Can Paradox tables be updated without disturbing data?

[BebopSong]

Hi,

I am trying to create an application that will run through a folder of databases (\Data) and update them with new fields and amended fields (i.e. longer String lengths) found in the new tables in the updated folder (\UpdatedDB). Does anyone know of a way to do this?

I have read a little about a TBatchMove component but I'm not sure how it works. Will this copy data into a new updated table with different field lengths? If so how do I do this?

Regards

BebopSong

 

[towerbase]

I suggest that you read all the Delphi help pages on TBatchMove. You will probably then be able to answer your own question.

You can always try experimenting with TBatchMove.

Andrew
Hampshire, UK

 

[BebopSong]

Ok Thanks I will do that then. Can you please tell though what the BDE Repair utility does? Once I have added a table to the database it works fine but when I run the repair it breaks. I thought the repair just went through all the databases and realigned the header information so if I added a new table shouldn't it just add the header information into the tableIndexs.db?

 

[roo0047]

First, make a backup of the entire folder containing the tables. In Paradox, this folder is refereed to as THE database. It may have hidden files, so don't trust just copying the files. Consider the while lot very delicate. Once you have a backup, you can play.

Secondly, file tableIndexs.db is NOT the index. That is a table someone created. Paradox indexes have a .PX file extension. Tables have a .DB extension. .MB files are typically binary data files of large records stored externally from the table. You may or may not see .VAL files which are table field defs used by program Database Desktop and BDE, among others. Corrupting it can render your table unreadable. But deleting it will often solve the problem. Not a required file, but if it exists, it must be correct.

Thirdly, you will have far less of a headache if you write a program to just dump the data to some other DBMS rather than Pdox to Pdox. Any version of Delphi with BDE will do an excellent job of retrieving Paradox data. But the future of the BDE is that it has no future. So get it out while you can.

Roo
Delphi Rules!

 

[DjangMan]

I would agree. The BDE offers very few advantages and all of them are erased by the advantages of other databases. 99% of the Windows world will have MDAC installed now which will give you the ability to use an Access database. They aren't perfect but they are easier to work with than Paradox.