Hi,

I recently started a new job and they use an accounting system that has Btrieve as its backend

I have never seen Betrieve and am a bit lost!!!

I know the location of the .ddf files (File, Field, Index) but dont know how to use them.

Do these contain the database data?

Is there a way to query them to select data?

Can I connect to them using Access and then use its query tools to view the data and query it?

Any help would be very very very much appreciated as I am a bit lost!

Thanks
P

To use them through ODBC, you would just need to create an ODBC DSN pointing to the DDFs and data files. You can use the Pervasive COntrol Center to create it as well.

Yes, the data files (*.DTA, *.BTR, *.MKD, or other extensions) contain the actual data. The DDF files only contain information to describe the data files records. For example, FILE.DDF contains a link between the table name and the actual file name. FIELD.DDF has the fields for the tables and INDEX.DDF desccribes the indexes defined on the fields in the tables.

Create an ODBC DSN pointing to the data files and DDFs and you'll be able to use any ODBC enabled tool like Access, Crystal Reports, etc. to query the data.

You do need an ODBC driver and a Pervasive engine to create the ODBC link. Some applications only include the Btrieve portion of the engine. Most applications these days come with the full engine though. Look for a Pervasive Client Interface or Pervasive ENgine interface in the ODBC Administrator. You'll want to make sure you're using the 32 bit ODBC Admin if you're using 64 bit Windows.

Hi Mirtheil

Thank you for your response and your help

I tried in the recent past to set up an ODBC DSN in Access but when I clicked on "new" couldnt find and ODBC driver for Pervasive or Btrieve.

I can connect to the .ddf files using Crystal so figured there must be one. Confused why I cannot see it in the list of drivers???

When I connect Crystal to the File.ddf it gives me a list of tables but when I put the fields from one of these tables onto a Crystal Report it gives wierd results......doesnt look like usable information

If I manage to connect using Acccess how would I use the combination of the data file and .ddf file to get some usable dataset results?

Thanks again for your help
P

Crystal has a "Btrieve" option which uses DDFs but doesn't use ODBC which would explain why it works but Access may not.

What accounting package do you have? What version of Pervasive / BTrieve does it use?

What OS are you using? If it's WIndows 64 bit, make sure you use the ODBC Administrator in c:\windows\syswow64\odbcad32.exe. The one in c:\windows\system32 is 64 bit and won't show any Pervasive drivers.

Once you've got an ODBC DSN, Access can Link to the tables. Once you link the tables, you can query the data. How it the data is laid out is dependent on the software you are using.

Hi Mirtheil,

Thanks for your reply and your help. Sorry Im a bit of a newbie with this but I do appreciate your help.

We use a Misys accounting package called BankMaster.

Im not sure what version of Pervasive/Btrieve it is using.

The operating system we are using is 32 bit MS XP and the Server is Windows 2003.

Im still a bit stuck on how to sort out an ODBC DSN.

Also in Crystal when I look at the FILE.DDF it has a list of tables. If I add a table to a report I was expecting to see a few fields which would describe the Btrieve table and only one record. However there were a load of fields most of which were quite meaningless to me and lots and lots of records!!!

When I have got a connection and connect to the BTrieve file and the ddf's would I need to link the tables to get some meaningful data out or should I just query the BTrieve file.

Thanks again for your help
P

Hello again!

As an aside on the client PC's C drive I can find :-

WBTRV32.dll

but not :-

W32MKDE.exe
NTMKDE.exe
WBTRCALL.dll
BTI.ini
WBTRLOCL.dll
BREQUEST.exe

There is a PVSW folder as well with lots of dll's

There are a lot of .btr files on the network drive and a lot of .dat files. I have a feeling that the .dat files are data extracts from the system.

There are no .loc files, .dta files or .mkd files

I dont know if that helps at all but I found reference to all of theses in BTrieve set up information I have been reading

Thanks again
P

What is the version of WBTRV32.DLL on the client and the server?
Each table listed in FILE.DDF (or the table list of Crystal Reports) has it's own record structure and data file associated with it. Each table may have few or many records and few or many fields. BankMaster has defined it's records and tables. You'll really need to contact BankMaster to find out how the tables are related to how the data is displayed within the application.

Hello,

The client version of WBTRV32.DLL is 6.15.451.79.

Not sure about the server.

I would like to contact BankMaster but politics is at play as I am new. Information sharing doesnt seem to be the order of the day. Small firm small minds.

I would like to learn as much as possible about the system and as I know Access quite well wanted to get an ODBC driver so I can look through the files there.

As well at the .DDF files I have the location of the BTR files.

What Crystal appears to do is use the .ddf files to view the .btr files, thus you are actually looking at the .btr files only you are doing it via the .ddf files.

If I am asking too many questions would it be possible to direct me to any resources where I can learn as much as possible about BTrieve, .ddf files etc

I do appreciate all your help
P

Hi there.

I originally worked with Bankmaster for a bank and then worked for Misys consulting on Bankmaster and their other products and now am back on the client side working with Bankmaster, btrieve etc etc. I can feel your pain.

Happy to discuss your issues as Misys produce a Data Dictionary document that can be purchased and also then gives you some crystal utils for converting some of the lovely bankmaster data into normal data. This is particularly apparent for dates and debit amounts.

Get in touch and I'll try and help you out.

Hi gjo,

Thanks for your reply and offer of assistance...... I am truly lost!!!

I sent you a message on your profile which I hope you received

Thanks again
P

If you want to be able to review your data as well as the DDF files and structure of the files you can download BtSearch at Pervasive Btrieve DDF Import Export, File Repairs. It also lets you export the data out to CSV or dbase format. You can also edit the data as long as there are no owner names on the data files.

Gil

Hey gjo,

How do I get in touch????

Cheers
P

Hi Phil,

Sorry been working away at our Paris branch.

More than happy to have a chat to you about this.

You can get me on 0207 429 5628 but i'm wfh today so it will have to be Monday.

Cheers,

Graham

Hi Graham,

Thanks for your reply. Sorry I havent been back.....month end!! Im sure you have been hit by the same!

Would it possible to email me instead as I am always running around.

I am really keen to find out if there is an ODBC driver for Btrieve v 6 so I can use Access/ SQL Server

Also keen to understand the DDF and how I would use this in combination with the btr files to view the tables in an organised way. My feeling is that Crystal is doing a lot of stuff for me and connecting to the btr files through the ddf when I select it

Thanks again
Phil

Hi Chaps,

I'm still stumped with this. Does anyone know where I can get an ODBC driver from and whether I need the Pervasive DB Engine on my PC first.

Has anyone had any success connecting Access or SQL Server to Btrieve and would be happy to share any tips

Thanks
Phil