DBF Files

Use the -s option to convert a dbf file to system data format, SDF. SDF uses fixed width fields without separators; records are separated by newlines. The following field types are displayed in strings starting with <, followed by the field's one letter identifier, padded with !s and ending with > such that the string is the same length as the field type: Y, T, B, I, M, G, and M (binary). This allows convenient indexing into each record.

The -c option produces comma delimited fields with records separated by newlines. This form is useful as input to programs like Awk and Perl. Memo fields are converted to the string memo. General fields are converted to the string gen. Empty fields produce a comma which works as expected with programs that count field delimiters (like Awk and Perl). -c and -h produce the most complete conversion of data from the dbf.

HTML Tables

The -h option converts a dbf into an HTML table. The output is a complete Web page. The tags are neatly indented to make it easier to edit. The first row contains the field names. Blank fields have a dash inserted. Memo fields are converted to memo. General fields are converted to gen. The only attributes are in the table-tag:

<TABLE BORDER CELLPADDING="5">

Use a line like

peekdbf -h file.dbf > mytable.html

Known Issues

The -t option doesn't do much yet.

Legal

A single user license for PeekDBF 1.2 costs only $25. If you choose not to license your copy of PeekDBFtm you must remove it from your system.

You may not distribute PeekDBF in any form by any means without written permission from the copyright owner.

HTML tables generated by PeekDBF contain copyright information that refers to PeekDBF, not your converted data. You can publish these tables anyway you want provided the copyright information remains in the HTML file unaltered.

PeekDBF only reads files. It never alters them in any way. Nevertheless, you use PeekDBF at your own risk. Back up important files often.

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Copyright © 1994 - 1999 by P.J. LaBrocca. All rights reserved.
PeekDBF is a trademark of P.J. LaBrocca.