Want to export data from DBF table to TSV file?
Try Withdata DBToFile, a DBF to TSV converter for Windows, Linux, and macOS, Export DBF data to TSV, 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 TSV file
Connect to DBF -> Choose DBF table -> Set TSV file options -> Export DBF to TSV
Choose DBF and connect.
“Export From Table” for “DBF to TSV”.
Select TSV file type.
1. Choose DBF table.
2. Set TSV file options.
3. Set rows options.
4. Export DBF data to TSV file.
After exporting, you can view output TSV files.
More about DBF to TSV converter
Download Withdata DBToFile
See also:
- Export DBF query results to TSV
- Export multiple similar DBF tables to one TSV file
- Batch export DBF tables to TSV files
DBF → TSV reference
Type mapping
| Value kind | in DBF | in TSV |
|---|---|---|
| Int | Numeric(10,0) | 1234 |
| Bigint | Numeric(19,0) | 9007199254740993 |
| Decimal | Numeric(p,s) | 1234.56 |
| Float | Float | 1.234e+10 |
| Text | Character(n) | unquoted; a tab in the value splits the column |
| Long text | Memo | unquoted; newlines break the row |
| Date | Date | 2026-09-18 |
| Datetime | (none) | 2026-09-18 14:30:00 |
| Binary | (none) | not representable |
| Boolean | Logical | TRUE / FALSE |
| JSON | (none) | the whole JSON value as-is (its own quotes stay) |
Dialect differences
DBF is a database server and TSV 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 TSV |
|---|---|---|
| port | (file-based) | — |
| identifiers | — | Rarely used, which is exactly why tabs in data break it |
| row limit | (driver dependent) | — |
| dates | Date (D) | Conventional text: 2026-09-18 or 2026-09-18 14:30:00 |
| long text | Memo (M) | — |
| binary | — | Not supported - must be encoded |
| separator | — | Tab |
| encoding | — | No declaration - UTF-8 works only with a BOM |
| typing | — | None - every field is text |
| shape | Tables of rows and columns | Flat table, optional header row |
| ceiling | — | No formal limit |
No counterpart
- TSV has no equivalent for Date and time – it has to be flattened or dropped.
- TSV has no equivalent for Binary – it has to be flattened or dropped.
- TSV 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.
New to the format? Read what a TSV file is (and how it differs from CSV).
