Just a couple of notes and questions:

1. There is a difference between Fox 2.6 and DBase data table systems --
the indices are different. I've gotten burned with Delphi's datapump
before -- quite often the FoxPro indices don't cross over to the newly
created database. That, however, is the least of my concerns. Indices
can be created 'ex post facto.' Getting a good, solid table conversion
with views, triggers, generators, etc. is my biggest fear factor, since
many of the 'nice' things about DBase, Clipper, and FoxPro was that
things like triggers were not 'encapulated'...they were called 'WHEN' and
'VALID' clauses. These will have to be re-done by hand after the
conversion.

2. In the dim past, I was a dumb, if happy proliferator of XBase tables
and applications. So almost everything I do will be a conversion of
mostly FoxPro tables, and there are plenty of BLOB (read memo) fields,
both text based,and binary. So whatever paradigm I come up with MUST
include a reliable way to preserve the history contained in those BLOBS.
In some cases the entire service history of some of my old clients'
customers are contained in those things. As a possible clue for you
gurus who are trying to help people like me make the transition, I offer
the following process I used to convert a Fox Plus DBF (a dbase 3 file)
into a Fourth Dimension (on a Macintosh) database involved Fox's ability
to write out the memo fields to flat text files. I solved that by the
following:
a. created a routine to add delimiters of my choice to the beginning
and end of each memo, and place the record number from which the memo was
extracted at the head of the file.

b. This was all in a loop that concatenated each entry, preserving the
order and the record number.
After this, I could parse for the record number, eliminate it from the
text, and iteratively add the memos in code whenever one was called for.
Thus, it was possible to import the memo field and maintain order. I
don't know if something like this would work for you, Claudio (BTW glad
to meet you).

3. My current task is to make a data dictionary of my old tables, along
with all the valids and whens, so at least I'll have some idea of the
scope. Helen, I wish I was as good at organizing as you are ; )

Thanks you all for the suggestions. I wear my thoughts and emotions on
my shirt sleeve, so, foolish or not, you'll always know where I'm at,
what trouble I'm having, and what I'm thinking. Good to be here.

Joe Fay.
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