Delphi 7 and Paradox
A really simple and very basic Paradox editor
May be compiled with Delphi 7 and with any later versions of Delphi*
- actually just a simple code base, and (if needed) retro compatible with previous versions of Delphi as e.g. Delphi 7.
*) If compiling with Delphi versions later than Delphi XE6, as a developer you will need the BDE installer for RAD Studio available from Embarcadero.
Features:
• Auto selecting database-/working directory, when selecting tables.
• Auto adapting current driver (Paradox/dBASE) when selecting Paradox or dBASE tables.
• Autosensing SQL outputs with/without resulting display dataset.
This enables the use of common TQuery.Open with any SQL statement, including DDL statements.
Download: Delphi7Pdx.zip (2025-11-08)
End user requirement: Borland Database Engine (BDE)
Project source code: Delphi7PdxProj.zip - use as you like.
View form code: D7PdxMainForm.pas.txt.
Note: As the way Delphi is calling the OpenDialog is actually a wrapper around the Windows' system dialogs, the OpenDialog.InitialDir := {string} depends on the Windows version on the PC in use when compiling, and thus is non-functional if compiled with Delphi 7 on Windows versions >= 6.0 (i.e. Vista). This interaction was changed in later versions of Delphi (Delphi 2009?).
Current sample application compiled with Delphi 7 on 32-bit Windows 7 (= Windows 6.1).
Issues: As a general rule, Windows from versions 6.0 (Vista) and onwards does not allow saving data to the C:\ root directory and to the C:\Program Files (or C:\Program Files (x86)) directory or any of it's subdirectories, and generally will prevent applications doing so.
In spite of these system level restrictions, the Borland Database Desktop as well as (BDE/Paradox) applications compiled with e.g. Delphi 7 do skip these restrictions also on Windows 6+ systems, and will enable you to create tables (Paradox or dBASE) in such locations without warnings. However, such tables on a Windows 6+ system are not visible in the Windows File Explorer nor with BDE/Paradox applications compiled with later versions of Delphi as e.g. Delphi XE.
So, do not let your Delphi 7 application (or Database Desktop) create such tables on a Windows 6+ system.
Niels Knabe