Retrieve data from Pervasive database used by Magic application

Question

I have a client who has had a developer (who has died since) set him up a Magic eDeveloper application which uses a Pervasive V8 database. Thing is that his licence ran out and the developer is not around.

There are no DDF files in the directory containing the .DAT files. However I have found a file called DDFA which contains text about potential DDF files. I don't know the format of DDF files, of the DDFA file and if one actually creates the other.

Here are contents of the DDFA file:

VRSN=700

Application=Yes
FILE={NAME="file.ddf",DESC="file.ddf",ACCKEY="..SC....",DBNAME="Default Database",ENCR=N,RESIDENT=78,
FLD={DESC="file id",PIC="2",STRG=5,ATTR=N,SIZ=2,WHLE=2,RSRCE={MDFY=Y,TRNS=S,DEF=N,MOD=B,CTRL=E,CTRL_STP="         1.00000",NUL_ALW=N,STYLE=2,IDX_COLOR=1,IDX_FONT=1}},
FLD={DESC="file name",PIC="20",STRG=1,ATTR=A,SIZ=20,RSRCE={MDFY=Y,TRNS=S,DEF=N,MOD=B,CTRL=E,CTRL_STP="         1.00000",NUL_ALW=N,STYLE=2,IDX_COLOR=1,IDX_FONT=1}},
FLD={DESC="file loc",PIC="64",STRG=1,ATTR=A,SIZ=64,RSRCE={MDFY=Y,TRNS=S,DEF=N,MOD=B,CTRL=E,CTRL_STP="         1.00000",NUL_ALW=N,STYLE=2,IDX_COLOR=1,IDX_FONT=1}},
FLD={DESC="flags",PIC="3",STRG=5,ATTR=N,SIZ=1,WHLE=3,RSRCE={MDFY=Y,TRNS=S,DEF=N,MOD=B,CTRL=E,CTRL_STP="         1.00000",NUL_ALW=N,STYLE=2,IDX_COLOR=1,IDX_FONT=1}},
FLD={DESC="filler",PIC="10",STRG=1,ATTR=A,SIZ=10,RSRCE={MDFY=Y,TRNS=S,DEF=N,MOD=B,CTRL=E,CTRL_STP="         1.00000",NUL_ALW=N,STYLE=2,IDX_COLOR=1,IDX_FONT=1}},
KEY={DESC="key 1(id)",MOD=S,DIR=T,RNG=Q,KEY_TYPE=R,
SEG={SIZ=2,FLD=1,DIR=A}},
KEY={DESC="key 2(name)",MOD=S,DIR=T,RNG=Q,KEY_TYPE=R,
SEG={SIZ=20,FLD=2,DIR=A}}}
FILE={NAME="field.ddf",DESC="field.ddf",ACCKEY="..SC....",DBNAME="Default Database",ENCR=N,RESIDENT=78,
FLD={DESC="field id",PIC="3",STRG=5,ATTR=N,SIZ=2,WHLE=3,RSRCE={MDFY=Y,TRNS=S,DEF=N,MOD=B,CTRL=E,CTRL_STP="         1.00000",NUL_ALW=N,STYLE=2,IDX_COLOR=1,IDX_FONT=1}},
FLD={DESC="file id",PIC="3",STRG=5,ATTR=N,SIZ=2,WHLE=3,RSRCE={MDFY=Y,TRNS=S,DEF=N,MOD=B,CTRL=E,CTRL_STP="         1.00000",NUL_ALW=N,STYLE=2,IDX_COLOR=1,IDX_FONT=1}},
FLD={DESC="field name",PIC="20",STRG=1,ATTR=A,SIZ=20,RSRCE={MDFY=Y,TRNS=S,DEF=N,MOD=B,CTRL=E,CTRL_STP="         1.00000",NUL_ALW=N,STYLE=2,IDX_COLOR=1,IDX_FONT=1}},
FLD={DESC="bt data type",PIC="3",STRG=5,ATTR=N,SIZ=1,WHLE=3,RSRCE={MDFY=Y,TRNS=S,DEF=N,MOD=B,CTRL=E,CTRL_STP="         1.00000",NUL_ALW=N,STYLE=2,IDX_COLOR=1,IDX_FONT=1}},
FLD={DESC="offset",PIC="5",STRG=5,ATTR=N,SIZ=2,WHLE=5,RSRCE={MDFY=Y,TRNS=S,DEF=N,MOD=B,CTRL=E,CTRL_STP="         1.00000",NUL_ALW=N,STYLE=2,IDX_COLOR=1,IDX_FONT=1}},
FLD={DESC="size",PIC="5",STRG=4,ATTR=N,SIZ=2,WHLE=5,RSRCE={MDFY=Y,TRNS=S,DEF=N,MOD=B,CTRL=E,CTRL_STP="         1.00000",NUL_ALW=N,STYLE=2,IDX_COLOR=1,IDX_FONT=1}},
FLD={DESC="decimals",PIC="3",STRG=5,ATTR=N,SIZ=1,WHLE=3,RSRCE={MDFY=Y,TRNS=S,DEF=N,MOD=B,CTRL=E,CTRL_STP="         1.00000",NUL_ALW=N,STYLE=2,IDX_COLOR=1,IDX_FONT=1}},
FLD={DESC="flags",PIC="3",STRG=4,ATTR=N,SIZ=2,WHLE=3,RSRCE={MDFY=Y,TRNS=S,DEF=N,MOD=B,CTRL=E,CTRL_STP="         1.00000",NUL_ALW=N,STYLE=2,IDX_COLOR=1,IDX_FONT=1}},
KEY={DESC="key 1(field id)",MOD=S,DIR=T,RNG=Q,KEY_TYPE=R,
SEG={SIZ=2,FLD=1,DIR=A}},
KEY={DESC="key 2(file id)",MOD=N,DIR=T,RNG=Q,KEY_TYPE=R,
SEG={SIZ=2,FLD=2,DIR=A}},
KEY={DESC="key 3(field name)",MOD=N,DIR=T,RNG=Q,KEY_TYPE=R,
SEG={SIZ=20,FLD=3,DIR=A}},
KEY={DESC="key 4(file id+field",MOD=S,DIR=T,RNG=Q,KEY_TYPE=R,
SEG={SIZ=2,FLD=2,DIR=A},
SEG={SIZ=20,FLD=3,DIR=A}},
KEY={DESC="key 5(fi+offset+dec)",MOD=N,DIR=T,RNG=Q,KEY_TYPE=R,
SEG={SIZ=2,FLD=2,DIR=A},
SEG={SIZ=2,FLD=5,DIR=A},
SEG={SIZ=1,FLD=7,DIR=A}}}
FILE={NAME="index.ddf",DESC="index.ddf",ACCKEY="..SC....",DBNAME="Default Database",ENCR=N,RESIDENT=78,
FLD={DESC="file id",PIC="2",STRG=5,ATTR=N,SIZ=2,WHLE=2,RSRCE={MDFY=Y,TRNS=S,DEF=N,MOD=B,CTRL=E,CTRL_STP="         1.00000",NUL_ALW=N,STYLE=2,IDX_COLOR=1,IDX_FONT=1}},
FLD={DESC="field id",PIC="5",STRG=5,ATTR=N,SIZ=2,WHLE=5,RSRCE={MDFY=Y,TRNS=S,DEF=N,MOD=B,CTRL=E,CTRL_STP="         1.00000",NUL_ALW=N,STYLE=2,IDX_COLOR=1,IDX_FONT=1}},
FLD={DESC="key number",PIC="2",STRG=5,ATTR=N,SIZ=2,WHLE=2,RSRCE={MDFY=Y,TRNS=S,DEF=N,MOD=B,CTRL=E,CTRL_STP="         1.00000",NUL_ALW=N,STYLE=2,IDX_COLOR=1,IDX_FONT=1}},
FLD={DESC="key segment",PIC="2",STRG=5,ATTR=N,SIZ=2,WHLE=2,RSRCE={MDFY=Y,TRNS=S,DEF=N,MOD=B,CTRL=E,CTRL_STP="         1.00000",NUL_ALW=N,STYLE=2,IDX_COLOR=1,IDX_FONT=1}},
FLD={DESC="flags",PIC="5",STRG=5,ATTR=N,SIZ=2,WHLE=5,RSRCE={MDFY=Y,TRNS=S,DEF=N,MOD=B,CTRL=E,CTRL_STP="         1.00000",NUL_ALW=N,STYLE=2,IDX_COLOR=1,IDX_FONT=1}},
KEY={DESC="key 1(file id)",MOD=N,DIR=T,RNG=Q,KEY_TYPE=R,
SEG={SIZ=2,FLD=1,DIR=A}},
KEY={DESC="key 2(field id)",MOD=N,DIR=T,RNG=Q,KEY_TYPE=R,
SEG={SIZ=2,FLD=2,DIR=A}},
KEY={DESC="key 3(file+key num+s",MOD=S,DIR=T,RNG=Q,KEY_TYPE=R,
SEG={SIZ=2,FLD=1,DIR=A},
SEG={SIZ=2,FLD=3,DIR=A},
SEG={SIZ=2,FLD=4,DIR=A}}}
FILE={NAME="fieldext.ddf",DESC="fieldext.ddf",ACCKEY="..SC....",DBNAME="Default Database",ENCR=N,RESIDENT=78,
FLD={DESC="File ID",PIC="3",STRG=5,ATTR=N,SIZ=2,WHLE=3,RSRCE={MDFY=Y,TRNS=S,DEF=N,MOD=B,CTRL=E,CTRL_STP="         0.00000",NUL_ALW=N,STYLE=2,IDX_COLOR=1,IDX_FONT=1}},
FLD={DESC="Field ID",PIC="3",STRG=5,ATTR=N,SIZ=2,WHLE=3,RSRCE={MDFY=Y,TRNS=S,DEF=N,MOD=B,CTRL=E,CTRL_STP="         0.00000",NUL_ALW=N,STYLE=2,IDX_COLOR=1,IDX_FONT=1}},
FLD={DESC="Extended data type",PIC="3",STRG=5,ATTR=N,SIZ=2,WHLE=3,RSRCE={MDFY=Y,TRNS=S,DEF=N,MOD=B,CTRL=E,CTRL_STP="         0.00000",NUL_ALW=N,STYLE=2,IDX_COLOR=1,IDX_FONT=1}},
KEY={MOD=S,DIR=T,RNG=Q,KEY_TYPE=R,
SEG={SIZ=2,FLD=1,DIR=A},
SEG={SIZ=2,FLD=2,DIR=A}}}

Does anyone recognize this format? Can I use this to create DDF files? Or is this usefulfor some other tool?

I have tried using BUTIL -SAVE ORIG.DAT ORIG.TXT and got a more readable file but I'm not quite sure what to do with that either.

Any help is much appreciated.

mirtheil · Answer 1 · 2018-02-08T14:07:50.110

1

That file describes the structure of the DDF files (FILE.DDF, FIELD.DDF, and INDEX.DDF). Unfortunately, the file doesn't describe the data files. DDFs without records describing the files won't help much.

When you say the license expired, are you talking about the Pervasive license or the Magic license? If it's the Pervasive license, you might be able to download a trial version of the Pervasive engine, install it and activate the trial license.

Magic used to offer a way to create DDFs for the data files. I think it's called "DDF Make".

edited Feb 08 '18 at 14:07

answered Feb 08 '18 at 12:36

mirtheil

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Thank you so much. So you're saying it describes the layout of the DDFs but not their contents? Why is this necessary? I'm not sure if it's Magic's licence or the previous developer's time-bomb. It complains of a database error and shuts down. My client says that in the past this meant he had to pay his developer. – HaLeiVi Feb 08 '18 at 13:59
Come to think of it, this is a Magic runtime so I guess there is no licence. – HaLeiVi Feb 08 '18 at 14:00
That's right, it describes the DDFs but not the contents. What was the "database error?" – mirtheil Feb 08 '18 at 14:07
It doesn't say anything specific. Just, a serious error. – HaLeiVi Feb 08 '18 at 14:10
Is everything for the application located in one folder or does it have sub-folders? The ddf files may reside in a sub-folder, not necessarily with the data files themselves. Also, with my own Btrieve applications, I've always provided, even in the DOS versions, a method to rebuild data files by reading the original file ignoring indices and creating a new file and exporting the records to that file. I'm pretty sure that can be done with butil.exe if you have it, but I'm not certain of the steps required with that method. – Bill Hileman Feb 11 '18 at 03:14

Retrieve data from Pervasive database used by Magic application

1 Answers1