diff --git a/dbf-reader/src/main/java/org/jamel/dbf/DbfReader.java b/dbf-reader/src/main/java/org/jamel/dbf/DbfReader.java
index 468eb79..3511c6e 100644
--- a/dbf-reader/src/main/java/org/jamel/dbf/DbfReader.java
+++ b/dbf-reader/src/main/java/org/jamel/dbf/DbfReader.java
@@ -83,8 +83,37 @@ public void seekToRecord(int n) {
     }
 
     /**
-     * Reads and returns the next row in the Dbf stream
+     * for custom user, only when you understand the file content
+     * @param length
+     */
+    public void skipBytes(int length) {
+        try {
+            dataInput.skipBytes(length);
+        } catch (IOException e) {
+            throw new DbfException("Cannot skip " + length + " bytes", e);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
      *
+     * for custom user, only when you understand the file content
+     * @param length
+     * @return
+     */
+    public byte[] readBytes(int length) {
+        byte[] bytes = new byte[length];
+        try {
+            dataInput.readFully(bytes);
+            return bytes;
+        } catch (IOException e) {
+            throw new DbfException("Cannot read " + length + " bytes", e);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Reads and returns the next row in the Dbf stream<br/>
+     * a deleted row start with "*" <br/>
+     * a normal row start with " "
      * @return The next row as an Object array.
      */
     public Object[] nextRecord() {
@@ -111,6 +140,31 @@ public Object[] nextRecord() {
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Reads and returns the next row in the Dbf stream<br/>
+     * a deleted row start with "*" <br/>
+     * a normal row start with " " <br/>
+     * so we just ignore the first byte
+     * @return The next row as an Object array.
+     */
+    public Object[] nextRecordIgnoreDelete() {
+        try {
+            int nextByte = dataInput.readByte();
+            if (nextByte == DATA_ENDED) {
+                return null;
+            }
+            Object recordObjects[] = new Object[header.getFieldsCount()];
+            for (int i = 0; i < header.getFieldsCount(); i++) {
+                recordObjects[i] = readFieldValue(header.getField(i));
+            }
+            return recordObjects;
+        } catch (EOFException e) {
+            return null; // we currently end reading file
+        } catch (IOException e) {
+            throw new DbfException("Cannot read next record form Dbf file", e);
+        }
+    }
+
     private Object readFieldValue(DbfField field) throws IOException {
         byte buf[] = new byte[field.getFieldLength()];
         dataInput.readFully(buf);
@@ -154,7 +208,7 @@ protected Boolean readLogicalValue(DbfField field, byte[] buf) throws IOExceptio
     protected Number readNumericValue(DbfField field, byte[] buf) throws IOException {
         try {
             byte[] numericBuf = DbfUtils.trimLeftSpaces(buf);
-            boolean processable = numericBuf.length > 0 && !DbfUtils.contains(numericBuf, (byte) '?');
+            boolean processable = numericBuf.length > 0 && !DbfUtils.contains(numericBuf, (byte) '?') && !DbfUtils.contains(numericBuf, (byte) '-');
             return processable ? Double.valueOf(new String(numericBuf)) : null;
         } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
             throw new DbfException("Failed to parse Number from " + field.getName(), e);