Pack dBase files

  • Thread starter Thread starter Arvin Villodres
  • Start date Start date
A

Arvin Villodres

Good day to everyone.

Can somebody show me how to Pack dBase files (DbaseIII)
from MS Access 2000?

Thanks.
 
Hum, I don't think that is possible at all.

In fact, the ms-access dbase drivers don't even know of, or show deleted
records like you can in DbaseIII.

I would be both very scared, and worried if access could in fact pack those
dbase files anyway! If you connected to a slightly different version of the
dbase format file, and packed via ms-access, you likely could damage the
file. In other words, if in ms-access you choose some wrong drivers, and
they could pack the connected file, then you could destroy that file quite
easily. For this reason, and the fact of having to add this additional
functional ability to ms-access certainly explains why we can't do this from
ms-access.

On the other hand, I would be scared if ms-access could compact Oracle, or
sql server files also!

I would hope, or assume that the original software that creates that
dbaseIII data has some provisions for "pack" ing that data. If the original
software does NOT have any ability to do this, then I would consider dumping
that software as you are rapidity running out of possible solutions.

You could certainly move the data out of the dbase table, but at any rate,
ms-access never was able to pack dbase files. I certainly remember using the
pack command at the .(dot) prompt in FoxPro many moons ago...
 
One way to try and test would be to import the dBase table to an Access
table, add the necessary indices and then export (with another name) the
file to dBase format. That should eliminate whatever records were deleted on
the original file, in fact, compacting it.
Then test if the resulting file is readble (I presume you wish to conserve
the dBase because you have a program that reads the format).

--
Victor Delgadillo [MVP Access]
Miami, Florida

Consultas al grupo, asi todos nos beneficiamos.

_
 
Golly, I kind of stand corrected on this one!

I just assumed that pack would NOT be available in those ODBC drivers, but
then again I suppose it makes some sense......

So, while ms-access can't really pack those files, apparently the drivers
via ODBC do have this ability....

--
Albert D. Kallal (MVP)
Edmonton, Alberta Canada
(e-mail address removed)
http://www.attcanada.net/~kallal.msn
 
In _4oOb.149560$JQ1.121919@pd7tw1no,

Hi Albert,
I just assumed that pack would NOT be available in those ODBC
drivers, but then again I suppose it makes some sense......

So, while ms-access can't really pack those files, apparently the
drivers via ODBC do have this ability....
Click to expand...

Yes, assuming that the VFP ODBC drivers work for dBase III files, which I
expect they would. My experience doesn't go back that far.

Also, in your previous post you mentioned deleted records. As you know, in
FoxPro tables deleted records aren't actually removed until the table is
PACKed. FoxPro has a SET DELETED ON/OFF setting which shows or hides these
deleted records. In FoxPro they show with a black mark on the left side of
the grid when DELETED is OFF.

There is a setting in the VFP ODBC driver setup (use the Options >> button
to see it) that corresponds to the DELETED setting. It's a little
counter-intiutive but checking the box corresponds to SET DELETED ON which
hides the deleted records and clearing the box corresponds to SET DELETED
OFF. One problem is that the deleted records will look "normal" in Access
since there is no way to visually tell that they are deleted from within the
Access IDE.
 
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