What is the easiest way to export a filemaker database to access? I need a method that will limit data loss to zero, and will be easy for a large database.

The most important thing is to pick an export file format that doesn't truncate text data. DIF and DBF both limit text data to 256 characters per field (or is it 255?). I'd use a tab delimited text format. The only problem this leaves is matching fields. To assist in matching fields you can create a special records in which the field Name contains data "Name", etc.

-bd

Adding to Live Oak's reply, I have found that exporting as a Merge file has an advantage when field mapping can be a problem, because the file is also tab delimited, and the first record is a header that gives the field names.

Have you tried setting up the filemaker file as an ODBC source? This is the easiest way if you can do it. Access will then automatically link or import a table. ( I do it all the time)

Your field names might be too long or otherwise incompatible with ODBC. It is worth making a copy of your file and renaming some fields. Then again, you might have repeating fields( bummer dude....) in which case you're stuck.

Could you give some more detail about your file structure?

I read your response to a question about exporting from FMP to Access. What I don't understand is why Access and FMP don't talk to each other better. I have tried to export from FMP using several methods: tab, comma, merge and dbf but none work correctly. With all the work Apple has done to make its Appleworks program work with MS Excel you would think that they would have a export function that could write the FMP database directly to the native format of Access. Does anyone make a plugin for FMP that will do this exporting easily?

I tried saving my FMP database as a merge file and then exporting it into Access but Access could not read it. How do I get Access a merge file? Also, do you know how to set up a FMP database file as a OBDC file as someone else suggested?

What is the easiest way to use your suggestion about creating a new file that has the field names as field data in the first record? The only way I can think of is by replacing what is in my first record with the field names and then retyping the old data from record 1 into a new record. Is there any other way that will guarantee that Access will read the proper field names from a record? I thought it absolutely had to be the first record.

Thanks

I tried the suggestion to put field names into the actual fields in a special record but I quickly found that I had fields for dates and other numbers where I could not type in such field names. So now I am stuck. Any suggestions?

When I export to the WK1 (lotus) format, the file can be opened and saved by Access.