The Process of Importing Data

If you want to import from your source file, you can either let Visual FoxPro define the structure of the new table or use the Import Wizard to specify its structure. Visual FoxPro uses the field order in the source file to define the structure of the destination table. If you want to define the structure, you can modify the file in the source application or use the Import Wizard.

If you no longer have access to the application that supports the source file and you want to change the order or data type of the fields, you can import the source file, then create a query that outputs the fields in the order you want to another new table.

When you import a file, you must choose the file type you want to import and specify the source file and destination table names.

Choosing a File Type to Import

The following table lists the file types you can import into Visual FoxPro:

File Type	File Extension	Description
Microsoft® Excel	xls	A Microsoft Excel (versions 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, and 97) worksheet format. The column cells become fields, and rows become records.
Lotus 1-2-3	wks wk1 wk3	A Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet for releases 1-A, 2.x, and 3.x. The column cells become fields and rows become records.
Borland Paradox	db	A Paradox table for versions 3.5 and 4.0.

If you want to use tables from a previous version of FoxPro or use dBASE files, you can open and use them without importing. Visual FoxPro will ask if you want to convert the table to the latest version of Visual FoxPro. Once you convert a table from a previous version, this table cannot be opened in the previous version.

For more information on importing files, see the IMPORT command.

For considerations that affect importing Microsoft Excel, Lotus, and Microsoft Access data, see Choosing a File Type to Import.

See Also

Importing and Exporting Data | Importing and Exporting Concepts | Importing Data with the Import Wizard | Importing Data into a New Table | Importing from Lotus 1-2-3 | Translating Lotus Date Fields