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## DBFDataReader

# Available in Community Designer

Short Description
Ports
Metadata
DBFDataReader Attributes
Details
See also

### Short Description

DBFDataReader reads data from fixed-length dbase files. It can also read data from remote locations, compressed files, input port, or dictionary.

Component | Data source | Input ports | Output ports | Each to all outputs | Different to different outputs | Transformation | Transf. req. | Java | CTL | Auto-propagated metadata
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
DBFDataReader | dBase file | 0-1 | 1-n |  |  |  |  |  |  |

### Icon

### Ports

Port type | Number | Required | Description | Metadata
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Input | 0 |  | For port reading. See Reading from Input Port. | One field (`byte`, `cbyte`, `string`).
Output | 0 |  | For correct data records | Any
1-n |  | For correct data records | Output 0

### Metadata

DBFDataReader does not propagate metadata.

DBFDataReader does not have any metadata template.

Metadata on output ports can use Autofilling Functions.

`source_timestamp` and `source_size` functions work only when reading from a file directly. If the file is an archive or it is stored in a remote location, timestamp will be empty and size will be 0.

It can read only fixed length data records.

### DBFDataReader Attributes

Attribute | Req | Description | Possible values
--- | --- | --- | ---
Basic
File URL | yes | Attribute specifying what data source(s) will be read (dbase file, input port, dictionary). See Supported File URL Formats for Readers. |
Charset |  | Encoding of records that are read. | IBM850 (default) | <other encodings>
Data policy |  | Determines what should be done when an error occurs. See Data Policy for more information. | Strict (default) | Controlled [1 ] | Lenient
Advanced
Number of skipped records |  | Number of records to be skipped continuously throughout all source files. See Selecting Input Records. | 0-N
Max number of records |  | Maximum number of records to be read continuously throughout all source files. See Selecting Input Records. | 0-N
Number of skipped records per source |  | Number of records to be skipped from each source file. See Selecting Input Records. | Same as in Metadata (default) | 0-N
Max number of records per source |  | Maximum number of records to be read from each source file. See Selecting Input Records. | 0-N
Incremental file | [2 ] | Name of the file storing the incremental key, including path. See Incremental Reading. |
Incremental key | [2 ] | Variable storing the position of the last read record. See Incremental Reading. |
[1 ] Controlled data policy in DBFDataReader does not send error records to edge. Errors are written into the log. [2 ] Either both or neither of these attributes must be specified.

### Details

DBFDataReader can be used to read UTF-8 encoded dBase files. Metadata extraction wizard is able to extract metadata from such file (preview works well and respects selected charset).

In general, DBFDataReader can use any encoding for parsing. But be careful - every character at any column name (stored at header of the file) must be represented by single byte. Example: set UTF-8 encoding. It's possible to read Japanese characters stored at dBase file but column name must not contain such a character. Just single byte characters are used for the column name so that some charsets cannot be used (for example UTF-16).

#### Notes and Limitations

The metadata used for writing data with DBFDataWriter is different from metadata required by DBFDataReader. If you read data from `.dbf` files, you need an extra metadata field called delete flag.

### See also

DBFDataWriter
Common Properties of Components
Specific Attribute Types
Common Properties of Readers
Readers Comparison

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