First, let's figure out what DBF is? DBF is a data storage format that is used as one of the standard ways to store and transfer information by database management systems, spreadsheets, etc.
It was first used in 1980 in dBase II as a standard database format. However, experts do not rule out that it was used before this moment.
Subsequently, the format was modified and expanded. As the popularity of dBase programs increased, various clones began to appear. Some of the program authors followed the path of adding new field types, others introduced serious extensions, so at the moment it is definitely impossible to guarantee 100% that one of the many programs will read and write a DBF file. True, basic compatibility is still maintained.
The DBF file consists of:
- A header that stores information about the structure of the database and the number of records.
- A data area that represents a sequentially organized table of fixed-length records. Records are divided into fields.
How to open DBF format?
There are actually plenty of programs, here are the most famous and popular of them.
- Microsoft Excel
- Database Workshop
- dBASE
- Visual FoxPro
- Microsoft Access
- PlanMaker Viewer
- Apache OpenOffice
- Corel WordPerfect Office
- DBF SEE
- DBF Viewer 2000
Please note that some of the software is distributed free of charge, while others are available for money. What to choose is up to you. So, if you only need to open a DBF file, it is better to save money and use free software. For other jobs, it may make sense to familiarize yourself with paid software, which often has much more functionality.
If you have installed on your computer antivirus program Can scan all files on your computer, as well as each file individually. You can scan any file by right-clicking on the file and selecting the appropriate option to scan the file for viruses.
For example, in this figure it is highlighted file my-file.dbf, then you need to right-click on this file and select the option in the file menu "scan with AVG". When you select this option, AVG Antivirus will open and scan the file for viruses.
Sometimes an error may occur as a result incorrect software installation, which may be due to a problem encountered during the installation process. This may interfere with your operating system link your DBF file to the correct application tool, influencing the so-called "file extension associations".
Sometimes simple reinstalling Microsoft Excel may solve your problem by linking DBF to Microsoft Excel correctly. In other cases, problems with file associations may result from bad software programming developer and you may need to contact the developer for further assistance.
Advice: Try updating Microsoft Excel to the latest version to ensure you have the latest fixes and updates.
This may seem too obvious, but often The DBF file itself may be causing the problem. If you received a file via an email attachment or downloaded it from a website and the download process was interrupted (such as a power outage or other reason), the file may become damaged. If possible, try getting a new copy of the DBF file and try opening it again.
Carefully: A damaged file can cause collateral damage to previous or existing malware on your PC, so it is important to keep your computer up-to-date with an up-to-date antivirus.
If your file is DBF related to the hardware on your computer to open the file you may need update device drivers associated with this equipment.
This problem usually associated with media file types, which depend on successfully opening the hardware inside the computer, e.g. sound card or video card. For example, if you are trying to open an audio file but cannot open it, you may need to update sound card drivers.
Advice: If when you try to open a DBF file you receive .SYS file error message, the problem could probably be associated with corrupted or outdated device drivers that need to be updated. This process can be made easier by using driver update software such as DriverDoc.
If the steps do not solve the problem and you are still having problems opening DBF files, this may be due to lack of available system resources. Some versions of DBF files may require a significant amount of resources (e.g. memory/RAM, processing power) to properly open on your computer. This problem is quite common if you are using fairly old computer hardware and at the same time a much newer operating system.
This problem can occur when the computer is having trouble keeping up with a task because the operating system (and other services running in the background) may consume too many resources to open the DBF file. Try closing all applications on your PC before opening Database File. Freeing up all available resources on your computer will provide the best conditions for attempting to open the DBF file.
If you completed all the steps described above and your DBF file still won't open, you may need to run equipment update. In most cases, even when using older versions of hardware, the processing power can still be more than sufficient for most user applications (unless you're doing a lot of CPU-intensive work, such as 3D rendering, financial/scientific modeling, or intensive multimedia work) . Thus, it is likely that your computer does not have enough memory(commonly called "RAM" or random access memory) to perform the task of opening a file.
A .DBF file is a file that stores various data; this format is actively used by database management systems, spreadsheet management systems and other similar systems. It should be noted that in the field of spreadsheets and databases this format is a standard, which leads to its frequent use in this role.
This format was first used in the LibreOffice program, in which it was used as a standard file for database management. Since LibreOffice is a family of very widespread spreadsheet and database management systems, and this extension has proven itself in its role, many other programs that had to use databases and spreadsheets in their work began to actively use it for these purposes .
If we consider the structure of files with the .DBF extension, we can distinguish the following elements:
- Title. Here is information that relates to the structure of the database.
- Database area. This part of the file contains records of a certain length, which are formed into a table.
Typically, files with the .DBF extension come together with .DBT and .FPT files, which are not independent formats and can only be opened using the corresponding .DBF file.
History of the DBF format.
Since this format has a rather rich history, which dates back to the 1980s, during all this time the format has been significantly improved and modified, so despite the fact that it has remained the basic standard for many programs, it cannot be said 100 percent that Many modern programs that use databases and spreadsheets will be able to open this format, but in most cases a file in this format will be opened by many programs.
How to open DBF file
Users who constantly work with databases and documents that have DBF permission do not need to be told how and what program opens this file. But, if you received such a file and you don’t know what it is, you can’t open it and extract data from it, then this article will be useful.
Many programs can work with documents that are databases. The simplest ones are OpenOffice and LibreOffice and we will write about them.
These are office application packages for working on a wide variety of projects, including databases.
- After downloading and installing the OpenOffice package, launch the program by clicking on the program shortcut on your desktop. In the window that opens, select the “Open” button.
- Next, select a file on your computer that has .dbf permission for your database table and click “Open.”
- Then you should select the encoding of the document to correctly display the information contained in the file (incorrect choice of encoding can lead to errors and display of information in the document with incomprehensible characters).
- That's it, the document is open in the OpenOffice environment and you can continue to work with it.
Similarly, a database with .dbf permission is opened in LibreOffice.
How to open DBF file in Excel
In Microsoft Excel, starting from version 2007, you cannot simply open a dbf file. In versions 2003 and older there was still support for this file, but then it was removed. To convert a database into a table and to be able to work on it, you need to use special programs that convert a file from one format to another, in particular, DBF Converter and others like them.
Software developers are not asleep and are actively creating resources with which you can open a DBF file online, edit it and save it on your computer without installing additional software. This program for working with DBF files - DBFShow - is still in development.
There are a large number of programs that can work with .DBF format files, some of the most famous are programs such as: OpenOffice and LibreOffice, you can download them above using the links provided.
DBF format files store tabular data, databases, various reports, etc. At the head of the structure is the header, and below it is the rest of the file content. A distinctive feature of a file with this format is the ability to work with most well-known database management systems.
Opening process
You can open DBF format files in several programs. In addition to opening the file in these programs, you can also edit it there.
Program 1: DBF Commander
This is a paid program that allows you to open DBF files and carry out primitive manipulations with them if necessary. It has a trial period, during which the program's capabilities are not limited in any way. The program also has Russian language and a user-friendly interface.
Instructions for opening files in DBF Commander:
Program 2: DBF Viewer Plus
This is a slightly simpler program that has a similar interface to the previous software. However, it is completely free and does not require installation. The functionality is almost similar to the previous software.
The step-by-step instructions for this program are as follows:
Program 3: DBF Viewer 2000
This is a program with a very simple interface, translated into Russian. It has wide functionality for working with DBF files. Here you can process files larger than 2GB. However, the software is paid, however, it has a trial period during which you can use all the functions without restrictions.
Instructions for opening files in this program are as follows:
Program 4: CDBF
This solution provides very broad functionality for working with databases and their derivative files. In addition to editing database files, you can create various reports and supporting documents. The interface can be translated into Russian, and the functionality can be expanded using third-party plugins from the network. CDBF is a paid program, but it has both a demo period and a stripped-down free version, the functionality of which will be sufficient for opening DBF files.
Instructions:
Program 5: MS Excel
Excel is one of the programs in the Office suite from Microsoft. In some versions of Windows, this package and the program may already be pre-installed, while in others you will have to buy the entire Office package or use a demo version. This program is designed for creating and editing tables of varying complexity. It supports many formats and also has a convenient and functional interface in Russian.
Instructions for opening a DBF file are as follows:
Using one of the programs presented in the instructions, you can open and edit the DBF file. From the entire list, only DBF Viewer Plus can be distinguished, which is distributed completely free of charge.
If you have found a file with the DBF extension somewhere and do not know how to open it, and the operating system cannot find installed programs that can work with such files, then you have come to the right address. Indeed, in our article we will deal with the problem of opening such files - we will find out why the DBF format is used in general, what programs are best to use for working with files of this format, and what should be taken into account.
What is DBF format
Most often, accountants will have to open dbf files - 1C 7 stores data in them
Dbf files are used to store and transmit information. They are used in management systems by databases, etc. Today, the dbf extension is used by various applications, although it was originally only provided by the dBase program. At first, dBase was the most popular program for working with databases; with the advent of Microsoft Access, it somewhat lost its position. Despite this, many new programs use the dbf extension.
What programs can open a DBF file?
Questions often arise about which program to choose to open a dbf file. So... A DBF file is a database file that can be used in Visual FoxPRO, FoxPro, 1C 7.7. The most convenient applications for editing such files are the following:
- DBFShow. This is a free program. It is characterized by wide functionality, which is why it is popular among users. The developers are constantly improving the program, new features appear in it.
- DBFViewer 2000 is an excellent, well-developed application, one of its main advantages is its wide capabilities for both exporting and importing data. However, it is positioned as shareware.
- DBF Navigator - the program pleases with its speed and is distributed free of charge, but, unfortunately, the developer company has already stopped releasing updates.
If it is not possible to install the required application, then use Excel or its equivalent - Open Office Calc.
There is no way to open and save dbf files, so you must first connect the special add-on “dbf_operations.xla” and use it in the future.
In addition to those described, there are other editors that work with dbf documents. Only the most common methods have been listed here, which in most cases help resolve the question of how to open the dbf file.
