Xbase Data file (*.

dbf)
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https:/www.clicketyclick.dk /databases /xbase/format/dbf.html#DBF_STRUCT

Xbase Data file (*.dbf)

The data file with suffix DBF is the central table in an Xbase database. All other data files are related to this one file.
The Data File is a mix of binary and ASCII data. Header contains binary data. The records are all in ASCII (except ofcause the
binary objects like pictures).

Several sources claim that dBASE clears the header on creation with blanks (20h). But I've seen data in the
reserved areas.

Some documents states that deleted records are overwritten by new valid records. My experience is that new records are
appended to the data file - not inserted.
A deleted record can only be deleted physically using the PACK command. Even after PACK the deleted record exists after the
EOF mark. The file is not truncated in dBASE III (But don't count on it ;-)

Note that this structure is valid for Xbase - and dBASE v. III - 5. Later versions of dBASE has a different layout,
like dBASE 7 (see http://www.dbase.com/KnowledgeBase/int/db7_file_fmt.htm

_______________________ _______
00h / 0| Version number *1| ^
|-----------------------| |
01h / 1| Date of last update | |
02h / 2| YYMMDD *21| |
03h / 3| *14| |
|-----------------------| |
04h / 4| Number of records | Record
05h / 5| in data file | header
06h / 6| ( 32 bits ) *14| |
07h / 7| | |
|-----------------------| |
08h / 8| Length of header *14| |
09h / 9| structure ( 16 bits ) | |
|-----------------------| |
0Ah / 10| Length of each record | |
0Bh / 11| ( 16 bits ) *2 *14| |
|-----------------------| |
0Ch / 12| ( Reserved ) *3| |
0Dh / 13| | |
|-----------------------| |
0Eh / 14| Incomplete transac.*12| |
|-----------------------| |
0Fh / 15| Encryption flag *13| |
|-----------------------| |
10h / 16| Free record thread | |
11h / 17| (reserved for LAN | |
12h / 18| only ) | |
13h / 19| | |
|-----------------------| |
14h / 20| ( Reserved for | | _ |=======================| ______
| multi-user dBASE ) | | / 00h / 0| Field name in ASCII | ^
: ( dBASE III+ - ) : | / : (terminated by 00h) : |
: : | | | | |
1Bh / 27| | | | 0Ah / 10| | |
|-----------------------| | | |-----------------------| For
1Ch / 28| MDX flag (dBASE IV)*14| | | 0Bh / 11| Field type (ASCII) *20| each
|-----------------------| | | |-----------------------| field
1Dh / 29| Language driver *5| | / 0Ch / 12| Field data address | |
|-----------------------| | / | *6| |
1Eh / 30| ( Reserved ) | | / | (in memory !!!) | |
1Fh / 31| *3| | / 0Fh / 15| (dBASE III+) | |
|=======================|__|____/ |-----------------------| | <-
20h / 32| | | ^ 10h / 16| Field length *22| | |
|- - - - - - - - - - - -| | | |-----------------------| | | *7
| *19| | | 11h / 17| Decimal count *23| | |
|- - - - - - - - - - - -| | Field |-----------------------| | <-
| | | Descriptor 12h / 18| ( Reserved for | |
:. . . . . . . . . . . .: | |array 13h / 19| multi-user dBASE)*18| |
: : | | |-----------------------| |
n | |__|__v_ 14h / 20| Work area ID *16| |
|-----------------------| | \ |-----------------------| |
n+1| Terminator (0Dh) | | \ 15h / 21| ( Reserved for | |
|=======================| | \ 16h / 22| multi-user dBASE ) | |
m | Database Container | | \ |-----------------------| |
: *15: | \ 17h / 23| Flag for SET FIELDS | |
: : | | |-----------------------| |
/ m+263 | | | 18h / 24| ( Reserved ) | |
|=======================|__v_ ___ | : : |
: : ^ | : : |
: : | | : : |
: : | | 1Eh / 30| | |
| Record structure | | | |-----------------------| |
| | | \ 1Fh / 31| Index field flag *8| |
| | | \_ |=======================| _v_____
| | Records
|-----------------------| |
| | | _ |=======================| _______
| | | / 00h / 0| Record deleted flag *9| ^
| | | / |-----------------------| |
| | | / | Data *10| One
| | | / : (ASCII) *17: record
| |____|_____/ | | |
: : | | | _v_____
: :____|_____ |=======================|
: : |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
|=======================| |
|__End_of_File__________| ___v____ End of file ( 1Ah ) *11

1. Also called signature.

Value Bit mask Description dBASE IV bit
flags:
02h 00000010 FoxBase
Bit Description
03h 00000011 File without DBT
0- Version no.
04h 00000100 dBASE IV w/o memo file
2 i.e. 0-7
05h 00000101 dBASE V w/o memo file
Presence of
3
07h 00000111 VISUAL OBJECTS (first 1.0 versions) for the Dbase III files w/o memo file memo file
30h 00110000 Visual FoxPro 4- Presence of
30h 00110000 Visual FoxPro w. DBC 6 SQL table
31h 00110001 Visual FoxPro w. AutoIncrement field 7 DBT flag
43h 01000011 .dbv memo var size (Flagship)
7Bh 01111011 dBASE IV with memo
83h 10000011 File with DBT
 83h 10000011 dBASE III+ with memo file
VISUAL OBJECTS (first 1.0 versions) for the Dbase III files (NTX clipper
87h 10000111
driver) with memo file
8Bh 10001011 dBASE IV w. memo
8Eh 10001110 dBASE IV w. SQL table
B3h 10110011 .dbv and .dbt memo (Flagship)
Clipper SIX driver w. SMT memo file.
E5h 11100101
Note! Clipper SIX driver sets lowest 3 bytes to 110 in descriptor of crypted
databases. So, 3->6, 83h->86h, F5->F6, E5->E6 etc.
F5h 11110101 FoxPro w. memo file
FBh 11111011 FoxPro ???
MSSSFVVV

M dBASE III memo file

S SQL mask
F Memo field flag
V Version

2. Sum of lengths of all fields + 1 (deletion flag)

3. Filled with 00h. (dBASE IV)
4. Production index / Multiple index file
(dBASE IV) (FoxBase) (Visual FoxPro)
Value Description Value Description Value Description
01h MDX file present CDX compound index file 02h With memo
01h
no MDX file (index upon present, 04h Database Container (DBC)
00h
demand). 00h no CDX file. DBC (incl. memo &
07h
indexes)

5. (Foxpro) Code page: These values follow the DOS / Windows Code Page values.
Value Description Code page
01h DOS USA code page 437
02h DOS Multilingual code page 850
03h Windows ANSI code page 1252
04h Standard Macintosh
64h EE MS-DOS code page 852
65h Nordic MS-DOS code page 865
66h Russian MS-DOS code page 866
67h Icelandic MS-DOS
68h Kamenicky (Czech) MS-DOS
69h Mazovia (Polish) MS-DOS
6Ah Greek MS-DOS (437G)
6Bh Turkish MS-DOS
 96h Russian Macintosh
97h Eastern European Macintosh
98h Greek Macintosh
C8h Windows EE code page 1250
C9h Russian Windows
CAh Turkish Windows
CBh Greek Windows

6. Field data address

Note that this field has two very different interpretations.

Version Offset Description

dBASE 12-15 Address in memory.
FoxPro 12-13 Offset of field from beginning of record.

The field addresss is irellevant for other applications.

7. Field length for non-numerical fields. (FoxPro, Clipper)
Byte 16 is normally field length (0-255) and byte 17 represents the high byte for field length (256-65535).
8. Index field flag (dBASE IV):
Value Description
00h No key for this field (ignored)
01h Key exists for this field (in MDX)

9. Deleted flag:
Value Description
2Ah (*) Record is deleted
20h (blank) Record is valid

10. There are no field separators for record terminators.

11. End-of-file
dBASE II regards any End-of-File 1Ah value as the end of the file. dBASE III regard an End-of-File as an ordinary
character, however it appends an extra End-of-File character at the physical end of the file.
If the file is packed the physical size of the file may be larger than the logical i.e. there may be garbage after the EOF mark.
12. (dBASE IV) Incomplete transaction:
Value Description
00h Transaction ended (or rolled back)
01h Transaction started

13. Encryption flag (dBASE IV):

Be very careful NOT to modify this flag!

This is the only indication that the content is enctrypted.
 Value Description
00h Not encrypted
01h Data encrypted

14. Stored at binary (Little endian). Unsigned.

15. Database Container (DBC) 263 bytes for backlist. (Visual FoxPro)
Included in header structure.
16. Work area ID is 01h in all dBASE III files
17. An empty memo field has a reference filled with 10 blanks.
18. Field Flags (FoxPro/FoxBase):
Value Description
01h System column (not visible to user)
02h Column can store null values
04h Binary column (for CHAR and MEMO only)

19. Max 128 fields

20. ?? See Data types
21. Date in header is without century YYMMDD and date in records are with century YYYYMMDD. Valid interval is 00h -
FFh. Add base year 1900 and you'll have the interval 1900 - 2155.
22. Field length Max = 255. Valid types (See Data types
23. Decimal count Numeric <= 15

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URL:
Edited by: Erik Bachmann [2010-02-27/13:37:01]
https://www.clicketyclick.dk/databases/xbase/format/dbf.html#DBF_STRUCT