About XDOT as DBF utility

[alepap]

If this can help better understand:

I was using DBF files created with Foxpro 2.6 in text mode.
When I switched to Windows 7 64 bits and Windows 10 32 or 64 bits, I could no longer use Foxpro 2.6 to edit the DBF files.

At that same time frame, I had to need to go over 256 fields on a DBF file.
I created the DBF file with Alaska xBase++ without specifying any DBE. I assume that the default is DBFNTX.

When I discovered XDOT, I played more with the DBF files and found out that if I opened a DBF file using FOXCDX and I add more FIELDS just over 256 FIELDS, the DBF file is no longer usable.

Using XDOT, you can open a DBF file that was created with Foxpro 2.6. Switch to DBFNTX to USE file and if you add FIELDS it will be saved in DBFNTX format and you may go over 256 FIELDS. At this point, you can no longer USE this DBF file using FOXCDX. You get a Open File Error.

[rdonnay]

When I discovered XDOT, I played more with the DBF files and found out that if I opened a DBF file using FOXCDX and I add more FIELDS just over 256 FIELDS, the DBF file is no longer usable.

This is correct. It will be usable by Xbase++ and ADSDBE, but not by Foxpro 2.6.

I just created a file with 500 fields and it works fine in Xbase++.
BTW - You can use the "Replicate Fields" feature of XDOT when creating or modifying the structure to create a large set of fields.