Want to export data from DBF table to XML using current date as file name?
Try Withdata DBToFile, a DBF to XML converter for Windows, Linux, and macOS, Export DBF data to XML, Easy and Fast.
- Can run in GUI mode, Step by Step, just a few mouse clicks.
- Can run in Command line, for Scheduled Tasks and Streams.
- Support Windows, Linux, and macOS.
Export data from DBF table to XML file using dynamic filename with date and time
Login to DBF -> Choose DBF table -> Set XML filename template including date -> Export DBF to XML using current date as file name
Choose DBF and logon.
“Export From Table” for “XML to DBF“.
Select XML file type.
1. Choose DBF table.
2. Set XML file options. Enter filename template, including date, #yyyy# is for current year, #mm# month, #dd# day, #hh# hour, #mi# minute, #ss# second.
3. Set rows options.
4. Export DBF table data to XML file. Dynamically created XML file name using present system time.
After exporting, you can view output XML files.
More about DBF to XML converter
Download Withdata DBToFile
DBF → XML reference
Type mapping
| Value kind | in DBF | in XML |
|---|---|---|
| Int | Numeric(10,0) | <int>1234</int> |
| Bigint | Numeric(19,0) | <bigint>9007199254740993</bigint> |
| Decimal | Numeric(p,s) | <decimal>1234.56</decimal> |
| Float | Float | <float>1.234e10</float> |
| Text | Character(n) | <char>text</char> |
| Long text | Memo | <text>multi-line text</text> (entities for & <) |
| Date | Date | <date>2026-09-18</date> (xs:date with an XSD) |
| Datetime | (none) | <datetime>2026-09-18T14:30:00Z</datetime> (xs:dateTime) |
| Binary | (none) | <blob>base64...</blob> (xs:base64Binary) |
| Boolean | Logical | <bool>true</bool> |
| JSON | (none) | escaped inside an element, or its own sub-tree |
Dialect differences
DBF is a database server and XML is a file format, so the gap is wider than a dialect difference – the rows below are where values and structure stop lining up.
| Property | in DBF | in XML |
|---|---|---|
| port | (file-based) | — |
| identifiers | — | Attribute values in quotes; entities (& < >) for ... |
| row limit | (driver dependent) | — |
| dates | Date (D) | Text (xs:date / xs:dateTime when an XSD is in play) |
| long text | Memo (M) | — |
| binary | — | base64Binary / hexBinary inside text |
| separator | — | Tags, not delimiters |
| encoding | — | Declared in the XML declaration |
| typing | — | None in the markup itself |
| shape | Tables of rows and columns | Arbitrary tree |
| ceiling | — | Whole document is usually parsed into memory |
No counterpart
- XML has no equivalent for Date and time – it has to be flattened or dropped.
- XML has no equivalent for Binary – it has to be flattened or dropped.
- XML has no equivalent for JSON – it has to be flattened or dropped.
DBF to CSV without the manual work
For batch jobs, large files and scheduling use the DBF to CSV converter — an offline desktop app for Windows, Linux and macOS. Free trial.
