Link .dbf table via ODBC

[bethabernathy]

I am having trouble linking a foxpro .dbf file into Access via ODBC. The file size is 10,380 KB. Do you think the file size could be creating problems with the linking?

Thanks, Beth beth@integratedresourcemgmt.com

 

[dalchri]

If I remember right, when I did it, I had to use a system or machine DSN. A file DSN does not work. This is actually documented on msdn.microsoft.com. If this doesn't solve the problem, try entering the error message into the search field on the Microsoft web site. There is a whole raft of documented problems using FoxPro.

 

[bethabernathy]

Hi There: I got the linking to work, but I am just thinking that the file size may be too large for access to handle. What do you think?

Beth beth@integratedresourcemgmt.com

 

[blom0344]

Hello Beth,

Probably thought of this yourselve, but why not test the link on a small table. If the result is negative, you can rule out the idea that he file-size is the problem.
When you link the table, be sure to define a unique key (on one or a combination of fields) to get proper read-out through ODBC.
Running some queries from Access can cause you to believe that nothing is happening (large table-scans, for instance) and Access does not seem to respond anymore. In the background the query is probably still running.
In general, it depends more on the type of query you define on a linked table than the size of the file you are addressing.

 

[JJHou]

Hi Beth,

Probably too late, but I have been going nuts over the same thing having to link some old FoxPro/Dos tables to ACC2K, with VB6.

If you followed any examples/suggestions like I did, they all suggest using the dBASE III or IV driver in the connection strings. **BUT**, none of them mention that it doesn't work if there is an associated .FPT (Memo file). My VB app links 60 Fox dbfs to the ACC2K table, and it works perfectly on all but 4 - the ones with an .FPT file associated.

J.

 

[RobK1]

I'm with all of you. My company uses *sigh* FoxPro 2.6, and I'm running around trying to upgrade them to SQL server. You think you got it bad...This company has 500+ dbf's, totalling around 250gb of data. Some of these dbfs are hitting the 1gb mark.

But for what it's worth, here's some issues I've dealt with (maybe it'll help).

10mb is easy for ACC2k (both link-through and importing), dbf's, VB to deal with. But you have to let the data load up. On a AMD k6/2 450 with 256mb ram running win2k Pro, it takes me around 4 minutes to load a dbf linked through access. For a while, I kept thinking the machine had crashed. Then i let it run, went out for a smoke, and came back.

VB/Jet keeps wanting to do a table scan...even on the large files...On my larger dbf's, it trys to scan 3,000,000 records (no typo there). Winds up nuking the computer.

Robert