What is the FIC file format?
A .fic file is a proprietary binary database table file used by HFSQL (formerly HyperFileSQL), the native database engine of the WinDev development environment built by French software company PC SOFT.
Each .fic file stores one logical data table - field definitions, index definitions, and all data records - in PC SOFT's binary format. Two companion files must be present alongside it: a .ndx index file and a .mmo memo file for large text or binary (BLOB) fields. All three are required for the database to function; together they are analogous to a single-table structure in a dBASE .dbf database family.
HFSQL operates in two modes. Classic mode is file-based and suitable for local or LAN use. Client/Server mode uses a TCP/IP server architecture comparable to MySQL or PostgreSQL. Both modes use .fic files, though their internal binary formats differ.
Record-level compression and field-level AES encryption are optional HFSQL features. WinDev applications are written in WLanguage, PC SOFT's proprietary language; HFSQL is embedded in the WinDev runtime at no additional cost.
.fic files are version-specific to the HFSQL engine. Newer WinDev versions can migrate older files, but forward compatibility is not guaranteed. No third-party database drivers or converters exist for .fic files outside the WinDev ecosystem.
WinDev has a large user base in France, Belgium, French Canada, and North Africa.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWFIC files are passive binary data files - they cannot execute code. Risk is limited to data confidentiality: .fic files may contain sensitive personal or business data (without HFSQL encryption these are readable if the format were understood, but no public tools can read them). HFSQL encryption (AES) is available in WinDev if applied by the application developer. Ensure .fic files from production systems are secured with appropriate OS-level access controls.
Format details
in a nutshell- Claris FileMaker (historical) - Older versions of FileMaker Pro (pre-FileMaker 3) used .fic as a database file extension on Mac OS Classic.
- FICTION text file - Some older desktop publishing and hypertext systems used .fic for plain-text fiction/story files - unrelated to databases.
Programs that open FIC files
Windows2 apps
WinDev IDE
Paid Open the WinDev project; access the database via the data model editor or HFExplorer. Requires the same HFSQL version that created the .fic files.
WinDev (application using the FIC)
Paid The WinDev application that owns the database is the primary interface for end users - no separate viewer needed. Technical details
deep spec| HFSQL engine | Embedded in WinDev runtime; available in Classic (file-based/LAN) and Client/Server (TCP/IP) modes |
| Encoding | Binary, little-endian (Windows-native) |
| Table model | One .fic file = one logical data table (field definitions, index definitions, all records) |
| Companion files | .ndx (index file) and .mmo (memo/BLOB file) - all three must be present for the database to operate |
| Mode difference | HFSQL Classic and Client/Server both use .fic files but produce different internal binary formats |
| Optional encryption | AES encryption at field or file level via WLanguage EncryptAES/EncryptStandard functions |
| Optional compression | Record-level compression supported by HFSQL engine; disabled by default |
| Version binding | FIC files are version-specific; newer WinDev can migrate older files; forward compatibility not guaranteed |
| Integrity | Internal CRC managed by HFSQL engine (implementation details undocumented) |
| Third-party support | None - no external ODBC/JDBC drivers, converters, or tools outside the WinDev ecosystem |
| Typical size | Few KB (empty table) to several GB (production data) |
| Development language | Used exclusively by WLanguage (WinDev's proprietary programming language) |
| Released | ~1990s (WinDev / HyperFile first released with PC SOFT's WinDev 1.x; HyperFileSQL name adopted ~WinDev 10, ~2005) |
| Latest version | WinDev 2025 / HFSQL 2025 (PC SOFT release cycle: one major version per year) |
| Specification | help.windev.com |
FIC conversions
Community Q&A
asked by usersNo questions yet - be the first to ask about FIC files.
