Save as DBF in 2007

[Rob]

Hi,

I've run into another problem with excel 2007, the option to save as a DBF
format by VBA or using Save As seems to have been removed, is this the case?

ActiveWorkbook.SaveAs Filename:= _
"N:\disc.dbf", FileFormat:=xlDBF4, _
CreateBackup:=False

Thanks, Rob

 

[Jon Peltier]

I don't see *.DBF among the choices in the Save As dialog. VBA lists xlDBF2,
xlDBF3, and xlDBF4 as xlFileFormat types, but all three fail. I would guess
that it's gone.

- Jon

 

[Rob]

Thanks Jon, it's good sometimes to check these things out but why anyone
would remove such an option is beyond me, I have 20 or more applications
that use Save As DBF which now fail. Oh well, reinstall 2000!

Regards, Rob

 

[Jon Peltier]

User statistics feedback must have indicated that few users made use of DBF
format files.

Unfortunately the user statistics were not collected from users of earlier
versions than 2003, nor from people who didn't activate it (mostly power
users), nor from within companies whose IT departments disabled user
statistics feedback

- Jon

 

[R. Kennedy]

Maybe not many people were using it, but it is crucial to some of those who do use it.

My company uses mapping software that relies on dbf files. If I upgrade to Excel 2007, we will no longer be able to easily convert Excel files into dbfs for use in our mapping programs. Thus for now, we will not even consider upgrading to Office 2007. I strongly suggest to Microsoft, if you are listening, to add a dbf converter to Excel 2007 in a very-soon-to-be-released service pack. I also can't believe Microsoft took out .wk1 conversion in either direction. Sure, I hardly ever use it, but there are many legacy files from old projects that I will no longer be able to even view if we upgrade. Given the prevalence of Lotus at one time, I can't believe there won't be other users with a much bigger problem with this than me.

EggHeadCafe.com - .NET Developer Portal of Choice
http://www.eggheadcafe.com

 

[Rob]

Likewise, we shall retain 2000 version simply because of the lack of DBF.
Come on Microsoft, you can do better than remove something that interfaces
with your own MS Access!!!

 

[Guest]

I share the feelings/insights of those who have posted. We've relied on
saving Excel files into dbf formats for YEARS. That little piece of
functionality is critical to our daily data processing and reporting.

We initially save and prepare the data in Excel but then switch to other dbf
reporting software programs to perform higher level analysis. We often even
go from Excel to FoxPro and then on to other software programs... but now we
can't even go from Excel to FoxPro - so the lack of conversion from Excel to
dbf made those two Microsoft products incompatible.

Our business depends on that piece of functionality and we hope that
Microsoft provides an Add-In or a solution soon.

If anyone finds a solution... please let us know: (e-mail address removed).

Rick
RGR & Associates

 

[brkelner]

Maybe not many people were using it, but it is crucial to some of those who do use it.

My company uses mapping software that relies ondbffiles. If I upgrade to Excel 2007, we will no longer be able to easily convert Excel files into dbfs for use in our mapping programs. Thus for now, we will not even consider upgrading to Office 2007. I strongly suggest to Microsoft, if you are listening, to add adbfconverter to Excel 2007 in a very-soon-to-be-released service pack. I also can't believe Microsoft took out .wk1 conversion in either direction. Sure, I hardly ever use it, but there are many legacy files from old projects that I will no longer be able to even view if we upgrade. Given the prevalence of Lotus at one time, I can't believe there won't be other users with a much bigger problem with this than me.

EggHeadCafe.com - .NET Developer Portal of Choicehttp://www.eggheadcafe.com

I took am completely dissappointed in the decision by Microsoft. What
are they thinking?
Does anyone no off a third party solution to convert excel to dbf?

 

[Cindy Winegarden]

Hi,

You can buy a license for Microsoft Visual FoxPro and use it's import
features, open the file via ODBC, and various other methods for accessing
Excel data and then saving it in DBF format.

--
Cindy Winegarden
(e-mail address removed)


VFP OLE DB: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/vfoxpro/bb190232.aspx
VFP ODBC: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/vfoxpro/bb190233.aspx

 

[NickHK]

You could probably make a class module to do the writing of the .dbf format
based on this:
http://www.clicketyclick.dk/databases/xbase/format/dbf.html#DBF_STRUCT

Or find an existing component.

Or link the Excel link to an Access DB then export to .dbf format.

NickHK

to Excel 2007, we will no longer be able to easily convert Excel files into
dbfs for use in our mapping programs. Thus for now, we will not even
consider upgrading to Office 2007. I strongly suggest to Microsoft, if you
are listening, to add adbfconverter to Excel 2007 in a
very-soon-to-be-released service pack. I also can't believe Microsoft took
out .wk1 conversion in either direction. Sure, I hardly ever use it, but
there are many legacy files from old projects that I will no longer be able
to even view if we upgrade. Given the prevalence of Lotus at one time, I
can't believe there won't be other users with a much bigger problem with
this than me.

 

[Guest]

Is there a plan to add .dbf 'save as' fuction back into Excel in a (near)
future update? Many of us who use mapping software need this function. Any
news, help or third-party solution you could provide?
The more steps you require to complete a task, the more resistance there
will be from others who come after us to upgrade to 2007. if I had known
this would be a problem I would not have upgraded.
Please tell me all hope is not lost.

 

[NickHK]

Access 2007 still supports .SaveAs DBF. You could write an add-in to
automate opening the Excel in Access, then .saveAs/.Export as dbf.
Or use the free Open Office.

NickHK

 

[gygulyas]

Save DBF in Excel 2007

Dear Fellow DBF Users,

The latest upgrade of the SaveDBF Excel 2007 add-in (used to be called XLSX2DBF) can be tried at thexlwiz.blogspot.com.

The changes include fixes related to minor bugs in Microsoft's OLEDB engine and some improved field type identification for users who start out with an Excel file.

Future plans:

I plan one more upgrade in Jan/Feb 2010. This will be a major upgrade with lots of planned improvements as listed below:

- Add a Preference window where users can set to:

Overwrite the original DBF file (and create a date-stamped backup file in the same folder)
Mimic Microsoft's Excel 2003 behaviour (i.e. automatically replace spaces in field names with an underscore, accept field names longer than 10 characters)

- Add a Data Conversion window where the user can change the field type and size from what the add-in determined from the data. This is useful for people who start with an Excel file with data that do not necessarily reflect the maximum field size for a character field, for example. The add-in will guess the maximum size from the data, but the user can over-ride it in the new window. Or you can simply click OK and the add-in will behave exactly as it does now.

- Batch processing capabilities (i.e. calling the macro from a third party program (e.g. Python or Perl or C++ etc) and mass-process many files without user interaction.

- Improved speed for very large DBF files and a progress bar with % complete reported.

If you have other improvement ideas this is the time to email them to me at gygulyas - at - yahoo - dot - ca!

Thank you very much for your continued support!

Long live the DBF!

Gyula