ffe

Extract fields from flat file

$ ffe -c [config.ffe] [data.txt]

$ ffe -c [config.ffe] -o csv [data.txt]

$ ffe -c [config.ffe] -b [data.bin]

$ ffe -c [config.ffe] -s [data.txt]

ffe [options] [files]

ffe (Flat File Extractor) parses fixed-width and delimited files according to a structure definition. It extracts fields from legacy flat files and converts them to modern formats.
Configuration files define record layouts with field names, widths, and types. The tool handles multiple record types in a single file, common in mainframe data formats.
ffe is useful for processing legacy data exports, EDI files, and other structured text formats.

FILES

Input files to process.

Configuration file defining record structure.

Output format: csv, xml, html, etc.

Binary input mode.

Show structure information.

Expression to filter records.

Display help information.

config.ffe

Structure definition file specifying record layouts, field names, widths, types, and delimiters.

Requires configuration file. Complex record structures need careful setup. Large files may be slow to process.

ffe was created for processing legacy flat file formats common in mainframe and batch processing systems. It bridges older data formats with modern text processing tools.

awk(1), cut(1), csvtool(1)