ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) is a standard API developed by Microsoft that allows applications to access data from different database management systems (DBMS) using a set of functions, regardless of the database type.
In an ODBC architecture, applications connect to a centralized ODBC Driver Manager, which then communicates with the appropriate ODBC driver to access the desired data source. The client-side component of the driver is responsible for interacting directly with the application and must fully adhere to the ODBC standard. The server-side component is tailored to a specific database management system (DBMS). This means the application doesn't need to know which DBMS is used on the server. Thanks to this separation of concerns, there's no need to configure the application for any database system. It can work seamlessly with any DBMS supported by a compatible ODBC driver.
This guide walks you through the installation, configuration, and connection setup for an xBase database with an ODBC driver.
Advantages of the ODBC Driver for xBase
Native data connectivity
The xBase ODBC Driver fully supports standard ODBC API functions and data types. It provides easy access to live xBase data from anywhere and is compatible with the xBase API itself.
Real-time data access
The Driver allows the ODBC-compliant application to access data directly in real-time, providing a dynamic workspace that adapts and changes as quickly as your data.
Integration
The Driver is compatible with 250+ database management solutions, analytics and reporting tools, programming languages, and IDEs. That allows you to view, update, manage, and edit your xBase data directly in your preferred working environment.
Support for popular file formats
Our connector enables various ODBC-aware applications to establish a direct connection to FoxPro 2, Visual FoxPro, dBase (DBF), and other xBase databases without requiring any external libraries.
Retrieval of corrupted data
The ODBC Driver for xBase provides options for ignoring errors related to corrupted data and metadata when opening a DBF table. Corrupted data is skipped, whereas the intact data is correctly retrieved.
Installation process
Installing the Devart ODBC driver is straightforward. All you need is to download the ODBC Driver for xBase on your computer and follow the installation wizard instructions.
Windows
1. Download the installation executable file of the ODBC Driver for xBase, open it, and click Next.
2. On the Select Components page, choose the required version of the Driver and click Next. Optionally, select the corresponding checkbox to install Help and Manual.
3. To activate the Driver immediately after installation, select Input Purchased or Trial activation key, and enter your key in the provided box.
Please keep in mind that you need to activate the Driver even for the trial version.
Note
You can find your activation key in the registration email or your Customer Portal account. To open the Customer Portal, click Get Purchased or Trial Activation Key.
If you decide not to complete activation during setup, you can activate the Driver later by selecting Activate product later. For detailed instructions on how to do it on Windows, refer to Activate on Windows in our documentation.
4. If the activation key is saved on your computer, click Load Activation Key and select the corresponding file.
5. To complete the installation, simply take these two final steps:
Devart ODBC Driver for xBase is fully compatible with Linux-based systems, enabling you to integrate data with applications running in Linux environments. Here, you'll find installation instructions for both DEB-based distributions (such as Ubuntu) and RPM-based distributions (such as CentOS).
Install the Driver on Ubuntu
There are two ways to install the Driver on Linux: either manually (through the GUI) or via the command line, depending on your preference. Let's review each method.
GUI installation
1. Download the DEB package of the required bitness from the Devart website.
2. Navigate to the folder with the downloaded package. The default download path is: /home/user/Downloads.
3. Right-click the package and select Open With > App Center.
4. In the dialog that opens, click Install.
Once the installation is successfully finished, the Install button changes to Remove.
Command-line installation
1. After you've downloaded the corresponding package, open the Terminal.
2. Navigate to the folder with the downloaded package.
cd ~/Downloads/
If you downloaded the package to a different folder, you need to navigate to that folder by specifying its path as a parameter in the cd command.
cd ~/path_to_package/
3. To install the Driver from the devartodbcxbase_i386.deb file on a 32-bit system, run the corresponding command.
sudo dpkg -i devartodbcxbase_i386.deb
4. To install devartodbcxbase_amd64.deb on a 64-bit system, use the following command.
sudo dpkg -i devartodbcxbase_amd64.deb
Finally, you should see that the Driver is successfully installed and is ready to be configured.
Install the Driver on CentOS
Now, let's try to install the ODBC Driver for xBase on CentOS via the command line using the RPM distribution.
The steps below explain how to do this.
1. Download the RPM package from the Devart website.
2. Run the Terminal program.
3. Navigate to the folder with the downloaded RPM package. By default, the required package will be downloaded to the /Downloads folder.
cd ~/Downloads/
If you haven't downloaded the package to the default destination, go to the folder with the downloaded package as the cd command parameter.
cd ~/path_to_package/
4. To install the Devart ODBC Driver for xBase from the devart-odbc-xbase.i386.rpm on a 32-bit system, run the following command.
sudo rpm -ivh devart-odbc-xbase.i386.rpm
5. To install the devart-odbc-xbase.x86_64.rpm on a 64-bit system, execute the corresponding command.
sudo rpm -ivh devart-odbc-xbase.x86_64.rpm
If the Driver is installed successfully, you will receive the appropriate message. In this case, the Driver is ready for further configuration.
Remember that you have the option to activate the Driver later, even if you skipped that step during installation. For detailed instructions on how to do it on Linux, refer to the Activate on Linux article of our documentation.
macOS
Devart ODBC Driver for xBase is fully compatible with macOS, allowing you to connect xBase databases to applications running on macOS systems. To operate correctly, the Driver requires an ODBC Driver Manager, such as iODBC, which is not distributed along with our Driver and must be installed separately.
Here, we'll instruct you on how to install the Driver on macOS.
2. Run the downloaded file and click Continue to proceed with the installation.
3. After reading the Software License Agreement, click Agree to go further.
4. On the Registration page of the wizard, select Input Purchased or Trial activation key and paste your activation key into the box.
Note
You can find your activation key in the registration email or your Customer Portal account. To open the Customer Portal, click Get Purchased or Trial Activation Key.
5. If you have saved the key on your computer, click Load Activation Key and browse to the location of the activation file.
6. To proceed with the installation, click Continue. Finally, click Install.
Remember that you have the option to enable the Driver later, even if you didn't set it up while installing. For detailed instructions on how to do it on macOS, refer to Activate on macOS in our documentation.
Configuring an ODBC data source
After you have installed the Devart ODBC Driver for xBase, you should create a Data Source Name (DSN) for your ODBC connection and test whether it succeeds. Here's how to do this.
Windows
1. Open the ODBC Data Source Administrator, select the User DSN or System DSN tab, and click Add.
2. In the dialog box, select Devart ODBC Driver for xBase and click Finish.
3. In the driver setup dialog, enter the connection information in the appropriate fields.
Note
Most applications work with both User DSN and System DSN, but some require a specific one.
Linux
On Linux, there are two ways to configure an ODBC data source for the Devart ODBC Driver for xBase. You can use the standard open-source unixODBC driver manager by manually editing the odbc.ini file, or you can use the Devart ODBC Administrator, which provides a graphical user interface for creating and managing ODBC data sources.
GUI configuration
Devart ODBC Administrator offers an intuitive user interface, so you can easily configure the DSN by following the steps below.
1. Open the Devart ODBC Administrator, select the System DSN tab (recommended), then click Add.
2. In the Choose a driver dialog box, select Devart ODBC Driver for xBase, then click OK.
3. In the Devart ODBC Administrator window, click Add to open the connection settings dialog.
4. To proceed with the configuration, enter the required connection parameters.
5. Optional: Select Test Connection to verify that the connection details are valid. When the successful connection is confirmed, click OK to close the dialog.
6. Finally, click OK to save the DSN settings.
Manual configuration
After you have installed the Driver from the .deb or .rpm package, the DEVART_XBASE DSN is created. You can use it to manually configure the connection to xBase. To do it:
1. Open the odbc.ini file located in the /etc folder. Find the DEVART_XBASE section and specify the required connection settings.
Database=<the path to the folder that contains the database files>
Format=<the used DBF format>
macOS
On macOS, there are two ways to configure an ODBC data source for the Devart ODBC Driver for xBase. You can use the built-in iODBC driver manager with its standard Administrator, or you can use the Devart ODBC Administrator, which provides an advanced graphical interface and supports extended configuration options.
GUI configuration via Devart ODBC Administrator
With its intuitive user interface, Devart ODBC Administrator allows you to configure the DSN using the steps below.
1. Open the Devart ODBC Administrator, select the System DSN tab (recommended), then click Add.
2. In the Choose a driver dialog box, select Devart ODBC Driver for xBase, then click OK.
3. In the Devart ODBC Administrator window, click Add to open the connection settings dialog.
4. Next, enter the required connection parameters.
5. Optional: Select Test Connection to verify that the connection details are valid. When the successful connection is confirmed, click OK to close the dialog.
6. Now, click OK to save your DSN settings.
GUI configuration via iODBC Data Source Administrator
After the Driver is installed, the DEVART_XBASE DSN is created, which you can configure based on your needs using the iODBC Data Source Administrator.
1. Start by running the iODBC utility of the required bitness, find DEVART_XBASE, and click Configure.
2. In the dialog that appears, specify the required connection settings and click OK.
Test ODBC connection
This section describes the built-in testing options available on Windows, Linux, and macOS, explaining how to confirm a successful connection to the xBase data source.
Windows
To test an ODBC connection on Windows, you only need to click the Test Connection button in the Configuration dialog. A successful connection message should appear.
Linux
To test the connection with xBase, run the UnixODBC Test Command utility in the Terminal, and test the connection using the following command.
isql -v DEVART_XBASE
This output means that the connection is successful.
Another way to verify the connection on Linux is by using the Devart ODBC Administrator. For more information, see the optional step 5 in the GUI configuration section.
macOS
After configuring the DEVART_XBASE DSN, you should verify the connection. For this, click the Test button to establish a connection to your data source.
Another way to verify the connection on macOS is by using the Devart ODBC Administrator. For more information, see the optional step 5 in the GUI configuration via Devart ODBC Administrator section.
Conclusion
Experience reliable and efficient data access with Devart ODBC Driver for xBase. The driver integrates smoothly with applications on Windows, enabling secure and high-performance connectivity to xBase data sources. Download the driver from the Devart website and follow the simple installation steps to begin working with your xBase data. For detailed configuration, licensing, and usage instructions, refer to the Devart documentation.
Start your free trial or activate your license today to take advantage of seamless xBase data integration.
ODBC Drivers
Reliable and simple to use data connectors for ODBC data sources. Compatible with multiple third-party tools.
