Importing a DBF into an MDB changes text values

[David Short]

I have a DBF table that contains two largish text field, 160 bytes.
Embedded within the text fields are 2 arrays of 80 integer values. Thus
applications linking to local customized code can access these values in a
sensible way, but Access sees them as gibberish. I can live with that. It's
what I want.

My problem is that when I import those DBF tables into an access MDB, the
values in those fields change. I can't find any mechanism to account for
this. I can't find any way to correct the corruption. I suppose I can go
back and rebuild the source tables to contain 160 numeric values, but that
seems like a waste.

Thank you. Any ideas or thoughts would be welcome.

 

[John Vinson]

I have a DBF table that contains two largish text field, 160 bytes.
Embedded within the text fields are 2 arrays of 80 integer values.

As binary 2-byte numbers?

I suspect you'll need to link to this table and write VBA code to
parse this out into a proper one-to-many relationship. 80 values in
one field is perhaps necessary in a non-relational flat file database
but Access simply won't be able to deal with it properly. At a guess,
there are bytes with a value x'00' which are being read as a string
terminator, losing the remainder of the field.

 

[David Short]

On Fri, 20 Aug 2004 16:47:14 -0400, "David Short"


As binary 2-byte numbers? yup.

I suspect you'll need to link to this table and write VBA code to
parse this out into a proper one-to-many relationship.

yup. I think that may be a better way. I was hoping to import the table.

80 values in
one field is perhaps necessary in a non-relational flat file database
but Access simply won't be able to deal with it properly.

As my message detailed, I understand that access will not be able
to deal with these fields properly and I can live with that. It's actually
what I intend.

What I don't understand is why Access changes the value of the contents
of the field.

At a guess,
there are bytes with a value x'00' which are being read as a string
terminator, losing the remainder of the field.

That's a good thought, but not the answer. It's pretty easy to
open a hex editor, write the value, cut it into the table, import the
table and look at what access has turned the field into.
But the bits get scrambled in an odd way and I just don't see
the pattern.

Thanks.

dfs

 

[John Vinson]

That's a good thought, but not the answer. It's pretty easy to
open a hex editor, write the value, cut it into the table, import the
table and look at what access has turned the field into.
But the bits get scrambled in an odd way and I just don't see
the pattern.

VERY strange. I have not done enough with dbf links to offer any
useful advice - sorry!