Q191758: HOWTO: Convert FoxPro Cursor into XML Data Format

Article: Q191758
Product(s): Microsoft FoxPro
Version(s): WINDOWS:6.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbInternet kbvfp600 kbXML kbGrpDSFox kbDSupport
Last Modified: 21-OCT-2000

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, version 6.0 
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SUMMARY
=======

This article describes how to create an Extensible Markup Language (XML) data
file from a cursor in Visual FoxPro 6.0.

MORE INFORMATION
================

Extensible Markup Language (XML) is the universal format for data on the Web.
XML is a text-based format that lets developers describe, deliver and exchange
structured data between a range of applications to clients for local display and
manipulation. XML does not replace HTML, rather, it is a complementary format.

To create an XML file from a filtered .dbf table follow these steps:

1. Create a program (.prg) file named Callxml.prg and place the following code
  in the file:

  LOCAL lcFileName,lcXMLFile,lcFilter

  lcDBFName = HOME(2) + "data\orders.dbf"
  lcXMLFile = LOWER(SYS(2023)) + "\orders.xml"
  lcFilter = "FOR To_Region='WA'"

  STRTOFILE(DBF2XML(lcDBFName, lcFilter, .T.), ;
  lcXMLFile)
  MODIFY FILE (lcXMLFile) NOWAIT

  RETURN

2. Create another .prg file named Dbf2xml.prg, and put the following code into
  this .prg file:

  * Dbf2xml.prg

  *-- ASCII codes
  #DEFINE TAB     CHR(9)
  #DEFINE LF      CHR(10)
  #DEFINE CR      CHR(13)
  #DEFINE CR_LF   CR+LF

  LPARAMETERS tcTable, tcScope, tnTabIndents
  LOCAL lcTable, lcAlias, lcScope, lcDBFName, lcIndentText, lcDBF, lcRootName
  LOCAL lcValue, lcField, lnFieldCount, lnCount, lnLastSelect, lnLastRecNo
  LOCAL lcXMLText
  DIMENSION laFields[1]

  IF NOT INLIST(VARTYPE(tcTable), "C", "L") OR NOT ;
         INLIST(VARTYPE(tcScope), "C", "L")
     RETURN ""
  ENDIF

  lcIndentText = IIF(VARTYPE(tnTabIndents) == "N", ;
                     REPLICATE(TAB, tnTabIndents), "")
  lcTable = LOWER(IIF(EMPTY(tcTable), ALIAS(), ALLTRIM(tcTable)))
  lnLastSelect=SELECT()

  IF "." $ lcTable
     lcDBF = lcTable
     IF NOT FILE(lcDBF)
        RETURN ""
     ENDIF
     
     SELECT 0
     lcAlias = LOWER(SYS(2015))
     USE (lcDBF) ALIAS (lcAlias) AGAIN SHARED
     lcDBFName = LOWER(FORCEEXT(JUSTFNAME(DBF()), ""))
  ELSE
     lcDBF = ""
     lcAlias = lcTable
     lcDBFName = lcAlias
  ENDIF

  IF NOT USED(lcAlias)
     SELECT (lnLastSelect)
     RETURN ""
  ENDIF

  lcScope = IIF(EMPTY(tcScope), "ALL", ALLTRIM(tcScope))

  SELECT (lcAlias)

  lnLastRecNo = IIF(EOF(), 0, RECNO())
  lcXMLText = "<"+ lcDBFName + "_table>" + CR_LF

  lnFieldCount = AFIELDS(laFields)
  IF lnFieldCount = 0
     SELECT (lnLastSelect)
     RETURN ""
  ENDIF

  lcRootName = lcDBFName
  DO WHILE TYPE(lcRootName) != "U"
     lcRootName = lcRootName + "1"
  ENDDO

  SCAN &lcScope
     lcXMLText = lcXMLText + lcIndentText + ;
        "<" + lcRootName + ">" + CR_LF
        
     FOR lnCount = 1 TO lnFieldCount
        lcField = LOWER(laFields[lnCount, 1])
        lcValue = ALLTRIM(TRANSFORM(EVALUATE(lcField)))
        IF EMPTY(lcValue)
           LOOP
        ENDIF
        
        lcXMLText=lcXMLText + lcIndentText + TAB + ;
           "<" + lcField + ">" + lcValue + "</" + lcField + ">" + CR_LF
     ENDFOR
     
     lcXMLText = lcXMLText + lcIndentText + ;
        "</" + lcRootName + ">" + CR_LF
  ENDSCAN

  IF EMPTY(lcDBF)
     IF lnLastRecNo > 0
        GO lnLastRecNo
     ENDIF
  ELSE
      USE
  ENDIF

  SELECT (lnLastSelect)

  lcXMLText = lcXMLText + CR_LF + "</"+ lcDBFName + "_table>"

  RETURN lcXMLText

3. In the Visual FoxPro Command window, run the Callxml.prg file. This results
  in the creation of a file named Orders.xml, which is a text file subset of
  the Orders.dbf table. The program places the file in the folder pointed to by
  the operating system environment SET TEMP setting.

REFERENCES
==========

For more information about XML, please see the following Microsoft Web site:

  http://msdn.microsoft.com/xml/

Additional query words:

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbInternet kbvfp600 kbXML kbGrpDSFox kbDSupport 
Technology        : kbVFPsearch kbAudDeveloper kbVFP600
Version           : WINDOWS:6.0
Issue type        : kbhowto

=============================================================================

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