Description:
ObjectVision has the ability to create it's own Btrieve files,
with corresponding Xtrieve compatible DDF's (Data Dictionary
Files).  This ability gives ObjectVision, with a little fiddling,
the ability to create DDF files for your own, pre-existing
Btrieve data files.  

What you will need:
First, you will need certain information about the data files you
are using.  Four are three categories of information needed.  

1.) The name, type, and size of each field and the order in which
these fields occur in the record.

2.) The data file name and the path to the data file name, if
necessary.

3.) The data table name.

4.) The index number you will be using.

It is impossible to extract this information from the data file. 
It must be provided by your records, if you created the data
file, or the publisher of the application that created the data
files.  If you created the table yourself, you will, of course,
have this information available to you.  If the data file was
created by a third party software publisher, the publisher of the
application will have the necessary information.  Most publishers
are willing to distribute this information without charge.  

How it works:
Simply create a Btrieve link in an empty subdirectory.  Use the
instructions from chapter 14, Linking to Btrieve tables, of the
Reference Guide for assistance.  You will need to create the link
with the same parameters specified for the data table (ie the
table name, the fields in their proper order, the data file and
path, and the index number which is usually 0).  In the link,
specify the empty directory for the Dictionary Path.  

After the link has been created, don't bother linking to fields,
just delete the link.  The DDF files will have been created at
this time.  You can now copy the DDF files to the directory where
the data file resides and establish the link.  If everything was
done correctly, you will have access to the data file.

There is no override for encrypted files.  If the files are
encrypted, it is assumed the developer of the application will
not want the users to have access to the data tables, and they
will not be accessible.
