>>>>>Is there any way, I can access Data from Cobol Files,
>>>>>
>>>>>we have a very old FA Applications built in cobol....
>>>>>
>>>>>Is there any way I can open it in VFP/Excel..
>>>>>
>>>>>Any hints/ideas abt cobol file structure(s) will be very helpful...
>>>>
>>>>Vinod,
>>>>Cobol is usually stored in fixed-length field files (SDF). There is a utility available in the 'files' section that converts SDF to DBF files.
>>>>
>>>>Good luck
>>>
>>>Thanks for your reply...
>>>
>>>Can you pls give me in which section that utility is and what is the name of file as I'm not a premier member and unable to search in file section..
>>
>>Vinod,
>>Sorry it took so long to respond. I actually found SDF2DBF in Malcolm Pitcher's FoxPro I/O. However, if you know the names, field lengths, and field types of the Cobol file, you cand create a table in VFP, download the Cobol file, and do an "APPEND FROM TYPE SDF. I have used it myself several times and it works quite nicely.
>>
>>Good Luck,
>
>I just tried it with the memo fields and with the same field names type
>
>but It is showing me junk char. in the rec..
>
>Pls note I have tried it in a hex editor also and all it is showing me is junk char.. but when I run the cobol prog... the whole data is avl.
>
>Pls help..
>
>Can u mail me that utility.. I will try with that also...
Then it sounds like you are looking at a indexed Cobol File. What you need to do is to write a quick COBOL program that essentially reads in the file and writes it right back out sequentially. Then download THAT file to your network and append into the Fox.

In between the read and write, you might want to slide the line "INSPECT record REPLACING HIGH VALUES WITH SPACES"

That will convert anything that is truly 'garbage' into spaces.