Edit a DBF file online
A DBF is a small, strict format, and the usual way to change a value in it is to start dBase, FoxPro or a script. If you need to correct a field, delete a few records or add a row, you can do it in a table window: nothing is written until you press Save.
Free to use. Nothing to install. The file is processed in your browser and never uploaded. Windows version — 4.6 MB, no installation: details. Pro — $29 once: price.
How editing works
- Open the
.dbf(and drop its memo file in with it, if it has one). - Change cells, add rows, or delete records. Every change is held aside as an unsaved edit: you can see it and undo it.
- Press Save. Only then is the file on disk changed.
Fields you did not touch are copied from the original file byte for byte, so the rest of the table stays exactly as it was.
Bulk changes
- Fill a column with a value or a formula — see calculated columns and “Write values to a column”.
- Delete duplicates: mark the extra copies as deleted and keep the earliest — see duplicates.
- Replace IDs with numbers or GUIDs everywhere, deleted records included — see anonymize.
What to know before saving
- Deleted is a flag. Deleting a record in a DBF marks it; the bytes stay in the file until the table is packed. Other programs may still see it, which is why row counts differ between tools.
- Field limits. A value must fit the field: a text field has a fixed length, a numeric field a fixed width and number of decimals. Changing the structure of the table is a different operation from editing values.
- Indexes are not rebuilt. A
.cdxindex is not updated when you save; rebuild it in your own system (about .cdx). - Close the program that uses the file. If an accounting or point-of-sale program has the table open right now, edit a copy: two programs writing to one file know nothing about each other.
- Keep a backup. Save a copy of the original before the first write. This applies to any editing of a production file.
FAQ
Is the file uploaded anywhere?
No. Editing and saving happen in your browser tab or in the Windows app.
Will memo text survive?
Yes, when the memo file (.fpt or .dbt) is opened together with the table, it is read and written back with it.
Can I change a field’s type or length?
That changes the structure of the table, not just values. See DBF file structure for what a field definition contains.
Can I save to a different format instead?
Yes: “Export” writes Excel, CSV, JSON and other formats from the same table.
Free to use. Your file is not uploaded to a server. Windows version — 4.6 MB, no installation: details. Pro — $29 once: price.