Microsoft Access and dBase Files (Q230126)

Microsoft's Knowledge Base article Q230126 is reproduced here for reference.

ACC2000: Using dBASE Data with Access 2000 and Jet

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Access 2000

Microsoft Data Access Components 2.1, 2.1 SP1, 2.1 SP2, 2.5

Novice: Requires knowledge of the user interface on single-user computers.

This article applies to a Microsoft Access database (.mdb) and a Microsoft Access project (.adp).

For a Microsoft Access 2002 version of this article, see Q290867.

Symptoms

The dBASE database driver works in one of two modes. One mode is when either the Microsoft Jet 4.0 Service Pack 5 (SP5) or the Borland Database Engine (BDE) is installed. The other mode is when neither of these are installed. dBASE data is only updateable when Jet 4.0 SP5 or the BDE is installed. Without Jet 4.0 SP5 or the BDE, dBASE data can be read, imported and exported, or linked to read-only.

There may be incompatibilities with certain versions of the BDE. The symptoms of the incompatibilities vary, depending on the version of the BDE. Version 5.01 of the Borland Database Engine is recommended. The following table lists the behavior supported for each of the dBASE file formats:

Version Behavior

dBase 3, 4, 5 ISAM Only Import\Export\Link-Read Only

Paradox 3, 4, 5 ISAM w/Jet 4 SP5 Import\Export\Link-Read Write

dBase 3, 4, 5 ISAM w/BDE Import\Export\Link-Read Write

dBase 7-8 No support provided

Resolution

To be able to write data to a linked dBASE file from within Access 2000 or a Jet 4.0 application, install either Jet 4.0 SP5 or the BDE.

Jet 4.0 Service Pack 5

For additional information about how to obtain and install Jet 4.0 SP5, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q239114 ACC2000: Updated Version of Microsoft Jet 4.0 Available in Download Center

Borland Database Engine

Contact Inprise Inc. or a third-party vendor to obtain the BDE. Obtain licensing and run-time distribution requirements for the BDE from Inprise.

Third-party dBASE ODBC driver vendors include Merant ( http://www.merant.com), Borland.Com ( http://www.borland.com), and Inprise Inc. ( http://www.Inprise.com).

For information about how to contact , click the appropriate article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q65416 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, A-K

Q60781 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, L-P

Q60782 Hardware and Software Third-Party Vendor Contact List, Q-Z

For additional information about a hotfix, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q263561 INFO: Non-BDE Paradox and dBase ISAM Drivers

More Information

If neither Jet 4.0 SP5 nor the BDE is installed:

The dBASE ISAM will place an exclusive lock upon opening dBASE files. This includes opening linked dBASE tables or dBASE tables opened via DAO.

Multi-user capability is no longer supported.

Concurrent ODBC connections to the same table, from the same computers, or from multiple computers is no longer supported.

APPEND, UPDATE, and DELETE are no longer supported.

Microsoft Access will not allow you to sort fields in table Datasheet view. If you try to do so, Access returns the following error message:

The database engine can't lock table <tablename> because it is already in use by another user or process

The dBASE ISAM only supports the 8.3 naming convention as in earlier version of Microsoft Access.

dBASE extensions are not supported via the Microsoft dBASE IISAM, regardless of whether a version of the BDE is installed that supports it.

When using the dBASE ISAM with the BDE for dBASE III, you must have an INF file defined to associate the indexes with the DBF file. For dBASE IV and dBASE 5, the INF file is optional.

If the BDE is not installed Microsoft Access will not prompt for, use, or maintain dBASE indexes as in earlier versions of Microsoft Access. If the BDE is installed, Access will use and maintain the indexes via the BDE.

When using the dBASE ISAM to link to a table in Access 2000, you must be able to exclusively lock the table to create the link. If any other application has the .dbf open, the attempt to create the link in Access 2000 will fail.

References

For more information about using the dBASE Database driver, click Microsoft Access Help on the Help menu, type initializing the dbase database driver in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic.

For additional information about other drivers that use Jet 4.0 SP5 or the BDE in a similar way, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q230126 ACC2000: Using Paradox Data with Access 2000 and Jet

The third-party products discussed in this article are manufactured by vendors independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding these products' performance or reliability.

First Published: Apr 27 1999 2:42PM