CREATE FROM

Create new database file from a structure extended file

Syntax

CREATE <xcFileName> FROM <xcFileFrom> [VIA <xcRDDName>] [NEW]

[ALIAS <xcAlias>]

Arguments

<xcFileName> is the target file name to create and then open. (.dbf) is the default extension if none is given. It can be specified as literal file name or as a character expression enclosed in parentheses.

FROM <xcFileFrom> is a structure extended file name from which the target file <xcFileName> is going to be built. It can be specified as literal file name or as a character expression enclosed in parentheses.

VIA <xcRDDName> is RDD name to create target with. If omitted, the default RDD is used. It can be specified as literal name or as a character expression enclosed in parentheses.

NEW open the target file name <xcFileName> in the next available unused work-area and making it the current work-area. If omitted open the target file in current work-area.

ALIAS <xcAlias> is an optional alias to USE the target file with. If not specified, alias is based on the root name of <xcFileName>.

Description

CREATE FROM open a structure extended file <xcFileFrom> where each record contain at least the following fields (in no particular order): FIELD_NAME, FIELD_TYPE, FIELD_LEN and FIELD_DEC. Any other field is ignored. From this information the file <xcFileName> is then created and opened in the current or new work-area (according to the NEW clause), if this is a new work-area it becomes the current.

For prehistoric compatibility reasons, structure extended file Character fields which are longer than 255 characters should be treated in a special way by writing part of the length in the FIELD_DEC according to the following formula:

FIELD->FIELD_DEC := int( nLength / 256 ) FIELD->FIELD_LEN := ( nLength % 256 )

CREATE FROM command is preprocessed into __dbCopyStruct() function during compile time and uses this mode.

      See example in the CREATE command

Status

Ready

Compliance

CREATE FROM works exactly as in CA-Clipper

Platforms

All

See Also

• COPY STRUCTURE
• COPY STRUCTURE EXTENDED
• CREATE
• DBCREATE()
• DBSTRUCT()
• __dbCopyStruct()
• __dbCopyXStruct()
• __dbCreate()