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Hi,

ADS can be the solution CRYPT the tables, with or without dictionary

regards

Marcelo

Hi All !

If you did to hide your file , how to get the files, with this function :
use .... to open dbffile
file(..... to check if file exist
fread(....to open file

regards
Fafi

USE will open hidden files
FILE( .. ) can not see hidden files. But DIRECTORY( ., "H" ) lists hidden files also. So hiding a file is not a reliable solution.
FOPEN( .. ) . I guess will open hidden files also.

Hi Otto

Firstly, to answer your question:

Yes I am using xHarbour/FiveLinux as my main development platform now. I am still using .dbf files too.

I have used SQL before (and wrote a development environment that used it not only to store data, but also to store the program itself as metadata to be served up as dynamic web pages). But I'm not a fan of SQL which was initially developed as an ad hoc reporting tool more than a means of data access for programs which it has become. If you want a true OO view of things SQL "fights" you because queries are only efficient when done as joins.

.dbf files lack some nice features that databases such as SQL server bring, but walking xBase indexes allows for code that is more OO than SQL.

If you hide your data files you should only have to do it once at setup time. Hiding files is by no means a complete defence, but then again nothing is. I always felt that if you make it not so obvious how to fiddle, then only the fairly knowledgable person will get in, and they mostly know enough to not do any harm. If they do, then it is more realistic to take appropriate action from education to disciplinary action.

Regards
Doug
(xProgrammer)

Hi Otto

If the problem is an Excel user accessing important files just maybe we are on the wrong tack.

If his/her prying is of no value then he/she should be stomped on.

But if there is some purpose to his/her fiddling then maybe the answer is to provide a way for him/her to download the information he/she needs from your program in a format that suits him/her.

Sometimes killing them with kindness is the best answer.

Plus then they have no excuse for fiddling.

Regards
Doug
(xProgrammer)

Yes, you can open them using the extension that you want or use RddInfo( RDDI_TABLEEXT, ".abc" ) so it will be used by default.

#define RDDI_TABLEEXT 5 /* Default data file's file extension */
#define RDDI_MEMOEXT 6 /* Default memo file's file extension */
#define RDDI_ORDBAGEXT 7 /* Default multi tag index's file extension */
#define RDDI_ORDEREXT 8 /* default single tag index's file extension */
#define RDDI_ORDSTRUCTEXT 9 /* default single tag index's file extension */

Change the extension with the above functions. Open the table and again use the same functions to restore original extensions

Hello Mr. Rao,
thank you for your help.
Best regards,
Otto