I am afraid my db file gets problem

[Helen Ma]

Hi,
I am doing experiment on reading the db-2x2.db. I found out that the actual record starts at location 72 with length 182 as specified by the instruction: name + location+ specialty... = (32+64+64+6+8+8)
Here is what I see:

record 1 (from location 72-254)
output:
name : Dogs with Tools (by reading the first 32 bytes in the record)
location: Smallvile (by reading the next 64 bytes in the record and so on...)
specialty: Roofing
size: 7
rate: $35
owner:

record 2 (from location 254-436)
output:
name: Hamner&Tong
location: Smallvile
specialty : Drywall, Roofing
size: 10
rate: $85
owner:

record 3 (from location 436-618)
output:
name: Phil Remodeling
location: Whovile
Specialty: Roofing
size : 3
rate: $75
onwer: 00

record 4(from location 618-800)
output:
name : Fred & Nobbs (read 32 bytes)
location: Whoville (read next 64 bytes)
specialty: plumbing, heating (read next 64 bytes)
size: (read next 6 bytes, but don't get any character)
rate: 7 $1 (read next 8 bytes, the size 7 end up within this 8 bytes)
owner: 00.00


I am afraid that the db file has issue with putting the correct field in the correct bytes' sector. I did not change the original db file.

[Helen Ma]

I figured out the issue in the db file.
I output one of the record:
name: Bitter Homes & Garde
location: ns Metropolis
size:
rate: 6 $65.00

In the file, there are too many space that cause the issue. For example, here is :

                           Bitter Homes & Gardens  Metropolis      
 //from the space to the last e=32 bytes ;//from n to the last space= 64 bytes.

This is why it prints the first 32 bytes of characters from Bitter Homes & Garde
and then it prints ns Metropolis for the next 64 bytes.

I am not supposed to change db file provided and I am using Monkhouse's approach to read the records base on the total record length. What should I do?

[Helen Ma]

I think I know why.
The first record actually starts from 70 to 254, length = 184 because each record has a 2 byte valid flag.
So, reading should be:
from 70 to 254
from 254 to 438
from 438 to 622
from 622 to 806
from 806 to 990
and etc.

[Roel De Nijs]

Helen Ma wrote:I think I know why.
The first record actually starts from 70 to 254, length = 184 because each record has a 2 byte valid flag.

Exactly, that's the problem