Very Computer

by **Rex B. Hamilto** » Sat, 16 Sep 2000 04:00:00

September 15

Greetings:

I've been presented with the data files from two different custom-written
DOS programs. Both of 'em were written before 1990. I don't know what kind
of data files these are - they have the file extension .dat. I don't see a
list of field names at the beginning of the files. They appear to be
straight data. I can read the alpha fields but it _appears_ that the date
and number fields are in binary.

Does anyone know of a utility that will identify the file format of a data
file? If I just knew what the format was, it would be a terrific help!

Very truly yours,
Rex B. Hamilton

by **Jim La** » Sun, 17 Sep 2000 12:03:51

[posted and mailed]

Quote:>...
>Does anyone know of a utility that will identify the file format of a data
>file? If I just knew what the format was, it would be a terrific help!

Parse Rat: http://www.guysoftware.com/parserat.htm

by **ads..** » Tue, 19 Sep 2000 04:00:00

> September 15

> Greetings:

> I've been presented with the data files from two different custom-
written
> DOS programs. Both of 'em were written before 1990. I don't know what
kind
> of data files these are - they have the file extension .dat. I don't
see a
> list of field names at the beginning of the files. They appear to be
> straight data. I can read the alpha fields but it _appears_ that the
date
> and number fields are in binary.

> Does anyone know of a utility that will identify the file format of a
data
> file? If I just knew what the format was, it would be a terrific help!

> Very truly yours,
> Rex B. Hamilton

In my experience .DAT files are generally flat ASCII text files. They
where (still are) very comman in command line data processing programs.
In fact I wrote a program the other day that used flat files and I used
the .DAT extention on all of my files.

Alan

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Before you buy.

by **Carbo99** » Wed, 20 Sep 2000 10:07:43

Could be Clarion. Look at the index file extentions.
Example Custmr.dat might have custmr.ko1

It could also be a number of other types.

by Op » Fri, 22 Sep 2000 04:00:00

Yo dude,

don't bother finding a format trying to retreive the data from the files.
Try to find the program those files were created with, maybe there comes a
documentation with it...

Good luck,

Andi

> September 15

> Greetings:

> I've been presented with the data files from two different custom-written
> DOS programs. Both of 'em were written before 1990. I don't know what kind
> of data files these are - they have the file extension .dat. I don't see a
> list of field names at the beginning of the files. They appear to be
> straight data. I can read the alpha fields but it _appears_ that the date
> and number fields are in binary.

> Does anyone know of a utility that will identify the file format of a data
> file? If I just knew what the format was, it would be a terrific help!

> Very truly yours,
> Rex B. Hamilton

Very Computer

Unknown data format, file extension is .dat

Unknown data format, file extension is .dat

Unknown data format, file extension is .dat

Unknown data format, file extension is .dat

Unknown data format, file extension is .dat

Unknown data format, file extension is .dat