CREATE FROM

    To create a new database file from an structure extended file.

Syntax

    CREATE <file1>/(<expC1>) FROM <file2>/(<expC2>)

Argument

    <file1> is the name of the new database file to create from the
    structure extended file (<file2>).  The field definitions in the new
    database file are taken from the records of <file2>.

    <file2> is the name of a structure extended file to use as the
    structure definition for the new database file.

Usage

    CREATE FORM produces a new database file with the field definitions
    taken from the contents of a structure extended file.  To qualify as a
    structure extended file, a database file must contain the following
    four fields:

    Field     Name             Type          Length    Decimals
      1       Field_name       Character       10
      2       Field_type       Character        1
      3       Field_len        Numeric          3         0
      4       Field_dec        Numeric          3         0

    Data dictionaries: For data dictionary applications, you can have
    any number of other fields within the structure extended file to
    describe the extended field attributes.  You may, for example, want to
    have fields to describe such field attributes as a description, key
    flag, label, color, picture, and a validation expression for the VALID
    clause.  When you CREATE FROM, Clipper creates the new database file
    from the required fields only.  All other fields in the extended
    structure are ignored.  Moreover, Clipper is not sensitive to the order
    of the required fields.

    Field lengths greater than 999: It is possible to create a
    character field greater than 999 characters by specifying the Field_dec
    equal to the INT() of the desired length divided by 256 and the
    Field_len equal to the remainder of the length divided by 256.