dBase DBFMEMO Files

All versions of dBase under Linux, UNIX, and Microsoft Windows are supported. Memo files have a .dbt (dBase) or .fpt (FoxPro and Visual FoxPro) file extension. Foxpro memos are stored in a separate directory from dBase memos.

Memo files read blank numeric fields as missing values. Memo files do not have variables or value labels, and memo support is read-only.

If a memo file exists with the same filename but with a .dbt or .fpt extension, the driver also reads the memo text for that file. It scans the memo file to determine how many lines comprise the largest individual memo and the lengths of the longest lines. It then splits memos into one variable per memo line. For example, the first three lines of a memo file called xyz would be named xyz01, xyz02, and xyz03.

Example 1: Import Data from a DBF File with Memo Field into a SAS Data Set

This example imports data from a DBF file named orders.dbf into a SAS data set named TEST. The memo field data was saved in the orders.fpt file by Microsoft Visual FoxPro. SAS reads data from both orders.dbf and orders.fpt files.

PROC IMPORT OUT=WORK.TEST
    DATAFILE="orders.dbf"
    DBMS=DBF REPLACE;
RUN;

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