SDF database format, ever heard of it?

Thread View: comp.sys.ibm.pc.programmer

2 messages

[T] Back to Threads [V] Tree View [G] Group Articles

2 total messages Started by Rich Snow Wed, 10 Apr 1991 19:02

#1157

Author: Rich Snow
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1991 19:02

27 lines
1447 bytes

I have been given a pile of disks with ASCII files in SDF format.
(That is they're .SDF files)
My eventual goal is to transport this data into a Mac spreadsheet.
I have no problem with the hardware end of this, but can anyone tell
me, what the "%$&^*&" is SDF format? Is there any translator to
another native PCish format? (Tab, DBF, Comma, etc)

The fields in each record seem to be delimited with white space, but
not tabs. They are seperated with spaces. The fields are not of a
common length. It looks like the only way to extract it is to trash 
the first 3 chars, and grab everything up to the first " ", 
then search for a "/" since the end of the second field
and the beginning of the third are seperated by a "/" and then to index
backwards two space chars. That would put me at the beginning of the
second field...

Very messy.

Seen this before?

-Rich
-- 
*	Rich Snow  AOA-----------------*
*       (617)864-0201
*	...!{decvax,linus,ima,ihnp4}!bbn!aoa!rich
*       aoa!rich@bbn.com

Re: SDF database format, ever heard of it?

#1163

Author: Keith Petersen
Date: Sat, 13 Apr 1991 03:45

41 lines
2578 bytes

rich@aoa.UUCP (Rich Snow) writes:
>I have been given a pile of disks with ASCII files in SDF format.
>(That is they're .SDF files)
>My eventual goal is to transport this data into a Mac spreadsheet.
>I have no problem with the hardware end of this, but can anyone tell
>me, what the "%$&^*&" is SDF format? Is there any translator to
>another native PCish format? (Tab, DBF, Comma, etc)

A Source Data File (SDF) is simply a text file with data beginning at
fixed column positions.  You can write a simple BASIC program to
extract the fields and ignore the spaces between fields if you wish.
Another option is to use Button Software's PC-File+ or PC-File-dB,
available from SIMTEL20, to import the file in SDF format and then
export it in whatever format you like.

Button's PC-File+ database program is great.  I use it to catalog the
SIMTEL20 archives.

Directory PD1:<MSDOS.DATABASE>
 Filename   Type Length   Date    Description
==============================================
PCFPL3-1.ARC  B  259047  890914  PC-File+ v3.0 Buttonware database pgm - 1of3
PCFPL3-2.ARC  B  280411  890914  PC-File+ v3.0 Buttonware database pgm - 2of3
PCFPL3-3.ARC  B  268631  890914  PC-File+ v3.0 Buttonware database pgm - 3of3

Directory PD1:<MSDOS.DBASE>
 Filename   Type Length   Date    Description
==============================================
PCF501A.ZIP   B  305766  910122  Buttonware's PC-File v5.01 database pgm, 1of3
PCF501B.ZIP   B  293800  910122  Buttonware's PC-File v5.01 database pgm, 2of3
PCF501C.ZIP   B  256071  910122  Buttonware's PC-File v5.01 database pgm, 3of3

These files are also available from Detroit Download Central.

Keith
--
Keith Petersen
Maintainer of SIMTEL20's MSDOS, MISC & CP/M archives [IP address 26.2.0.74]
Co-SysOp, Detroit Download Central 313-885-3956 (212/V22bis/HST/V32/V42bis)
Internet: w8sdz@vela.acs.oakland.edu,  w8sdz@eddie.mit.edu,  w8sdz@brl.mil
Uucp: uunet!umich!vela!w8sdz                         BITNET: w8sdz@OAKLAND

Thread Navigation

This is a paginated view of messages in the thread with full content displayed inline.

Messages are displayed in chronological order, with the original post highlighted in green.

Use pagination controls to navigate through all messages in large threads.

Back to All Threads