FoxPro files

Microsoft Access and SQL Server both keep everything in a single, large file. FoxPro has always spread data and programs across a number of individual files which may or may not be in the same directory.

Broadly speaking, FoxPro files fall into three categories:

  • Plain text in ASCII files
  • Data in dBase format dbf files
  • Binary data in various FoxPro formats

Text files

Extension Contents
.bak Backup of a program file. Also used for the backup of a dbf file.
.err Project build errors.
.mpr Generated menu program.
.prg Program code.
.qpr Generated SQL query.
.spr Generated screen program (Fox 2.6 and earlier).
.txt Text.

dbf files

FoxPro has built on the dbf format introduced in dBaseII.

Extension Contents
.bak Backup of a .dbf file. Also used as the backup of a text file or program.
.dbf Data for fixed-length fields.
.cdx Compound index.
.fpt Data for memo fields, images and objects.
.tbk Backup of memo fields.

Note that the .bak and .tbk files are only created as backups when you change the structure of a table. They don't act as day-to-day backup of data.

Every table will have a dbf file. If it has a cdx or fpt or both then those two or three files must reside in the same directory and you must copy them as a set. Flags in the dbf indicate whether a cdx or fpt should be present and you won't be able to use the dbf if these files are missing.

FoxPro also uses the dbf format to hold design information in the following files. Each set of three extensions correspond to the .dbf, .cdx, and .fpt files above.

Extensions Contents
.dbc, .dcx, .dct Database container.
.frx, .frt Report data and memo (no index).
.lbx, .lbt Label data and memo (no index).
.mnx, .mnt Menu data and memo (no index).
.pjx, .pjt Project data and memo (no index).
.scx, .sct Form (or screen) data and memo (no index).
.vcx, .vct Class library data and memo (no index).

Binary data

Extension Contents
.fxp Compiled program.
.mpx Compiled menu program.
.spx Compiled screen program (Fox 2.6 and earlier).

More detail

FoxPro Help has full details of these files and their structure. Type "help file structures" into the Command Window.

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