You can highlight the file and open it with word pad and figure out for yourself what it is for, or what is stored in it. Just do not save it when you are through looking or you will render your database inoperable. You can VIEW the DBF files with MS Excel, but again, DO NOT SAVE from there. Alfred D. Eller Family-Origins-Users-admin@RootsWeb.com FOW fact diagnostic tool, using Excel Spreadsheet http://freepages.computers.rootsweb.com/~adelr/FOFacts.htm --------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Original Message ----- From: "Charles Gohlke" <c.gohlke@postoffice.worldnet.att.net> To: <FAMILY-ORIGINS-USERS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, January 12, 2003 11:44 AM Subject: [FO] File names, extensions & dates > Kevin, > > I appreciate your explanation of the FO file extensions and am wondering > if you could carry it one step further. I'm referring to the letters of > the alphabet in the name. The 35 files in any database consist of: > > name .FOW > nameC.CDX,DBF,FPT > nameD.CDX,DBF,FPT > nameE.CDX,DBF,FPT > nameI.CDX,DBF,FPT > nameK.CDX,DBF > nameL.CDX,DBF > nameM.CDX,DBF,FPT > nameP.CDX,DBF,FPT > nameR.CDX,DBF > nameS.CDX,DBF,FPT > nameT.CDX,DBF > nameX.CDX,DBF > nameY.CDX,DBF,FPT > > After I've been working on a database for awhile (for a number of > sessions spread over weeks), I have a lot of files with different dates. > For instance, the three "C" files may have different dates than the three > "D" files. Or, the C.CDX and C.DBF files may be newer than the C.FPT > file. Many of the file dates remain unchanged from session to session. > The net result of all this is that the file dates are spread all over > the map with some more than a year apart. > > I suppose this falls under the category of WHO CARES? but I'd like to be > able to look at the list, pick the name (alphabet letter) with the latest > date and be able to say to myself "Oh yeah, now I remember. I was working > on the source list, merging individuals, editing notes or whatever." > > Can you, or anyone, shed any light on this subject? Maybe Bruce can tell > us. > > Charles Gohlke