DBF Viewer
View dBASE database files and shapefile attribute tables with field information
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DBF (dBASE) is a database file format originally used by dBASE, one of the first database management systems for personal computers. Today, DBF files are most commonly encountered as part of ESRI Shapefiles, storing attribute data for geographic features.
DBF files are used for:
- Shapefile attribute tables (GIS data)
- Legacy database applications
- Data interchange with older systems
- FoxPro and Visual FoxPro databases
- Simple tabular data storage
DBF Viewer Features
- dBASE III/IV Support Compatible with common DBF format versions
- Field Information Shows field names, types, and lengths
- Table View Displays records in easy-to-read table format
- Shapefile Ready Perfect for viewing shapefile attribute data
- 100% Private Files processed locally in your browser
DBF Viewer FAQ
What's the relationship between DBF and Shapefiles?
A Shapefile is actually a collection of files: .shp (geometry), .shx (index), and .dbf (attributes). The DBF file stores all the attribute data associated with each geographic feature in the shapefile.
Which DBF versions are supported?
Our viewer supports dBASE III and dBASE IV formats, which cover the vast majority of DBF files in use today, including those in Shapefiles.
What field types can be displayed?
We support Character (C), Numeric (N), Float (F), Logical (L), and Date (D) field types. Memo fields (M) contain references to external data and show as placeholders.
Can I view the geometry from a Shapefile?
This viewer focuses on DBF attribute data. For full Shapefile geometry viewing, you would need a GIS application. However, you can use our KML Viewer if you convert your data to KML format.
Why are some characters showing incorrectly?
DBF files can use different character encodings. Our viewer uses UTF-8 by default. If you see garbled characters, the original file may use a different encoding (like Latin-1 or a regional codepage).