Withdata Software

4 easy steps to import Excel data to DBF

Want to import data from Excel file to DBF?

Try Withdata FileToDB, a desktop Excel to DBF converter for Windows, MacOS, and Linux, Convert Excel to DBF, Easy and Fast.

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Import data from Excel to DBF in 4 steps

Choose Excel file -> Set DBF table -> Preview DBF table -> Import Excel to DBF

Choose DBF and logon.

Click “Wizard – 1 File To 1 Table” for “Excel to DBF”.

Select the “Excel” file type.

then show the wizard.

Step #1. Open an Excel file.

Step #2. Select a DBF table and config fields.

Step #3. Preview DBF table.

Step #4. Import Excel to DBF.


More about Excel to DBF converter

EXCEL → DBF reference

Type mapping

Value kindin EXCELin DBF
Int1234 (a real numeric cell)Numeric(10,0)
Bigint9007199254740993 (exact only while the cell stays text)Numeric(19,0)
Decimal1234.56 (numeric cell, format controls the displayed decimals)Numeric(p,s)
Float1.234E+10 (numeric cell)Float
Texttext cell; leading zeros survive only if the column is textCharacter(n)
Long texttext cell; wraps inside the cell rather than the rowMemo
Datea serial number plus a date cell formatDate
Datetimea serial number plus a date-time cell format(none)
Binarynot representable as data(none)
BooleanTRUE / FALSE (a real boolean cell)Logical
JSONa text cell; the quotes are part of the value(none)

Dialect differences

EXCEL is a file format and DBF is a database server, so the target has to be told the types the file never carried - the rows below are where the two sides diverge.

Propertyin EXCELin DBF
port—(file-based)
identifiersNot applicable; a cell holds exactly one value—
row limit—(driver dependent)
datesStored as a serial number; only the cell format makes it lo...Date (D)
long text—Memo (M)
binaryOnly as text or an embedded object, not as a data column—
separatorCells, not delimiters—
encodingUTF-8 internally, declared in the package—
typingReal cell types: text, number, date, boolean, error—
shapeMultiple sheets, each a flat gridTables of rows and columns
ceiling1,048,576 rows x 16,384 columns per sheet; 255 sheets per w...—

No counterpart

  • EXCEL values of kind Date and time have nowhere to go in DBF.
  • EXCEL values of kind Binary have nowhere to go in DBF.
  • EXCEL values of kind JSON have nowhere to go in DBF.

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