Want to import data from TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) file to DBF?
Try Withdata FileToDB, a desktop TXT to DBF converter for Windows, MacOS, and Linux, Convert TXT to DBF, 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.
- Convert locally and privately, avoid uploading large or private TXT file(s) to online services.
- Support Windows, Linux, and macOS.
Import data from TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) file to DBF
Login to DBF -> Choose TXT file -> Set DBF table -> Import TXT to DBF
Choose DBF and logon.
Click “Wizard – 1 File To 1 Table” at task dialog.
Select the “TXT” file type.
then show the wizard.
1. Open a TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) file.
Support large ( > 4GB ) TXT file.
Here is the file’s content.
2. Select a DBF table and config fields.
3. Preview data will be in DBF table.
4. Import TXT data to DBF.
View imported data in DBF table
Import TXT to DBF in command line
Save “TXT to DBF” session, then you can:
- Import TXT to DBF in Windows command line.
- Import TXT to DBF in Linux command line.
- Import TXT to DBF in macOS command line.
Set scheduled tasks for importing TXT to DBF
You can schedule and automate this “TXT to DBF” conversion task by:
- Save session and create .bat (Windows) or .sh (Linux/macOS) file for “TXT to DBF” conversion.
- Set scheduled task for “TXT to DBF” conversion.
FAQ
What is Withdata FileToDB?
How long does it take to import TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) data to DBF?
Is it safe to import TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) data to DBF using FileToDB?
Can I import TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) data to DBF on Linux, Mac OS?
Can I import TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) data to DBF in command line?
More about Withdata FileToDB – TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) to DBF converter
Download Withdata FileToDB
See also:
Pipe-delimited text → DBF reference
What is a pipe-delimited file?
A pipe-delimited file (also called pipe-separated values, PSV) is a plain-text file where each line is one record and a vertical bar | separates the fields. It works like CSV but uses | instead of ,, so a value that contains commas needs no quoting.
Name|Age|City
Alice|30|New York
Bob|41|San FranciscoTo open it in Excel: Data → From Text/CSV, then set the delimiter to | (or Text to Columns → Other = |).
Type mapping
| Value kind | in Pipe-delimited text | in DBF |
|---|---|---|
| Int | 1234 | Numeric(10,0) |
| Bigint | 9007199254740993 | Numeric(19,0) |
| Decimal | 1234.56 | Numeric(p,s) |
| Float | 1.234e+10 | Float |
| Text | quoted only when it contains a pipe or a quote | Character(n) |
| Long text | must be quoted; line breaks inside force multi-line records | Memo |
| Date | 2026-09-18 | Date |
| Datetime | 2026-09-18 14:30:00 | (none) |
| Binary | not representable - base64 or hex string | (none) |
| Boolean | TRUE / FALSE, or 1 / 0 depending on the writer | Logical |
| JSON | the whole JSON value quoted, with internal quotes doubled | (none) |
Dialect differences
Pipe-delimited text 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.
| Property | in Pipe-delimited text | in DBF |
|---|---|---|
| port | — | (file-based) |
| identifiers | Double quotes; a literal quote is doubled ("" ) | — |
| row limit | — | (driver dependent) |
| dates | Conventional text: 2026-09-18 or 2026-09-18 14:30:00 | Date (D) |
| long text | — | Memo (M) |
| binary | Not supported | — |
| separator | Pipe "|" | — |
| encoding | No declaration - UTF-8 works only with a BOM | — |
| typing | None - every field is text | — |
| shape | Flat table, optional header row | Tables of rows and columns |
| ceiling | No formal limit; row count bounded by memory | — |
No counterpart
- Pipe-delimited text values of kind Date and time have nowhere to go in DBF.
- Pipe-delimited text values of kind Binary have nowhere to go in DBF.
- Pipe-delimited text values of kind JSON have nowhere to go in DBF.
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