Block diagram
.dbf is a relational database format introduced in DOS database management system dBASE in 1982.
One .dbf file corresponds to one table and contains a series of headers, specification of fields, and a number of fixed-size records.
This page hosts a formal specification of .dbf file format of dBASE using Kaitai Struct. This specification can be automatically translated into a variety of programming languages to get a parsing library.
meta:
id: dbf
application: dBASE
file-extension: dbf
xref:
justsolve: DBF
loc: fdd000325
mime:
- application/dbf
- application/dbase
pronom:
- x-fmt/8 # dBASE Database II
- x-fmt/9 # dBASE Database III
- x-fmt/271 # dBASE Database III+
- x-fmt/10 # dBASE Database IV
- x-fmt/272 # dBASE Database V
wikidata: Q16545707
license: CC0-1.0
endian: le
doc: |
.dbf is a relational database format introduced in DOS database
management system dBASE in 1982.
One .dbf file corresponds to one table and contains a series of headers,
specification of fields, and a number of fixed-size records.
doc-ref: http://www.dbase.com/Knowledgebase/INT/db7_file_fmt.htm
seq:
- id: header1
type: header1
- id: header2
size: header1.len_header - header1._sizeof - header_terminator._sizeof
type: header2
- id: header_terminator
contents: [0x0D]
- id: records
type: record
size: header1.len_record
repeat: expr
repeat-expr: header1.num_records
types:
header1:
doc-ref: http://www.dbase.com/Knowledgebase/INT/db7_file_fmt.htm - section 1.1
seq:
- id: version
type: u1
- id: last_update_y
type: u1
- id: last_update_m
type: u1
- id: last_update_d
type: u1
- id: num_records
type: u4
- id: len_header
type: u2
- id: len_record
type: u2
instances:
dbase_level:
value: 'version & 0b111'
header2:
seq:
- id: header_dbase_3
if: _root.header1.dbase_level == 3
type: header_dbase_3
- id: header_dbase_7
if: _root.header1.dbase_level == 7
type: header_dbase_7
- id: fields
type: field
repeat: eos
header_dbase_3:
seq:
- id: reserved1
size: 3
- id: reserved2
size: 13
- id: reserved3
size: 4
header_dbase_7:
seq:
- id: reserved1
contents: [0, 0]
- id: has_incomplete_transaction
type: u1
- id: dbase_iv_encryption
type: u1
- id: reserved2
size: 12
- id: production_mdx
type: u1
- id: language_driver_id
type: u1
- id: reserved3
contents: [0, 0]
- id: language_driver_name
size: 32
- id: reserved4
size: 4
field:
seq:
- id: name
type: strz
encoding: ASCII
size: 11
- id: datatype
type: u1
- id: data_address
type: u4
- id: length
type: u1
- id: decimal_count
type: u1
- id: reserved1
size: 2
- id: work_area_id
type: u1
- id: reserved2
size: 2
- id: set_fields_flag
type: u1
- id: reserved3
size: 8
record:
seq:
- id: deleted
type: u1
enum: delete_state
- id: record_fields
size: _root.header2.fields[_index].length
repeat: expr
repeat-expr: _root.header2.fields.size
enums:
delete_state:
0x2a: true
0x20: false