Re: when I query DBF database, fields are empty or null

has anyone seen something like this?

No

do you know what could be going on?

No, but you should have provided more information.
Before you post anything - ask yourself whether there is any additional
information you should supply.
After all, any responders to your post have only got what you stated to go
on.
For example
- version of Windows and any service packs
- version of MDAC.

Also I am assuming that you are accessing the DBF files over the web.
If that is so, is your PC remotely accessing the files via an established
connection, or does the server take responsility for displaying the content
and results are displayed in a web page?

Anyway a few points:

1. You say, "recently, they upgraded to a new version of the software".
Was that the only thing that changed?
Did the software install anything else in addition or alter some system
settings in Windows?
Any upgrade to a different version of Windows?

2. A guess but nothing more.
If these are via DSN, then this is ODBC access, right?
It sounds to me that what has altered is the ODBC setup in some way.
Possibly it might be a permissions/rights issue (but unlikely). I think the
DBF files are 100% okay (your DBFViewer tells you that), it is the accessing
them that is damaged in some way.
I would be using divide-and-conquer techniques to diagnose what is wrong.

For example
(i) If these are via a connection - can you programmatically view the same
files locally on the PC?
(ii) Can you install an Access database and see fields via a DSN connection?
(iii) You say "most of the fields in the table turn out null". Does that
mean some fields are okay?
What are the types of the fields that are okay, what are not? If some fields
are okay, there can't be much major wrong. Could an older DBF driver have
been accidentally installed?
(iv) Instead of using DSN, can you view the fields using a OLEDB driver
locally via ADO?

There are plenty of things you can do to establish what is going on.
Depending on what the answers are, it will steer you towards waht is
wrong/right.
This is detective work.

Hope this helps

Stephen Howe


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