Visual foxpro (importing from / linking to)

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Just been given a task of importing OR linking to a Visual Foxpro Database to develop some management reports.
Having a bit of an issue actually getting data into Access.
If I try to use the standard driver, it says I must go to Microsoft and get the latest ODBC driver.
If I do and try and install it, it says it is not supported unedr Windows Vista and Crashes with an error.
Am I fighting a losing battle here.

Also do I need more than the .dbf in the folder I am linking to.
There are others there, but I have not got a copy of those in the test directory.
Do I need those as well, and if so which ones.

Any hints very welcome here.

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Can you open the .dbf file in Excel or OpenOffice Calc?
If so, then save it as a csv or tab delimited file and import that into Access.
If not, and you have access to VFP, then you should be able to export it from VFP as a delimited (CSV) file.

Sorry I don’t use VFP myself, but routinely convert dbase, clipper and harbour .dbf files and I believe VFP is similar.

Jock

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Good suggestions by Jock. The VFP structure is similar to dBase4, and tables are stored in separate files, as are indexes on the tables. I’ve had some luck importing using the dBase conversion utilities, or if you can find a copy of Access 2000 (or maybe 2002) there is better support for FP importing and linking.

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Good suggestions by Jock. The VFP structure is similar to dBase4, and tables are stored in separate files, as are indexes on the tables. I’ve had some luck importing using the dBase conversion utilities, or if you can find a copy of Access 2000 (or maybe 2002) there is better support for FP importing and linking.

The actual file format is Visual Foxpro V.8
The CSV conversion would be fine, but really we want to link to some of the Foxpro tables.
This a live production system, and will continue to be used for some time.
It would be far too expensive to re-develop it.
The other alternative is to create some utility that could export the required tables out on a daily basis.
We are hoping to use Access to develop a management dashboard for the data.
It is only for reporting purposes, but again the cost and time of doing the sae in the Foxpro system
would be non cost effective.

I’ll keep playing.

Every thing I have tried at the moment has failed with unknown file type.

I’ll keep going.

Just as a matter of interest, does anyone know if the dbf’s or dbc file should be used for importing.
I just managed to get a converter that works ok, but it only imports about 1/3 of the dbf files.
It does not even bother with the others.

AW

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By the latest driver I presume you mean the VFP 9.0 driver. (If not you can find it here) It appears it doesn’t play nice with either Vista or Windows7. You may want to find a Windows XP system and try using it. Or you could install Virtual PC, though it doesn’t behave to well on Windows7. And I would look seriously at getting that application converted ASAP. The support for VFP is getting harder and harder to find.

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By the latest driver I presume you mean the VFP 9.0 driver. (If not you can find it here) It appears it doesn’t play nice with either Vista or Windows7. You may want to find a Windows XP system and try using it. Or you could install Virtual PC, though it doesn’t behave to well on Windows7. And I would look seriously at getting that application converted ASAP. The support for VFP is getting harder and harder to find.

Thanks.
The problem is COST, in the current economic climate, it would be very expensive to create the same functionality
in another system, and also time consuming.
It might be considered for a long term project, because the application (not mine) is highly bespoke.
What we need is a management stats Dashboard App, using the Foxpro Data.
It looks like a live link is NOT going to work.
Add to the issue of OS being pretty much stuck at XP.
At least if we can get data out initially to build the management viewer,

then a long term look at conversion to a stable and more future proof data store.

Typical MS to not support their own product.
Unfortunately my knowledge of dbase type programming stopped with dBase V,
so very little chance for me to be able to do anything with the original,
and the developers will want big bucks I suspect to customize it.

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Thanks.
The problem is COST, in the current economic climate, it would be very expensive to create the same functionality
in another system, and also time consuming.
It might be considered for a long term project, because the application (not mine) is highly bespoke.
What we need is a management stats Dashboard App, using the Foxpro Data.
It looks like a live link is NOT going to work.
Add to the issue of OS being pretty much stuck at XP.
At least if we can get data out initially to build the management viewer,

then a long term look at conversion to a stable and more future proof data store.

Typical MS to not support their own product.
Unfortunately my knowledge of dbase type programming stopped with dBase V,
so very little chance for me to be able to do anything with the original,
and the developers will want big bucks I suspect to customize it.

I have had good luck using Crystal Reports v.11 to report on FoxPro tables. We use a system that has both MS SQL2000 and FoxPro database. I can link and query with Crystal with no trouble.

Bill
Stonegate Designs

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Thanks.

Problem has gone away for a while now due to other more pressing projects.
They did now want to use Crystal, because they wanted an interface built,
that would not require them to build the reports.

I did eventually manage to get the required tables out of Foxpro
into another format, using VB and the Foxpro driver.
Fortunately it does not need to be a live link to the data,
so a nightly upload is fine.

I will now await to see if we are going to do the build later in the year.

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