DbfLIB
A multi-platform C library that allowed you to work with xBase database, index and memo files from your C program. Shipped as a compiled static library for DOS and as a royalty free DLL for 16 and 32 bit versions of both OS/2 and MS Windows. The company later introduced a C++ version of the library called dbfLIB++ that was shipped free with the C version of the library, and when the market for dBase related products started cooling down around the turn of the century the company responded by lowering the prices of the product and offering the package in a source code form which opened up the possibility to use the library with other operating systems.
Features
According to the company sales blurb
- Meaningful function names familiar to the xBASE programmer.
- Network support.
- File and record locking.
- Functions for opening, creating, updating, reading, and indexing dBASE files.
- Soundex searching
- Handle-based function calls (permits safe multi-threading)
- File format support
- DBF (dBASE, Clipper, Foxpro database)
- DBT (dBASE, Clipper memo fields)
- FPT (Foxpro memo fields)
- NDX (dBASE index)
- NTX (Clipper index)
Version
- Last known version: v.3.15 for OS/2 and MS Windows.
- Compiler support for v.3.1x
- Microsoft C Version 6.0a (DOS & OS/2 1.x)
- Microsoft Visual C++ 1.5x (Windows 3.1)
- Microsoft Visual C++ 2.x (Windows 95/NT)
- Microsoft Visual C++ 4.x (Windows 95/NT)
- Borland C++ (DOS, Windows 3.1)
- MetaWare High C/C++ (OS/2 Warp)
- IBM C Set++ (OS/2 2.x & Warp)
- IBM VisualAge C++ (OS/2 Warp)
- Watcom C/C++ 10.x (DOS, Windows 3.1, OS/2 1.x, OS/2 2.x, OS/2 Warp, Windows 95/NT)
Licence and availability
- Commercial - Discontinued
- Last known prices for dbfLIB ca. 2003 were USD 195 for the basic library, USD 295 for the source code version and USD 995 one time payment and USD 395 per year for a site license. dbfLIB could also be bought in a bundle with dbfREXX for USD 329. Prices in the 1990's were higher than this.
Links
- Using dbfLIB with Borland C++ 5. - A page explaining how you can use the library with newer Borland C++ and CBuilder compiler.
Author
API
This is a list of the calls the dbfLIB DLL/library accept, they are listed here simply as a reference for those that may have the library but not the handbook.
DbfAppend DbfDeleteAll DbfRecall DbfAppendFrom DbfDeleted DbfRecallAll DbfAppendMultiple DbfFlushWrite DbfReccount DbfBottom DbfGetDatabaseType DbfRecno DbfClearRecBuf DbfGo DbfRefresh DbfClipperLock DbfHandle DbfSeek DbfClose DbfLocate DbfSeekNoPad DbfCloseAll DbfLock DbfSetDeleted DbfCopyTo DbfMarkAll DbfSkip DbfCreate DbfName DbfSort DbfCreateExtended DbfNSeek DbfSoundex DbfCreateFile DbfOpen DbfTop DbfCreateFromExtended DbfPack DbfUnlock DbfCreateFromFile DbfPackAndReindex DbfUse DbfCreateFromHandle DbfPadString DbfWriteRec DbfDB4Lock DbfQueryLock DbfZap DbfDelete DbfReadRec FldChangeName FldReplaceDirect FldRefDecimals FldCopy FldReplaceDate FldRefPtr FldCopyAndPad FldReplaceNum FldRefReplace FldCopyDate FldReplaceLog FldRefReplaceCount FldCount FldType FldRefReplaceDirect FldDecimals FldTrue FldRefReplaceDate FldName FldWidth FldRefReplaceNum FldNRef FldValue FldRefReplaceLog FldPtr FldRefChangeName FldRefType FldRef FldRefCopy FldRefTrue FldReplace FldRefCopyAndPad FldRefWidth FldReplaceCount FldRefCopyDate FldRefValue IndexBottom IndexOpen IndexGetCurrent IndexClose IndexReindex IndexSetCurrent IndexCloseAll IndexSkip IndexKeyExpression IndexCreate IndexTop IndexKey IndexKeyLen IndexType MemoAllocBuffer MemoFreeBuffer MemoRead MemoBufferSize MemoLen MemoReadFilter MemoDelete MemoPointer MemoWrite MemoExist GetMemoFilter GetDefaultLockType SetPadding SetMemoFilter GetDateFormat GetAutoPack GetDefaultBlockSize GetPadding SetAutoPack SetDefaultBlockSize SetCentury GetDbfOpenMode GetMemoBlockSize SetDefaultLockType SetDbfOpenMode GetCentury SetDateFormat CvtAsciiToDouble CvtCharToDate CvtDateToIndex CvtCharReplace CvtDateToChar CvtDoubleToAscii