.DAT file - what is it, how can I access it?

[TheLe]

one of my company's division sent us a pervasive .DAT file.

I have the workgroup engine, but I cannot find a way to load this file.

I tried to look at it and it is not a text file.

I think it is a table, but I am not sure because when I create tables in the workgroup engine, they are given a .MDK extension, not .DAT.

I tried that Butil utility to save the data to a sequential file, but it is partly gibeerish.

How can I get the data from this file (with and without the Pervasive Workgroup Engine)?

Thanks.

~LE

 

[TheLe]

It is a ".DTA" file. Sorry for the mistake. Can anyone help?

 

[Linda84]

You may want to review the following portion of our docs (online), which explains why you see "gibberish" in your data. That's actually data in its internal format, for any data that's not stored as a string.

http://www.pervasive.com/library/prog_gde/Design2.html

Most tools that allow you to look at data require a system catalog. In the Pervasive world, the system catalog is stored in files with a DDF extension. Btrieve access does not require DDFs, which is why you can have Btrieve data files without DDFs. Any kind of other access, including ODBC, OLEDB, ActiveX, JDBC, etc. all require DDFs.

If you want to try and make DDFs for your Btrieve data files, you can do so. Review the information at the following link:

http://www.pervasive.com/library/prog_gde/fundmnts2.html

Linda
Pervasive Software Support

 

[TheLe]

YEs, it is a pervasive file.

The division that sent it to us claims that there is NO DDF files with it (or will not give it to us).

Linda, the link you gave me was helpful, but did not really give me steps I need to take to recreate the DDF files. Is there other documentation somewhere?

 

[TheLe]

Hold on. I think a lightbulb just came on in me head.

Isn't Btrieve and Pervasive the same product?

 

[Linda84]

Btrieve was the name of the product up through version 6.15. Starting with version 7, the product was renamed Pervasive.SQL, which included both Btrieve and our SQL product. This was meant to provide "best of both worlds" access to your data, so that you could use Btrieve, ODBC, or other access methods to simultaneously get to your data from one or more applications.

Currently, Pervasive.SQL 2000i includes the equivalent of a Btrieve 7.94 engine.

I pasted the wrong link about DDF creation in my last post. Sorry! This one should help:

http://www.pervasive.com/library/advops/btrfiles3.html

Linda
Pervasive Software Support

 

[grnelson]

If you need to create DDF files for your existing Btrieve files then you can check out BtSearch at

http://www.nssdd.com.

It allows you to analyze your existing Btrieve files and helps you create the DDF files. Once created then you can use other 3-rd party software including ODBC. If you need to export data BtSearch will export to dbase or ascii formats as well.

Gil