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Why doesn't A5v9 work w/ Visual Foxpro tables

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    Why doesn't A5v9 work w/ Visual Foxpro tables

    Hello All,

    I have a vertical app that uses Visual Foxpro as the database.

    Why can't A5 open the tables natively since they are dbf files?

    It shows in A5 as an encrypted file.

    Thanks

    Mark Richter

    #2
    Re: Why doesn't A5v9 work w/ Visual Foxpro tables

    Ask Microsoft why they changed the format of the DBF tables they use. Alpha uses the 'flavor' of DBF that Foxpro 2.6 used.

    I suppose it's also possible that your vertical app has encrypted the table. Can you open it with Excel?

    -- tom

    Comment


      #3
      Re: Why doesn't A5v9 work w/ Visual Foxpro tables

      Hi Tom,

      No I cannot open the file in Excel.

      Mark

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Why doesn't A5v9 work w/ Visual Foxpro tables

        Mark, I think that is a good indicator that the table has been encrypted. Even if the format were the same that Alpha uses, encryption would prevent you from being able to open it.

        Comment


          #5
          Re: Why doesn't A5v9 work w/ Visual Foxpro tables

          Tom,

          Let me revise what I posted.

          When I try to open the dbf created in VFP, Excel gives me an unrecognized format. Clicking OK does open the file but it has trouble reading it (garbage in the field names).

          When I open the dbf created in A5 it opens cleanly.

          Mark

          Comment


            #6
            Re: Why doesn't A5v9 work w/ Visual Foxpro tables

            Originally posted by sparky06413 View Post
            Tom,

            Let me revise what I posted.

            When I try to open the dbf created in VFP, Excel gives me an unrecognized format. Clicking OK does open the file but it has trouble reading it (garbage in the field names).

            When I open the dbf created in A5 it opens cleanly.

            Mark
            Visual Foxpro tables were changed (I think in VFP 6.0) to allow for long field names, new data types, and expand the functionality of the database container (dbc). Consequently, you can't open VFP tables unless they are converted back to the 2.6 version. To do this, open the table in VFP and do a "copy to new_file_name TYPE FOX2X" and this will convert the file back to the format that Alpha Five can read directly, and this includes the memo file (FPT) and compound index file (CDX).

            I have tried to open the VFP tables using the ODBC driver and this works in so far as I can import the data into an Alpha table, but I had trouble using it as a passive link table.

            I'm a VFP developer taking a hard look at Alpha Five as an alternative for our development efforts. Still in the infancy of my analysis.
            John J. Fatte', CPA
            PRO-WARE, LLC
            Omaha, NE 68137

            Comment


              #7
              Re: Why doesn't A5v9 work w/ Visual Foxpro tables

              Hi John,

              I really want to use A5 as a "front end" for my data and I don't want to export the data or save it as an old format. I use R&R for my reporting of the VFP data and it works perfectly.

              My question really is "why doesn't Alpha support VFP". They come out with new versions often & I purchase them hoping that they will support a product (VFP) that has existed for a long time but I'm always disappointed when the functionality doesn't exist.

              I would think reading that data natively would open up a large pool of new users such as yourself.

              Mark

              Comment


                #8
                Re: Why doesn't A5v9 work w/ Visual Foxpro tables

                Originally posted by sparky06413 View Post
                Hi John,

                I really want to use A5 as a "front end" for my data and I don't want to export the data or save it as an old format. I use R&R for my reporting of the VFP data and it works perfectly.

                My question really is "why doesn't Alpha support VFP". They come out with new versions often & I purchase them hoping that they will support a product (VFP) that has existed for a long time but I'm always disappointed when the functionality doesn't exist.

                I would think reading that data natively would open up a large pool of new users such as yourself.

                Mark
                I couldn't agree with you more. With the number of VFP developers looking for an alternative, adding native support for VFP tables would be a HUGE selling point. Hopefully, someone at Alpha is reading these posts.

                There is another development application called Servoy (www.servoy.com) that boasts native VFP data support and they have been sending me emails and invites for the last 6 months. Their only drawback is that they require "per seat" runtime and I would never go for an option like that. Alpha's is much easier to swallow.
                John J. Fatte', CPA
                PRO-WARE, LLC
                Omaha, NE 68137

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: Why doesn't A5v9 work w/ Visual Foxpro tables

                  John,

                  They are pricy as the devil.

                  .
                  Dave Mason
                  [email protected]
                  Skype is dave.mason46

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: Why doesn't A5v9 work w/ Visual Foxpro tables

                    Originally posted by DaveM View Post
                    John,

                    They are pricy as the devil.

                    .
                    That is exactly why I started looking at Alpha Five. So far, so good. Still trying to create my first app; although we've already been able to create a very small web app to satisfy a need that we had.
                    John J. Fatte', CPA
                    PRO-WARE, LLC
                    Omaha, NE 68137

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Re: Why doesn't A5v9 work w/ Visual Foxpro tables

                      I couldn't agree with you more. With the number of VFP developers looking for an alternative, adding native support for VFP tables would be a HUGE selling point. Hopefully, someone at Alpha is reading these posts.
                      Actually, since this message board is peer supported, you'd do better to post a suggestion to the Wishlist Forum.

                      -- tom

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: Why doesn't A5v9 work w/ Visual Foxpro tables

                        Originally posted by Tom Cone Jr View Post
                        Actually, since this message board is peer supported, you'd do better to post a suggestion to the Wishlist Forum.

                        -- tom
                        Thank you for the suggestion, I'll do it ASAP.
                        John J. Fatte', CPA
                        PRO-WARE, LLC
                        Omaha, NE 68137

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Re: Why doesn't A5v9 work w/ Visual Foxpro tables

                          To take this further, assuming you have the Foxpro 2.6 formatted DBF, or if you use Visual Foxpro to read in an already-created DBF by Alpha Five (where it will "respect" the native format and keep it that way), I find issues with using the CDX (index) files created in Alpha Five. If you go to reindex an Alpha Five DBF, it will reindex only the tags that have the same functionality that is present both in Alpha Five AND Visual Foxpro. Alpha Five added index functionality that Visual Foxpro does not have, and these tags will be lost. I know this is going in the opposite direction as the original question, but there are times when I would like to do things like updating indexes without doing so within the Alpha Five environment. A Visual Foxpro EXE would accomplish this nicely except for the issue of functionality raised above.

                          Jeff

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Re: Why doesn't A5v9 work w/ Visual Foxpro tables

                            I have not used VFP before but found this thread interesting since I would have thought that ODBC should just about answer any of the questions. But it appears from a quick Google that MS has a somewhat faulty ODBC driver for VFP. So Mark, getting back to your original question, I would guess that if MS can't even specify their own drivers correctly, you can't expect someone else to do the job. Since your comments don't really specify what it is that you want to do with A5 in your VPF environment we are left to guessing. If it is for report functionality or to get your data into a new environment, then you can probably use the ODBC driver as John has pointed out that this works for him. I think that this is about all you could expect from Alphasoftware to provide. However, if you are trying to intermingle the 2 environments then it appears you could be heading for a problem. I would personally try the ODBC drivers against my own data to see how it works. But from all the problems that I could read about, interacting with the data live could prove to be a problem.

                            This might lead you to understand why Alpha has been created around supporting DB structures that are more "standardized". With A5v9 you can mix data sources freely for those that are supported and with ODBC anything else - where the driver actually works, that is.

                            Here's a link to an interesting wiki on the driver:

                            http://fox.wikis.com/wc.dll?Wiki~VFP...er~SoftwareEng

                            HTH
                            Doug

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Re: Why doesn't A5v9 work w/ Visual Foxpro tables

                              Mark,

                              I use R&R for my reporting of the VFP data and it works perfectly
                              This stuck with me for a long time after I read it this afternoon. I used R&R a long time ago and uses Crystal reports more recently.

                              Have you worked with the alpha report writer? Don't count it out, it does a great job and you may find it has some things you don't have now.

                              Now, to the meat. It was hard leaving my old friend "Clipper", which I might add beat the pants off Foxpro in the old days. VB is better now, if you want to spend the time. I had choices with dos when leaving Clipper and one was FP, I chose alpha then and have never had a reason to look back.

                              WSo, when are you planning to make the switch? You cannot live on Mars and Venus at the same time. The distance is to great. You are on a dying world and (it seems) wanting to transfer to a thriving, very alive planet.

                              You ware very welcome in this world. Most all here came from another world somewhere and found a home. We brought a lot with us and I am sure you will too. We all share and aI am sure you will too.

                              Honestly, no one wants to leave a comfortable environment with a lot of accomplishments behind, but there is a time when it becomes necessary.

                              I would even bet you could use your R&R with alpha. Bet you won't need it though.

                              The only thing I liked about other report writers was the ability to make an exe for a report instead of it being embedded.


                              .
                              Dave Mason
                              [email protected]
                              Skype is dave.mason46

                              Comment

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