How To Convert FoxPro Cursor into XML Data Format

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.