DBF with a .cdx index: record order by tag
FoxPro and Visual FoxPro tables almost always sit next to an index: a file with the same name and a .cdx extension. In FoxPro itself records are shown in the order of the chosen tag — by date, by code, by surname. A plain viewer loses that order, and re-sorting “as in the program” is hard because the key is built from an expression. Here the index is read directly.
How to open it
- Select both files in the file manager — say
tariff.dbfandtariff.cdx— and drop them on the window. - The app says the index is attached and how many tags it has.
- “Sorting” → “Index order…”, choose a tag and click “Apply”.
The table is shown in the tag’s order at once. Filters and search work on top of it. Sorting by a column or “Clear sorting” brings back the ordinary order.
What the window shows
- The tag name and the key expression as stored in the index:
kodkoef+DTOC(date,1)— by code, then by date. - Flags: FOR (not every record is in the index), unique, descending, and the record count.
- In reverse order flips the tag’s order.
Good to know
- The index is read-only. We do not change or rebuild it. If the table was edited after the index was built, the order may differ from what FoxPro would show: rebuild the index where it was created.
- Records missing from the index (a FOR condition, or added later) are shown at the end, and the app tells you how many.
- Compound .cdx indexes are read. .ntx, .mdx and .idx files are not supported yet — the app warns you.
- Index order writes nothing to the file: it is a way to look, not to change.
FAQ
Does the file go to a server?
No. The table and the index are decoded in your browser tab.
Do I need FoxPro?
No. The index is read directly, without FoxPro or drivers.
Why is the order different from the program’s?
Most often the table was edited after the index was built, or the index belongs to another version of the file. Rebuild the index in the original program. If the order still differs, let us know: that is a bug we will fix.
What about .ntx and .mdx indexes?
Not read yet: those are Clipper and dBase indexes. The table opens, but their order cannot be shown.
Free to use. Your file is not uploaded to a server. Windows version — 4.0 MB, no installation: details. Pro — $29 once: price.