Adding a Connection to xBase

To add a connection to xBase:

1. In the application console, navigate to the Connections page.
2. At the Add Connections panel, select the icon for the connection you want to add.
3. If the xBase icon is not available, click the Add More icon to download and install the xBase connector from the CData site.

For required properties, see the Settings tab.

For connection properties that are not typically required, see the Advanced tab.

The DataSource property must be set to the name of the folder that contains the .dbf files. Specify the IncludeFiles property to work with xBase table files having extensions that differ from .dbf. Specify multiple extensions in a comma-separated list. Specify the CodePage property to set correct encoding for text fields in .dbf tables.

This section details a selection of advanced features of the xBase Sync App.

User Defined Views

The Sync App supports the use of user defined views, virtual tables whose contents are decided by a pre-configured user defined query. These views are useful when you cannot directly control queries being issued to the drivers. For an overview of creating and configuring custom views, see User Defined Views .

SSL Configuration

Use SSL Configuration to adjust how Sync App handles TLS/SSL certificate negotiations. You can choose from various certificate formats;. For further information, see the SSLServerCert property under "Connection String Options" .

Firewall and Proxy

Configure the Sync App for compliance with Firewall and Proxy, including Windows proxies and HTTP proxies. You can also set up tunnel connections.

Query Processing

The Sync App offloads as much of the SELECT statement processing as possible to xBase and then processes the rest of the query in memory (client-side).

For further information, see Query Processing.

Logging

For an overview of configuration settings that can be used to refine CData logging, see Logging. Only two connection properties are required for basic logging, but there are numerous features that support more refined logging, which enables you to use the LogModules connection property to specify subsets of information to be logged.

Customizing the SSL Configuration

By default, the Sync App attempts to negotiate TLS with the server. The server certificate is validated against the default system trusted certificate store. You can override how the certificate gets validated using the SSLServerCert connection property.

To specify another certificate, see the SSLServerCert connection property.

Connecting Through a Firewall or Proxy

HTTP Proxies

To authenticate to an HTTP proxy, set the following:

• ProxyServer: the hostname or IP address of the proxy server that you want to route HTTP traffic through.
• ProxyPort: the TCP port that the proxy server is running on.
• ProxyAuthScheme: the authentication method the Sync App uses when authenticating to the proxy server.
• ProxyUser: the username of a user account registered with the proxy server.
• ProxyPassword: the password associated with the ProxyUser.

Other Proxies

Set the following properties:

• To use a proxy-based firewall, set FirewallType, FirewallServer, and FirewallPort.
• To tunnel the connection, set FirewallType to TUNNEL.
• To authenticate, specify FirewallUser and FirewallPassword.
• To authenticate to a SOCKS proxy, additionally set FirewallType to SOCKS5.

The Sync App enables you to connect with .dbf files including those used in FoxPro 2.6 and Clipper. The Sync App supports the dBase III dialect. The Sync App requires access to a local file folder containing the table files.

The CData Sync App dynamically obtains the schemas; reconnect to pick up any changes in the metadata, such as added or removed columns or changes in data type.

The connection string properties are the various options that can be used to establish a connection. This section provides a complete list of the options you can configure in the connection string for this provider. Click the links for further details.

For more information on establishing a connection, see Establishing a Connection.

Database

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Property	Description
DataSource	The path to the folder containing the .dbf files.
IncludeFiles	Comma-separated list of file extensions to include into the set of table-content files.
CodePage	The code page to use for decoding character fields.

Logging

---

Property	Description
LogModules	Specifies the core modules to include in the log file. Use a semicolon-separated list of module names. By default, all modules are logged.

Schema

---

Property	Description
Location	Specifies the location of a directory containing schema files that define tables, views, and stored procedures. Depending on your service's requirements, this may be expressed as either an absolute path or a relative path.
BrowsableSchemas	Optional setting that restricts the schemas reported to a subset of all available schemas. For example, BrowsableSchemas=SchemaA,SchemaB,SchemaC .
Tables	Optional setting that restricts the tables reported to a subset of all available tables. For example, Tables=TableA,TableB,TableC .
Views	Optional setting that restricts the views reported to a subset of the available tables. For example, Views=ViewA,ViewB,ViewC .

Miscellaneous

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Property	Description
EmptyStringIsNull	Tells provider to expose empty strings as null values.
ExcludeFileExtensions	Set to true if file extensions should be excluded from table names.
MaxRows	Specifies the maximum rows returned for queries without aggregation or GROUP BY.
Other	Specifies additional hidden properties for specific use cases. These are not required for typical provider functionality. Use a semicolon-separated list to define multiple properties.
PseudoColumns	Specifies the pseudocolumns to expose as table columns. Use the format 'TableName=ColumnName;TableName=ColumnName'. The default is an empty string, which disables this property.
SetExactOn	Mimics beahviour of SET EXACT ON mode in Microsoft OLE DB provider.
UserDefinedViews	Specifies a filepath to a JSON configuration file defining custom views. The provider automatically detects and uses the views specified in this file.

This section provides a complete list of the Database properties you can configure in the connection string for this provider.

---

Property	Description
DataSource	The path to the folder containing the .dbf files.
IncludeFiles	Comma-separated list of file extensions to include into the set of table-content files.
CodePage	The code page to use for decoding character fields.

The path to the folder containing the .dbf files.

Remarks

The path to the folder containing the .dbf files or files specified in IncludeFiles. If you leave this property blank the property is assigned with a reference to the current directory, "./". The explicit path depends on the environment of the running application.

Comma-separated list of file extensions to include into the set of table-content files.

Remarks

Comma-separated list of file extensions to include into the set of table-content files. Do not list memo-file extensions here. The default is DBF.

The code page to use for decoding character fields.

Remarks

The code page to use for decoding character fields. Default value is UTF8.

This section provides a complete list of the Logging properties you can configure in the connection string for this provider.

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Property	Description
LogModules	Specifies the core modules to include in the log file. Use a semicolon-separated list of module names. By default, all modules are logged.

Specifies the core modules to include in the log file. Use a semicolon-separated list of module names. By default, all modules are logged.

Remarks

This property lets you customize the log file content by specifying the logging modules to include. Logging modules categorize logged information into distinct areas, such as query execution, metadata, or SSL communication. Each module is represented by a four-character code, with some requiring a trailing space for three-letter names.

For example, EXEC logs query execution, and INFO logs general provider messages. To include multiple modules, separate their names with semicolons as follows: INFO;EXEC;SSL.

The Verbosity connection property takes precedence over the module-based filtering specified by this property. Only log entries that meet the verbosity level and belong to the specified modules are logged. Leave this property blank to include all available modules in the log file.

For a complete list of available modules and detailed guidance on configuring logging, refer to the Advanced Logging section in Logging.

This section provides a complete list of the Schema properties you can configure in the connection string for this provider.

---

Property	Description
Location	Specifies the location of a directory containing schema files that define tables, views, and stored procedures. Depending on your service's requirements, this may be expressed as either an absolute path or a relative path.
BrowsableSchemas	Optional setting that restricts the schemas reported to a subset of all available schemas. For example, BrowsableSchemas=SchemaA,SchemaB,SchemaC .
Tables	Optional setting that restricts the tables reported to a subset of all available tables. For example, Tables=TableA,TableB,TableC .
Views	Optional setting that restricts the views reported to a subset of the available tables. For example, Views=ViewA,ViewB,ViewC .

Specifies the location of a directory containing schema files that define tables, views, and stored procedures. Depending on your service's requirements, this may be expressed as either an absolute path or a relative path.

Remarks

The Location property is only needed if you want to either customize definitions (for example, change a column name, ignore a column, etc.) or extend the data model with new tables, views, or stored procedures.

If left unspecified, the default location is %APPDATA%\\CData\\xBase Data Provider\\Schema, where %APPDATA% is set to the user's configuration directory:

Platform	%APPDATA%
Windows	The value of the APPDATA environment variable
Linux	~/.config

Optional setting that restricts the schemas reported to a subset of all available schemas. For example, BrowsableSchemas=SchemaA,SchemaB,SchemaC .

Remarks

Listing all available database schemas can take extra time, thus degrading performance. Providing a list of schemas in the connection string saves time and improves performance.

Optional setting that restricts the tables reported to a subset of all available tables. For example, Tables=TableA,TableB,TableC .

Remarks

Listing all available tables from some databases can take extra time, thus degrading performance. Providing a list of tables in the connection string saves time and improves performance.

If there are lots of tables available and you already know which ones you want to work with, you can use this property to restrict your viewing to only those tables. To do this, specify the tables you want in a comma-separated list. Each table should be a valid SQL identifier with any special characters escaped using square brackets, double-quotes or backticks. For example, Tables=TableA,[TableB/WithSlash],WithCatalog.WithSchema.`TableC With Space`.

Note: If you are connecting to a data source with multiple schemas or catalogs, you must specify each table you want to view by its fully qualified name. This avoids ambiguity between tables that may exist in multiple catalogs or schemas.

Optional setting that restricts the views reported to a subset of the available tables. For example, Views=ViewA,ViewB,ViewC .

Remarks

Listing all available views from some databases can take extra time, thus degrading performance. Providing a list of views in the connection string saves time and improves performance.

If there are lots of views available and you already know which ones you want to work with, you can use this property to restrict your viewing to only those views. To do this, specify the views you want in a comma-separated list. Each view should be a valid SQL identifier with any special characters escaped using square brackets, double-quotes or backticks. For example, Views=ViewA,[ViewB/WithSlash],WithCatalog.WithSchema.`ViewC With Space`.

Note: If you are connecting to a data source with multiple schemas or catalogs, you must specify each view you want to examine by its fully qualified name. This avoids ambiguity between views that may exist in multiple catalogs or schemas.

This section provides a complete list of the Miscellaneous properties you can configure in the connection string for this provider.

---

Property	Description
EmptyStringIsNull	Tells provider to expose empty strings as null values.
ExcludeFileExtensions	Set to true if file extensions should be excluded from table names.
MaxRows	Specifies the maximum rows returned for queries without aggregation or GROUP BY.
Other	Specifies additional hidden properties for specific use cases. These are not required for typical provider functionality. Use a semicolon-separated list to define multiple properties.
PseudoColumns	Specifies the pseudocolumns to expose as table columns. Use the format 'TableName=ColumnName;TableName=ColumnName'. The default is an empty string, which disables this property.
SetExactOn	Mimics beahviour of SET EXACT ON mode in Microsoft OLE DB provider.
UserDefinedViews	Specifies a filepath to a JSON configuration file defining custom views. The provider automatically detects and uses the views specified in this file.

Tells provider to expose empty strings as null values.

Remarks

Tells provider to expose empty strings as null values. Default value is False.

Set to true if file extensions should be excluded from table names.

Remarks

Set to true if file extensions should be excluded from table names. For example, if set to True, this will make table `users.dbf` appear as `users`.

Specifies the maximum rows returned for queries without aggregation or GROUP BY.

Remarks

This property sets an upper limit on the number of rows the Sync App returns for queries that do not include aggregation or GROUP BY clauses. This limit ensures that queries do not return excessively large result sets by default.

When a query includes a LIMIT clause, the value specified in the query takes precedence over the MaxRows setting. If MaxRows is set to "-1", no row limit is enforced unless a LIMIT clause is explicitly included in the query.

This property is useful for optimizing performance and preventing excessive resource consumption when executing queries that could otherwise return very large datasets.

Specifies additional hidden properties for specific use cases. These are not required for typical provider functionality. Use a semicolon-separated list to define multiple properties.

Remarks

This property allows advanced users to configure hidden properties for specialized scenarios. These settings are not required for normal use cases but can address unique requirements or provide additional functionality. Multiple properties can be defined in a semicolon-separated list.

Note: It is strongly recommended to set these properties only when advised by the support team to address specific scenarios or issues.

Specify multiple properties in a semicolon-separated list.

Integration and Formatting

DefaultColumnSize	Sets the default length of string fields when the data source does not provide column length in the metadata. The default value is 2000.
ConvertDateTimeToGMT	Determines whether to convert date-time values to GMT, instead of the local time of the machine.
RecordToFile=filename	Records the underlying socket data transfer to the specified file.

Specifies the pseudocolumns to expose as table columns. Use the format 'TableName=ColumnName;TableName=ColumnName'. The default is an empty string, which disables this property.

Remarks

This property allows you to define which pseudocolumns the Sync App exposes as table columns.

To specify individual pseudocolumns, use the following format: "Table1=Column1;Table1=Column2;Table2=Column3"

To include all pseudocolumns for all tables use: "*=*"

Mimics beahviour of SET EXACT ON mode in Microsoft OLE DB provider.

Remarks

Specifies a filepath to a JSON configuration file defining custom views. The provider automatically detects and uses the views specified in this file.

Remarks

This property allows you to define and manage custom views through a JSON-formatted configuration file called UserDefinedViews.json. These views are automatically recognized by the Sync App and enable you to execute custom SQL queries as if they were standard database views. The JSON file defines each view as a root element with a child element called "query", which contains the SQL query for the view. For example:

{
	"MyView": {
		"query": "SELECT * FROM Orders WHERE MyColumn = 'value'"
	},
	"MyView2": {
		"query": "SELECT * FROM MyTable WHERE Id IN (1,2,3)"
	}
}

You can define multiple views in a single file and specify the filepath using this property. For example: UserDefinedViews=C:\Path\To\UserDefinedViews.json. When you use this property, only the specified views are seen by the Sync App.

Refer to User Defined Views for more information.