Task 012: .ACCFT File Format

Understanding the .ACCFT File Format

The .ACCFT file format is a Microsoft Access Data Type Template file, introduced with Microsoft Access 2007 and supported in later versions, such as Access 2010 and beyond. It is used to store templates for data types, which define a preconfigured set of fields for database tables. These templates facilitate the reuse of field definitions across multiple tables in a Microsoft Access database, enhancing efficiency in database design. The .ACCFT file contains definitions for field properties, such as field names, data types, and validation rules, but the internal file format specifications are not publicly documented in detail by Microsoft.

Based on available information, .ACCFT files are binary files, and their internal structure (e.g., header information, file structure, footers) is proprietary and not publicly disclosed. They are categorized as database files and may include structured data, metadata, or compressed content. They are typically stored in the user's roaming application data templates folder (e.g., C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates\Access\).

Since the exact internal structure is not publicly available, I will approach this task by:

1. Defining Properties: Listing intrinsic properties based on the role of .ACCFT files in the file system and their general characteristics as database template files.
2. Implementing Classes: Creating classes in Python, Java, JavaScript, and C that interact with .ACCFT files by opening them in a basic manner, acknowledging the lack of detailed specifications. The classes will focus on file handling (reading/writing binary data) and printing assumed properties, with a fallback to treat the file as a binary blob due to the proprietary format.
3. Limitations: Noting that without specific format details, the decoding will be limited to basic file operations and assumptions about properties.

1. Properties of the .ACCFT File Format Intrinsic to Its File System

Given the lack of detailed public specifications, the intrinsic properties of .ACCFT files in the context of the file system and their role as Microsoft Access Data Type Template files are:

• File Extension: .accft - Identifies the file as a Microsoft Access Data Type Template.
• MIME Type: application/msaccess - Indicates the file’s association with Microsoft Access.
• File Type: Binary - The file is stored in a binary format, not plain text or a standard like XML.
• Category: Database File - Classified as a database file used for storing data type templates.
• Default Storage Location: Typically stored in the user’s roaming application data folder (e.g., C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates\Access\).
• File Content: Contains definitions for field data types, including field names, data types (e.g., Short Text, Number, Date/Time), and validation rules, used to create database tables.
• Associated Software: Microsoft Access (2007 or later, with data type template support from Access 2010).
• File Size: Variable, typically small as it stores template metadata rather than large datasets.
• Creation/Modification Dates: Standard file system metadata indicating when the file was created or last modified.
• File Permissions: Standard file system permissions (e.g., read, write, execute) based on the operating system’s file system.
• Compression: May include compressed content, though not explicitly confirmed in the absence of format details.
• Portability: Can be shared and reused across different Microsoft Access installations to apply consistent field definitions.

Note: Without public documentation on the internal structure (e.g., headers, data encoding), properties like specific field definitions or internal metadata formats cannot be precisely enumerated. The classes below will handle the file as a binary file and print these known properties.

2. Python Class for .ACCFT File Handling

import os
import mimetypes
from datetime import datetime

class AccftFileHandler:
    def __init__(self, filepath):
        self.filepath = filepath
        self.properties = {}

    def read_properties(self):
        """Read and store file system properties of the .ACCFT file."""
        try:
            # Check if file exists and has .accft extension
            if not self.filepath.lower().endswith('.accft'):
                raise ValueError("File must have .accft extension")

            # File system properties
            self.properties['File Extension'] = '.accft'
            self.properties['MIME Type'] = 'application/msaccess'
            self.properties['File Type'] = 'Binary'
            self.properties['Category'] = 'Database File'
            self.properties['Default Storage Location'] = r'C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates\Access\\'
            self.properties['Associated Software'] = 'Microsoft Access (2007 or later)'
            self.properties['File Content'] = 'Field data type definitions (e.g., field names, data types, validation rules)'
            
            # File system metadata
            if os.path.exists(self.filepath):
                self.properties['File Size (bytes)'] = os.path.getsize(self.filepath)
                self.properties['Creation Date'] = datetime.fromtimestamp(os.path.getctime(self.filepath)).strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S')
                self.properties['Modification Date'] = datetime.fromtimestamp(os.path.getmtime(self.filepath)).strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S')
                self.properties['File Permissions'] = oct(os.stat(self.filepath).st_mode)[-3:]
            else:
                raise FileNotFoundError(f"File {self.filepath} does not exist")

            # Note: Internal structure is proprietary; cannot decode specific field definitions
            self.properties['Compression'] = 'Possibly compressed (undocumented)'
            self.properties['Portability'] = 'Reusable across Microsoft Access installations'

        except Exception as e:
            print(f"Error reading properties: {e}")

    def print_properties(self):
        """Print all properties to console."""
        print("ACCFT File Properties:")
        for key, value in self.properties.items():
            print(f"{key}: {value}")

    def read_file(self):
        """Read the .ACCFT file as binary (due to proprietary format)."""
        try:
            with open(self.filepath, 'rb') as file:
                data = file.read()
                print(f"Read {len(data)} bytes from {self.filepath}")
                # Cannot decode further due to undocumented format
                return data
        except Exception as e:
            print(f"Error reading file: {e}")
            return None

    def write_file(self, data=None):
        """Write to the .ACCFT file (placeholder for binary write)."""
        try:
            if data is None:
                data = b''  # Placeholder: No specific data to write due to proprietary format
            with open(self.filepath, 'wb') as file:
                file.write(data)
                print(f"Wrote {len(data)} bytes to {self.filepath}")
        except Exception as e:
            print(f"Error writing file: {e}")

# Example usage
if __name__ == "__main__":
    try:
        handler = AccftFileHandler("example.accft")
        handler.read_properties()
        handler.print_properties()
        handler.read_file()
        handler.write_file()  # Placeholder write
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"Error: {e}")

Explanation:

• The class reads file system metadata (size, dates, permissions) using os and stores known .ACCFT properties.
• Reading and writing are limited to binary operations due to the proprietary format.
• Properties are printed to the console as a dictionary.
• Error handling ensures robustness for file operations.

3. Java Class for .ACCFT File Handling

import java.io.*;
import java.nio.file.*;
import java.nio.file.attribute.*;
import java.util.*;

public class AccftFileHandler {
    private String filepath;
    private Map<String, String> properties;

    public AccftFileHandler(String filepath) {
        this.filepath = filepath;
        this.properties = new HashMap<>();
    }

    public void readProperties() {
        try {
            // Validate file extension
            if (!filepath.toLowerCase().endsWith(".accft")) {
                throw new IllegalArgumentException("File must have .accft extension");
            }

            // File system properties
            properties.put("File Extension", ".accft");
            properties.put("MIME Type", "application/msaccess");
            properties.put("File Type", "Binary");
            properties.put("Category", "Database File");
            properties.put("Default Storage Location", "C:\\Users\\<username>\\AppData\\Roaming\\Microsoft\\Templates\\Access\\");
            properties.put("Associated Software", "Microsoft Access (2007 or later)");
            properties.put("File Content", "Field data type definitions (e.g., field names, data types, validation rules)");

            // File system metadata
            File file = new File(filepath);
            if (file.exists()) {
                properties.put("File Size (bytes)", String.valueOf(file.length()));
                properties.put("Creation Date", Files.readAttributes(Path.of(filepath), BasicFileAttributes.class)
                        .creationTime().toString());
                properties.put("Modification Date", Files.readAttributes(Path.of(filepath), BasicFileAttributes.class)
                        .lastModifiedTime().toString());
                properties.put("File Permissions", Files.getPosixFilePermissions(Path.of(filepath)).toString());
            } else {
                throw new FileNotFoundException("File " + filepath + " does not exist");
            }

            // Note: Internal structure is proprietary
            properties.put("Compression", "Possibly compressed (undocumented)");
            properties.put("Portability", "Reusable across Microsoft Access installations");

        } catch (Exception e) {
            System.out.println("Error reading properties: " + e.getMessage());
        }
    }

    public void printProperties() {
        System.out.println("ACCFT File Properties:");
        for (Map.Entry<String, String> entry : properties.entrySet()) {
            System.out.println(entry.getKey() + ": " + entry.getValue());
        }
    }

    public byte[] readFile() {
        try (FileInputStream fis = new FileInputStream(filepath)) {
            byte[] data = fis.readAllBytes();
            System.out.println("Read " + data.length + " bytes from " + filepath);
            // Cannot decode further due to undocumented format
            return data;
        } catch (Exception e) {
            System.out.println("Error reading file: " + e.getMessage());
            return null;
        }
    }

    public void writeFile(byte[] data) {
        if (data == null) {
            data = new byte[0]; // Placeholder
        }
        try (FileOutputStream fos = new FileOutputStream(filepath)) {
            fos.write(data);
            System.out.println("Wrote " + data.length + " bytes to " + filepath);
        } catch (Exception e) {
            System.out.println("Error writing file: " + e.getMessage());
        }
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        try {
            AccftFileHandler handler = new AccftFileHandler("example.accft");
            handler.readProperties();
            handler.printProperties();
            handler.readFile();
            handler.writeFile(null); // Placeholder write
        } catch (Exception e) {
            System.out.println("Error: " + e.getMessage());
        }
    }
}

Explanation:

• Uses Java’s java.nio.file for file system metadata and FileInputStream/FileOutputStream for binary I/O.
• Stores properties in a HashMap and prints them.
• Handles the file as binary due to the proprietary format.
• Includes error handling for file operations.

4. JavaScript Class for .ACCFT File Handling

const fs = require('fs').promises;
const path = require('path');

class AccftFileHandler {
    constructor(filepath) {
        this.filepath = filepath;
        this.properties = {};
    }

    async readProperties() {
        try {
            // Validate file extension
            if (!this.filepath.toLowerCase().endsWith('.accft')) {
                throw new Error('File must have .accft extension');
            }

            // File system properties
            this.properties['File Extension'] = '.accft';
            this.properties['MIME Type'] = 'application/msaccess';
            this.properties['File Type'] = 'Binary';
            this.properties['Category'] = 'Database File';
            this.properties['Default Storage Location'] = 'C:\\Users\\<username>\\AppData\\Roaming\\Microsoft\\Templates\\Access\\';
            this.properties['Associated Software'] = 'Microsoft Access (2007 or later)';
            this.properties['File Content'] = 'Field data type definitions (e.g., field names, data types, validation rules)';

            // File system metadata
            const stats = await fs.stat(this.filepath);
            this.properties['File Size (bytes)'] = stats.size;
            this.properties['Creation Date'] = stats.birthtime.toISOString();
            this.properties['Modification Date'] = stats.mtime.toISOString();
            this.properties['File Permissions'] = (stats.mode & 0o777).toString(8); // Octal permissions

            // Note: Internal structure is proprietary
            this.properties['Compression'] = 'Possibly compressed (undocumented)';
            this.properties['Portability'] = 'Reusable across Microsoft Access installations';

        } catch (error) {
            console.error(`Error reading properties: ${error.message}`);
        }
    }

    printProperties() {
        console.log('ACCFT File Properties:');
        for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(this.properties)) {
            console.log(`${key}: ${value}`);
        }
    }

    async readFile() {
        try {
            const data = await fs.readFile(this.filepath);
            console.log(`Read ${data.length} bytes from ${this.filepath}`);
            // Cannot decode further due to undocumented format
            return data;
        } catch (error) {
            console.error(`Error reading file: ${error.message}`);
            return null;
        }
    }

    async writeFile(data = Buffer.alloc(0)) {
        try {
            await fs.writeFile(this.filepath, data);
            console.log(`Wrote ${data.length} bytes to ${this.filepath}`);
        } catch (error) {
            console.error(`Error writing file: ${error.message}`);
        }
    }
}

// Example usage
(async () => {
    try {
        const handler = new AccftFileHandler('example.accft');
        await handler.readProperties();
        handler.printProperties();
        await handler.readFile();
        await handler.writeFile(); // Placeholder write
    } catch (error) {
        console.error(`Error: ${error.message}`);
    }
})();

Explanation:

• Uses Node.js fs.promises for asynchronous file operations.
• Stores properties in an object and prints them.
• Reads/writes the file as a binary buffer due to the proprietary format.
• Handles errors and uses async/await for clean code.

5. C Class for .ACCFT File Handling

Since C does not have classes, I’ll implement a struct with functions to mimic class behavior.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <sys/stat.h>
#include <time.h>

#define MAX_PATH 256
#define MAX_PROP 1024

typedef struct {
    char filepath[MAX_PATH];
    char properties[10][MAX_PROP];
    int prop_count;
} AccftFileHandler;

void init_accft_handler(AccftFileHandler* handler, const char* filepath) {
    strncpy(handler->filepath, filepath, MAX_PATH - 1);
    handler->filepath[MAX_PATH - 1] = '\0';
    handler->prop_count = 0;
}

int read_properties(AccftFileHandler* handler) {
    // Validate file extension
    if (strstr(handler->filepath, ".accft") == NULL && strstr(handler->filepath, ".ACCFT") == NULL) {
        printf("Error: File must have .accft extension\n");
        return 1;
    }

    // File system properties
    snprintf(handler->properties[handler->prop_count++], MAX_PROP, "File Extension: .accft");
    snprintf(handler->properties[handler->prop_count++], MAX_PROP, "MIME Type: application/msaccess");
    snprintf(handler->properties[handler->prop_count++], MAX_PROP, "File Type: Binary");
    snprintf(handler->properties[handler->prop_count++], MAX_PROP, "Category: Database File");
    snprintf(handler->properties[handler->prop_count++], MAX_PROP, "Default Storage Location: C:\\Users\\<username>\\AppData\\Roaming\\Microsoft\\Templates\\Access\\");
    snprintf(handler->properties[handler->prop_count++], MAX_PROP, "Associated Software: Microsoft Access (2007 or later)");
    snprintf(handler->properties[handler->prop_count++], MAX_PROP, "File Content: Field data type definitions (e.g., field names, data types, validation rules)");

    // File system metadata
    struct stat file_stat;
    if (stat(handler->filepath, &file_stat) == 0) {
        char time_str[64];
        snprintf(handler->properties[handler->prop_count++], MAX_PROP, "File Size (bytes): %lld", (long long)file_stat.st_size);
        
        strftime(time_str, sizeof(time_str), "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S", localtime(&file_stat.st_ctime));
        snprintf(handler->properties[handler->prop_count++], MAX_PROP, "Creation Date: %s", time_str);
        
        strftime(time_str, sizeof(time_str), "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S", localtime(&file_stat.st_mtime));
        snprintf(handler->properties[handler->prop_count++], MAX_PROP, "Modification Date: %s", time_str);
        
        snprintf(handler->properties[handler->prop_count++], MAX_PROP, "File Permissions: %o", file_stat.st_mode & 0777);
    } else {
        printf("Error: File %s does not exist\n", handler->filepath);
        return 1;
    }

    // Note: Internal structure is proprietary
    snprintf(handler->properties[handler->prop_count++], MAX_PROP, "Compression: Possibly compressed (undocumented)");
    snprintf(handler->properties[handler->prop_count++], MAX_PROP, "Portability: Reusable across Microsoft Access installations");

    return 0;
}

void print_properties(AccftFileHandler* handler) {
    printf("ACCFT File Properties:\n");
    for (int i = 0; i < handler->prop_count; i++) {
        printf("%s\n", handler->properties[i]);
    }
}

int read_file(AccftFileHandler* handler) {
    FILE* file = fopen(handler->filepath, "rb");
    if (!file) {
        printf("Error reading file: %s\n", handler->filepath);
        return 1;
    }

    fseek(file, 0, SEEK_END);
    long size = ftell(file);
    fseek(file, 0, SEEK_SET);

    char* buffer = (char*)malloc(size);
    if (!buffer) {
        fclose(file);
        printf("Error allocating memory\n");
        return 1;
    }

    size_t bytes_read = fread(buffer, 1, size, file);
    printf("Read %zu bytes from %s\n", bytes_read, handler->filepath);
    // Cannot decode further due to undocumented format
    free(buffer);
    fclose(file);
    return 0;
}

int write_file(AccftFileHandler* handler, const char* data, size_t size) {
    FILE* file = fopen(handler->filepath, "wb");
    if (!file) {
        printf("Error writing file: %s\n", handler->filepath);
        return 1;
    }

    size_t bytes_written = fwrite(data, 1, size, file);
    printf("Wrote %zu bytes to %s\n", bytes_written, handler->filepath);
    fclose(file);
    return 0;
}

int main() {
    AccftFileHandler handler;
    init_accft_handler(&handler, "example.accft");

    if (read_properties(&handler) != 0) {
        return 1;
    }
    print_properties(&handler);
    if (read_file(&handler) != 0) {
        return 1;
    }
    // Placeholder write (empty data)
    char* placeholder_data = "";
    if (write_file(&handler, placeholder_data, strlen(placeholder_data)) != 0) {
        return 1;
    }

    return 0;
}

Explanation:

• Uses a struct to store the filepath and properties array.
• Functions mimic class methods for reading properties, printing, and file I/O.
• Handles the file as binary due to the proprietary format.
• Includes file system metadata using stat and basic error handling.

Notes and Limitations

• Proprietary Format: The .ACCFT file format is not publicly documented, limiting the ability to decode or encode specific field definitions. The classes treat the file as a binary blob and focus on file system properties.
• File Operations: Reading and writing are implemented as binary operations, with writing being a placeholder due to the lack of format details.
• Error Handling: Each implementation includes robust error handling for file operations and validation of the .accft extension.
• Assumptions: Properties like compression and portability are based on general descriptions from sources, as specific details are unavailable.
• Practical Use: For actual manipulation of .ACCFT files, Microsoft Access APIs or COM automation would be required, but these are platform-specific and not portable across Python, Java, JavaScript, or C without additional libraries.

If you have access to Microsoft Access or specific documentation on the .ACCFT format, I can refine the implementations to include more detailed parsing or integration with Access APIs. Let me know if you’d like to explore that or have additional requirements

The file format specifications for .ACCFT are not publicly available. It is a proprietary binary format developed by Microsoft for storing data type templates used in Microsoft Access 2007 and later versions. These templates define field data types for database tables, allowing reuse in database design. Detailed internal structures, such as header information, data layout, footers, and encoding schemes, have not been officially released by Microsoft and do not appear to have been reverse-engineered in publicly accessible sources.

1. List of all the properties of this file format intrinsic to its file system:

Given the lack of public specifications, no detailed intrinsic properties (e.g., header fields, byte order, data structures, or magic numbers specific to .ACCFT) can be listed. The only known high-level properties based on available documentation are:

• File extension: .accft
• File type: Binary
• Associated application: Microsoft Access (2007 and later)
• Purpose: Stores data type templates for database fields
• Category: Database files

1. Python class:

Without public specifications, it is not possible to write a class that decodes, reads, or writes the internal properties of .ACCFT files. The following is a basic class that can open and read/write the file as raw binary data, but it cannot decode any format-specific properties:

import os

class ACCFTFile:
    def __init__(self, filename):
        self.filename = filename
        self.data = None

    def open(self):
        if not os.path.exists(self.filename):
            raise FileNotFoundError(f"File {self.filename} not found.")
        with open(self.filename, 'rb') as f:
            self.data = f.read()

    def read_properties(self):
        if self.data is None:
            raise ValueError("File not opened.")
        # No decoding possible without specs; returns raw bytes
        return {'raw_data': self.data}

    def write_properties(self, properties):
        if 'raw_data' not in properties:
            raise ValueError("No data to write.")
        with open(self.filename, 'wb') as f:
            f.write(properties['raw_data'])

1. Java class:

Without public specifications, it is not possible to write a class that decodes, reads, or writes the internal properties of .ACCFT files. The following is a basic class that can open and read/write the file as raw binary data, but it cannot decode any format-specific properties:

import java.io.*;

public class ACCFTFile {
    private String filename;
    private byte[] data;

    public ACCFTFile(String filename) {
        this.filename = filename;
    }

    public void open() throws IOException {
        File file = new File(filename);
        if (!file.exists()) {
            throw new FileNotFoundException("File " + filename + " not found.");
        }
        try (FileInputStream fis = new FileInputStream(file)) {
            data = fis.readAllBytes();
        }
    }

    public byte[] readProperties() {
        if (data == null) {
            throw new IllegalStateException("File not opened.");
        }
        // No decoding possible without specs; returns raw bytes
        return data;
    }

    public void writeProperties(byte[] newData) throws IOException {
        try (FileOutputStream fos = new FileOutputStream(filename)) {
            fos.write(newData);
        }
    }
}

1. JavaScript class:

Without public specifications, it is not possible to write a class that decodes, reads, or writes the internal properties of .ACCFT files. The following is a basic class that can open and read/write the file as raw binary data using Node.js (requires 'fs' module), but it cannot decode any format-specific properties:

const fs = require('fs');

class ACCFTFile {
    constructor(filename) {
        this.filename = filename;
        this.data = null;
    }

    open() {
        if (!fs.existsSync(this.filename)) {
            throw new Error(`File ${this.filename} not found.`);
        }
        this.data = fs.readFileSync(this.filename);
    }

    readProperties() {
        if (this.data === null) {
            throw new Error('File not opened.');
        }
        // No decoding possible without specs; returns raw Buffer
        return this.data;
    }

    writeProperties(newData) {
        fs.writeFileSync(this.filename, newData);
    }
}

1. C class:

In C, we typically use structs and functions rather than classes, but here's an equivalent implementation using a struct. Without public specifications, it is not possible to write code that decodes, reads, or writes the internal properties of .ACCFT files. The following is basic code that can open and read/write the file as raw binary data, but it cannot decode any format-specific properties:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

typedef struct {
    char* filename;
    unsigned char* data;
    size_t size;
} ACCFTFile;

ACCFTFile* accft_create(const char* filename) {
    ACCFTFile* file = malloc(sizeof(ACCFTFile));
    file->filename = strdup(filename);
    file->data = NULL;
    file->size = 0;
    return file;
}

int accft_open(ACCFTFile* file) {
    FILE* fp = fopen(file->filename, "rb");
    if (!fp) {
        perror("File not found");
        return -1;
    }
    fseek(fp, 0, SEEK_END);
    file->size = ftell(fp);
    fseek(fp, 0, SEEK_SET);
    file->data = malloc(file->size);
    fread(file->data, 1, file->size, fp);
    fclose(fp);
    return 0;
}

unsigned char* accft_read_properties(ACCFTFile* file, size_t* size) {
    if (file->data == NULL) {
        fprintf(stderr, "File not opened.\n");
        return NULL;
    }
    // No decoding possible without specs; returns raw data
    *size = file->size;
    return file->data;
}

int accft_write_properties(ACCFTFile* file, unsigned char* new_data, size_t new_size) {
    FILE* fp = fopen(file->filename, "wb");
    if (!fp) {
        perror("Could not write file");
        return -1;
    }
    fwrite(new_data, 1, new_size, fp);
    fclose(fp);
    return 0;
}

void accft_destroy(ACCFTFile* file) {
    free(file->data);
    free(file->filename);
    free(file);
}