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Format

dBASE Database

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Summary

Name
dBASE Database
Version
IV
Identifiers
  • MIME: application/dbase
  • PUID: x-fmt/10
Format type
Database
Description
dBase is a database management systems for microcomputers.The dBase system includes the core database engine, a query system, a forms engine, and a programming language that ties all of these components together. dBase's underlying file format, the .dbf file, is widely used in applications needing a simple format to store structured data.
Format encoding
Text
File extensions
dbf
Submitted by
Digital Preservation Department / The National Archives
Developed by
dBASE Inc.
Supported by
dBASE Inc.

Internal signatures

dBASE Database IV without memo

Description
Header sequence: Version number (04), Date of last update MMDD, First upper or lowercase character of field name, field type (C, D, F, L, N).
Provenance
Ongoing DROID research, in conjunction with information obtained from the Sustainability of Digital Formats Planning for Library of Congress Collections website http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/formats/fdd/fdd000325.shtml

Byte sequences

Min Frag Length
Absolute from BOF
Offset
0
Max offset
None
Byte Sequence
04??[01:0C][01:1F]{28}([41:5A]|[61:7A]){10}(43|44|46|4C|4E)
Endianness
None

dBASE Database IV SQL table files, no memo

Description
Header sequence: Version number, Date of last update MMDD, First upper or lowercase character of field name, field type (C, D, F, L, N).
Provenance
Ongoing DROID research, in conjunction with information obtained from the Sustainability of Digital Formats Planning for Library of Congress Collections website http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/formats/fdd/fdd000325.shtml

Byte sequences

Min Frag Length
Absolute from BOF
Offset
0
Max offset
None
Byte Sequence
43??[01:0C][01:1F]{28}([41:5A]|[61:7A]){10}(43|44|46|4C|4E)
Endianness
None

dBASE Database IV SQL system files, no memo

Description
Header sequence: Version number, Date of last update MMDD, First upper or lowercase character of field name, field type (C, D, F, L, N).
Provenance
Ongoing DROID research, in conjunction with information obtained from the Sustainability of Digital Formats Planning for Library of Congress Collections website http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/formats/fdd/fdd000325.shtml

Byte sequences

Min Frag Length
Absolute from BOF
Offset
0
Max offset
None
Byte Sequence
63??[01:0C][01:1F]{28}([41:5A]|[61:7A]){10}(43|44|46|4C|4E)
Endianness
None

dBASE Database IV SQL table files, with memo

Description
Header sequence: Version number, Date of last update MMDD, First upper or lowercase character of field name, field type (C, D, F, L, M, N).
Provenance
Ongoing DROID research, in conjunction with information obtained from the Sustainability of Digital Formats Planning for Library of Congress Collections website http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/formats/fdd/fdd000325.shtml

Byte sequences

Min Frag Length
Absolute from BOF
Offset
0
Max offset
None
Byte Sequence
CB??[01:0C][01:1F]{28}([41:5A]|[61:7A]){10}(43|44|46|4C|4D|4E)
Endianness
None

dBASE Database IV, with memo (7B byte)

Description
Header sequence: Version number, Date of last update MMDD, First upper or lowercase character of field name, field type (C, D, F, L, M, N).
Provenance
Ongoing DROID research, in conjunction with information obtained from the Sustainability of Digital Formats Planning for Library of Congress Collections website http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/formats/fdd/fdd000325.shtml

Byte sequences

Min Frag Length
Absolute from BOF
Offset
0
Max offset
None
Byte Sequence
7B??[01:0C][01:1F]{28}([41:5A]|[61:7A]){10}(43|44|46|4C|4D|4E)
Endianness
None

dBASE Database IV, with memo (8B byte)

Description
Header sequence: Version number, Date of last update MMDD, First upper or lowercase character of field name, field type (C, D, F, L, M, N).
Provenance
Ongoing DROID research, in conjunction with information obtained from the Sustainability of Digital Formats Planning for Library of Congress Collections website http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/formats/fdd/fdd000325.shtml

Byte sequences

Min Frag Length
Absolute from BOF
Offset
0
Max offset
None
Byte Sequence
8B??[01:0C][01:1F]{28}([41:5A]|[61:7A]){10}(43|44|46|4C|4D|4E)
Endianness
None

dBASE Database IV, with SQL

Description
Header sequence: Version number, Date of last update MMDD, First upper or lowercase character of field name, field type (C, D, F, L, M, N).
Provenance
Ongoing DROID research, in conjunction with information obtained from the Sustainability of Digital Formats Planning for Library of Congress Collections website http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/formats/fdd/fdd000325.shtml

Byte sequences

Min Frag Length
Absolute from BOF
Offset
0
Max offset
None
Byte Sequence
8E??[01:0C][01:1F]{28}([41:5A]|[61:7A]){10}(43|44|46|4C|4D|4E)
Endianness
None

Changelog

  • V112

    Release date
    10 May 2023

    • Updated

      dBASE Database IV: Added developer. Submitted by Digital Preservation Department, The National Archives (UK).

  • V83

    Release date
    17 December 2015

    • Updated

      dBASE Database IV: Added description.

  • V55

    Release date
    4 January 2012

    • Added signature

      dBASE Database IV: Signatures developed through PRONOM Research.