How to Create and Use Catalog (.FPC) Files

• Microsoft FoxPro for Windows, version 2.6
• Microsoft FoxPro for MS-DOS, version 2.6

SUMMARY

The Catalog Manager stores information about the currently selected catalog in a "catalog file." A catalog file is an ordinary .DBF file with an .FPC extension and the same name as the catalog whose information it contains. The default file extension for the file containing memo fields associated with a catalog file is .FCT, whereas the default file extension for a file containing memo fields associated with a typical .DBF file is .FPT.

MORE INFORMATION

To support the concept of a catalog file, certain changes were made to the USE command and to the CREATE TABLE command in FoxPro 2.6 for Windows and MS-DOS.

If you create an .FPC file and the file has one or more memo fields, the associated memo file will be created with an extension of .FCT.

For example, the following code will produce two files (TEST.FPC and TEST.FCT):

   CREATE TABLE test.fpc (one C(2), two M)

   CREATE TABLE test.dbf (one C(2), two M)

The USE command has also been modified in FoxPro 2.6 for Windows and MS-DOS to support .FPC files. If a database file ending with an .FPC extension is opened with a USE command and that database file has a memo field, the USE command will search for a memo file with an .FCT extension. If the USE command is issued to open a database file that does not have an .FPC extension and the database file has a memo field, the USE command will search for a memo file with a standard .FPT extension.