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<< Click to Display Table of Contents >> Default table format |
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Except when selecting a database by it's database Alias, which also includes defining it's database table format, you may change the already current database table format pertaining the format of tables created.
This sub menu of the Database menu will select the table formats for next created tables running SQL statements defining tables.
SQLs creating table structure are called Data Definition Language or DDL.
This will not affect the option of selecting tables of a different format than of the currently defined default table format.
When e.g. having Paradox as the default format, you may still open dBASE/FoxPro tables or select dBASE/FoxPro tables in your SQL queries.
However, switching selection between dBASE/FoxPro tables and Paradox tables will also change the otherwise current table format as displayed in the top panel.
The currently default table format is effective only when creating tables by a SQL CREATE TABLE statement.
If you are working with dBASE data, you'll probably choose the dBASE tables as the default table format effective for creation of new tables.
The default Level reflecting the settings by the BDE Administrator, however the table type chosen by the PdxEditor.
Though the dBASE Level 7 (from 1997) no doubt is the most capable of the dBASE generation formats, allowing long field names as well as the more modern specific field types of Long, Double, DateTime and Autoincrement, you should consider maybe sticking to the venerable Level 5, as many dBASE handling applications never really adopted the Level 7 of dBASE tables.
The Borland Database Desktop does not comply with dBASE 7, and don't expect MS Access (e.g. Access 2016 and later) to import dBASE 7 tables either. Further, with the dBASE 7 table format care must be taken not to use the Autoincrement field function without combination with PRIMARY KEY indexing the field.
However, exporting as text, the data source being dBASE 7 tables should never be a problem for receiving applications.
See also dBASE table formats and Text export.