>>>>>>>>>>>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...
Vinod,
I have never tried it. I shall do so today at work and let you know the results.