>>>>>>>>>>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...
>>>>>
>>>>>Could be EBCDIC charcacters instead of ASCII. The Numeric Fields could be Packed Binary Coded Decimal (BCD).
>>>>
>>>>Any ideas how to convert it to normal text file... Or any utilities available...
>>>Vinod,
>>>I don't know of any free utilities available. At work, I use NetManage Chameleon which provides connectivity to UNIX and mainframes. The only stipulation is you have to be using TCP/IP protocols. There are others available but I have no experience with those. NetManage does have an easy FTP program that allows you to select ASCII for file downloads.
>>
>>Actually this a very old prog. which we are using and I want to convert it to foxpro...
>>
>>Lot of data is there which I want to transfer in foxpro..
>>
>>Well, thanks for your help...
>Vinod,
>All I am suggesting is a way to download the files from wherever they reside. NetManage will help convert the files to a format that FoxPro will be able to import. And NetManage can be used for other file download and conversions you may need to do in the future.

Those files are not on any server... all files are here only on my system

Will netmanage will work on the files already existing...