Copyright: © 1997-2000 TurboPower Software Company. All rights reserved.


Fields To Transfer
Specifying the Fields To Transfer

The Fields to Transfer list shows all the available fields in the BDE table selected in the Source Table list box. Those fields with a check mark beside them will be written to the FlashFiler table when the Transfer button is clicked. Double-clicking on a field toggles the checkmark and the field's inclusion in the transfer process.

Not every field datatype can be transferred. Certain out of the ordinary datatypes in some databases cannot be interpreted correctly by the BDE and cause BDE2FF to fail. An example of this is the array type structure in InterBase files. The BDE does not properly report these field datatypes and therefore, they cannot be detected automatically by BDE2FF.

When you encounter an abnormal field type, BDE2FF will fail with a "Capability not Supported" error. You have to determine which field in the table is causing the problem and exclude that field from the transfer. Keep in mind that Borland's Database Desktop, Database Explorer, and SQL Explorer utilities do not necessarily show the true field definitions either (since they are based on the BDE, which misreports these fields anyway). For example, you will not spot InterBase array field types in SQL Explorer, but will have to display the native InterBase table definition using InterBase ISQL.


Source Database
Specifying a Source Database

Double-click the BDE alias for the database containing the table you want to transfer. The Source Table list box displays the tables available in that database.


Source Table
Specifying a Source Table

Once you've selected a BDE alias in the Source Database list box, double-click the table within the BDE database you want to transfer. When you select a table from the table list, the fields in that table are shown in the Fields to Transfer list box. You may now select the fields to transfer.


Target Database
Specifying a Target Database

Double-click the FlashFiler alias for the database to receive the transferred data. A list of the tables contained in that database is displayed in the Target Table list box.


Target Table
Specifying a Target Table

To create a new FlashFiler table in the FlashFiler database specified in the Target Database list box, enter a table name in the Target Table edit box. To copy data into an existing FlashFiler table, double-click the table from the list of existing tables.


Overview
BDE2FF Overview

The BDE Transfer To FlashFiler utility, referred to as BDE2FF, is a standalone data transfer utility for BDE databases. Its purpose is to copy data from a standard BDE database table directly into a FlashFiler table. BDE2FF can dynamically create the FlashFiler table based on the definition of the BDE table, or copy data into an existing FlashFiler table with compatible fields.

The following steps transfer data from a BDE table to a FlashFiler table:

1.	Select the BDE alias for a database from the Source Database list box. The tables available in that database will be displayed in the Source Table list box.

2.	Select the table that contains the desired data from the Source Table list box. The Fields to Transfer list box will display the fields in the selected table.

3.	In the Fields to Transfer list box, select the fields that contain the data you wish to transfer.

4.	Specify the Target Database and Target Table into which you wish to transfer the data.

5.	Select the Transfer Options appropriate for your table.

6.	Click the Transfer button to begin the process.

BDE2FF can also create a new FlashFiler table based on the source table's structure. By checking the Schema Only checkbox, you can have BDE2FF create a FlashFiler table without copying any data.


Transfer
Starting the Transfer

Click the Transfer button to begin copying records from the BDE table specified in the Source Table edit field to the FlashFiler table specified in the Target Table edit field.

The Transfer Options control the effect of the transfer. If the Schema Only check box is checked then no data is copied. A FlashFiler table of the same structure as the Source Table is created with no data.


Transfer Options
Setting Transfer Options

Schema Only check box

When the Target Table edit field specifies a table that does not yet exist, checking the Schema Only check box results in a new FlashFiler table with the structure of the Source Table but no data. When the Target Table edit field specifies an existing FlashFiler table, checking the Schema Only check box results in a complete overwrite of the existing table: the existing table will be restructured based on the Source Table's structure and will contain no data. BDE2FF will prompt you for confirmation before processing this transfer.

When the Schema Only check box is unchecked, both the data and the structure of the source table are copied into the new or existing FlashFiler table.

Existing Data

When copying data into an existing FlashFiler table that already contains data, you may choose to overwrite or append the existing data by selecting the Overwrite or Append radio button.