QuickBasic Cafe Forum

Hi,

    i have come across a dos based system which contains dat files at back end. there is a microsoft basic compiler residing in that system directory which means the system is built using MS basic. problem is, i am unable to determine the format of these dat files. coz i want to convert them. there is a utility (named "PEEK" which extracts the data from these files but in irruglar format.

Nadeem Mahmood

not sure what you're asking, but .dat files are just like .exe files. i think.

sorry brent, not to show you up, but .dat files are disimmilar to exe files because exe are executables and dat files can be any data the creator of them decides to store, grafix, text or a proprietary format they created.

nadeem, Peek is really for looking at memory locations rather than files, actually.

I suggest you open it in binary mode then look at what's
in it that way.

Also, there are hex editors around - some made with QB,
that are quite good. That would let you look at the file.

But as Frank said, dat files can be most anything from MSWORD, to your own concoction.

Actually I can call anything anything. That is, I could have
a text file and use .exe extension but this can cause confusion so it's rarely if ever done.