Python module for Dbase files?

[Anders M Eriksson]

On Wed, 21 Jun 2000 20:25:24 GMT, "William Dandreta"
<wjdandreta at worldnet.att.net> wrote:

>I don't really need to use Dbase but I need something that works with DOS
>and is platform independent.
>

Hmmm... How fancy database action are you going to use? Maybe the
shelve module is enough?

There also is a database called MetaKit, which I'm kind of found of.
it really small and easy (don't have SQL, but neither has dBASE). I'm
not sure if it exist for DOS but the creator mr Jean-Claude Wippler
maybe sees this and replies!

>I found XBase which is an open source C++ database library that uses dbase
>data structures and is platform independent. If Python does not already have
>Dbase access, I guess I will have to figure out how to put a Python wrapper
>around Xbase.
>

I remembered xBASE++ after I had pressed send ;-) This library has
changed name and 'owner'. It's now called xDB and you can find it at:
http://linux.techass.com/projects/xdb/

>What is SWIG?
>

SWIG is a 'program' that creates a wrapper around C libraries. Which
means that you can write a function in C, run it thru SWIG and get a
Python module that works like a middle tier between your Python code
and the C library. 
http://www.swig.org

It's a bit more difficult on C++ (.or so they say.)

I do recommend you to find an another solution than wrapping xDB,
maybe you could use one of the XML packages that exist for Python. the
speed will probably not be as fast as a database, but ... If you tell
us a bit more about what your application will do maybe we can steer
you in the 'right direction'

// Anders