Skip to main content

Apart from using a SystemCaller with a Template Zero row DBase File to File Copy/Paste, I can't see any immediate way of doing this easily in FME?

 

The dBase Writer doesn't have a Truncate or Delete option, so the only messy way I can think of is to instead write a SHP file with illegal geometry (this Writer Hack will then create the SHP and dBase files but pass over the Features with geometry not of a type matching the SHP schema and hence output a "Zero Feature" SHP file), and then deleting all the output files except for the dBase.

 

Any better solutions?

Hi @bwn​ 

I tested passing point geometries to a polygon Shapefile using the Shapefile writer in FME 2020. It appears the writer will not create output files in this scenario.

The only other way that I can think of is write one record dBASE file, read the file back using the Data File reader, manipulate the data with using the information on dBase structure here, and write with the Data File format. See attached workspace for example.

Unfortunately, it is needlessly complicated and hacky when you can simply copy a template zero row dBASE file if you have one.


Reply