Inside another program

Tobia · #1 (**permalink**) 10-21-08, 18:57

Hello,
i have to export some datas from a program that uses Pervasive SQL. I found some data files and other XML file with the schemas.
Now i don't know how to open them, how I have to use the xml schemas?
How Pervasive works? Is it only a serial file db?

Thanks

mirtheil · #2 (**permalink**) 10-21-08, 20:06

Short answer:
Pervasive is a flat file DB in some cases. There is relational (SQL) access in some cases. You would need DDF files (FILE.DDF, FIELD.DDF, and INDEX.DDF) that describe the data files. You would get them from the application vendor (not Pervasive). Once you have them, you can use ODBC to export the data.

You'll want to read the white paper at http://www.goldstarsoftware.com/btrvodbc.asp.

Tobia · #3 (**permalink**) 10-22-08, 02:17

I'm not sure, but maybe that I can create the DDF files from an xml schema? Because in this app, i have some file like this: clients.08 (file extension change by year, so the db files of last year was clients.07) and a clients.xml with something like this:

Code:

<Root>
	<forn strName="forn" strType="String" strLen="3"/>
	<cat_mer strName="cat_mer" strType="String" strLen="2"/>
	<progre strName="progre" strType="String" strLen="4"/>
	<desc strName="desc" strType="String" strLen="60" />
        ....
</Root>

I'm not 100% sure that this is a pervasive db, but i saw it installed on its server and seems to be the only db.
Have you got any ideas if this can be the pervasive and if i can get DDP files from the xml schemas informations?

Thanks.

mirtheil · #4 (**permalink**) 10-22-08, 11:03

Pervasive doesn't use XML files. If you open one of the data files in a text editor, you should see "FC" as the first two characters. You can also use one of the Pervasive tools like BUTIL to check the data file.
You might be able to use the information in the XML files to generate the DDFs.

Tobia · #5 (**permalink**) 10-22-08, 11:28

Yes, the first two chars is "FC", I also tried to read sequential bytes with a row Basic Open function by bytes lenght steps but i get nothing useful. Do you know how to read that? In their server there is the Pervasive Control Center, but in the Databases list there is only the demo tables, and not this one. Do you think their app writes in the db directly or using the Odbc? How can i understand it?

thank you very much,

nelsonsoft · #6 (**permalink**) 10-22-08, 11:46

If you need to build the DDF files you can take a look at BtSearch 2008 at www.nssdd.com. It helps you analyze the data and then builds the DDF files. If you have the XML schema and it is accurate then at least it may help you in the process of defining your fields although BtSearch does not directly make use of them.
Gil

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