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I am trying to fetch data from DBF files from a .NET REST service. These files are the bussiness data of another application. This is quite an old app, so dBase/FoxPro is what I have to handle.

I only want to read data. I'm not interested by now in updating/inserting.

My service works OK and I can retrieve JSON messages with the data. The problem emerges when the other app is running. If I try to acces data when the other app is running I get a "ERROR [HY000] [Microsoft][ODBC dBase Driver] External table is not in the expected format.". As long as I can access the data when the other app is not running, the error message sounds weird.

Another software like the DBF explorer can access the data with the other app running, so I think it must be some bad configuration on the connection string or the driver.

Does anybody know how to configure de ODBC connection in order to access these tables while they are open by other apps?

Thank you in advance!

P.S.: My connection string:

@"Driver={Microsoft dBASE Driver (*.dbf)};DriverID=277;Dbq=" + pathtoDBFFile + ";";
Dani bISHOP
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    You could try the various options at http://www.connectionstrings.com if you haven't seen it already – Chris S Dec 16 '11 at 18:46
  • That was the first battle :) Thanks. My connection string seems to work reasonably well, as long as I can connect when the other app is not running. Maybe any parameter in the connection string is missing but I don't know. – Dani bISHOP Dec 17 '11 at 01:00

2 Answers2

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It's typical for DBF applications. Every application, which is using DBF, could block it if necessary (so called, 'exclusive mode')

I suggest, that you could work around this problem, if you create a temporary copy of the file you need. On of the consequencec of this approach is that your system become asynchronous, and you need to copy this DBF again to update the state.

Eugene
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  • I know from my XBase times that this is typical, but what kills me is that I can use the DBF explorer while the app is running. If the explorer can access the data, there must be a correct way to do it from another application, isn't it? Thanks! – Dani bISHOP Dec 16 '11 at 17:02
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First, I would not be using the dBASE driver, but instead, download and use the Visual FoxPro OleDb driver from MS.

In addition, the connection string, you can make the setting for "Exclusive Use" default to No as the following sample from ConnectionStrings.com. The Driver portion is incorrect for the OleDb provider, but the context of Exclusive=No, deleted=no, and whatever other settings you can throw in there can help.

Driver={Microsoft Visual FoxPro Driver};SourceType=DBC;SourceDB=c:\myvfpdb.dbc;Exclusive=No; NULL=NO;Collate=Machine;BACKGROUNDFETCH=NO;DELETED=NO;

Another link that reference connection to VFP tables, and a link for downloading the VFP OleDB provider.

Community
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DRapp
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  • I tried Exclusive=No and It didn't did the trick (with the dBase driver) :( Thanks anyway. I will try the FoxPro driver tomorrow. – Dani bISHOP Dec 17 '11 at 01:02