cant link db3 with 'wrong' extension?

[Al Blake]

I have to link a legacy app that uses dBase3 file format.
Unfortunately all the database files use and extension .D *not* .DBF.
It seems that access wont link a dBase file unless it is names *.dbf
Is this correct?

If I try linking filename.d access tells me it cant find it.....but if I
rename the file to filename.dbf it links sucessfully.
Problem is I *cant* rename the files or the legancy app will stop working

Any suggestions as to how to get around this one?

Al Blake, Australia

 

[david epsom dot com dot au]

Can ODBC link to these files? If your ODBC xbase driver will link
to these files, you can link to an ODBC dsn.

(david)

 

[Joe Fallon]

One idea would be to make a copy of the file, give it the right name and
import the data.

An untested idea is to use code like this to try to import it using the
exisitng file name:
Case "dBase 5.0"
DoCmd.TransferDatabase acImport, "dBase 5.0", strLocalDir,
acTable, strFileName, strTableName

 

[Al Blake]

Thanks Joe,
Import will work perfectly...even with the 'wrong' filename but I wanted to
link rather than import so I can work with the data real-time.
It seems that the odbc driver for dbf will ONLY work if the files have the
extension .dbf
Al.