PdxEditor

for Paradox and dBase tables vs. Borland Database Desktop (DBD)*

Feature matrix

Feature

Database Desktop 7

PdxEditor vers. 5.6

PdxEditor comment / circumvention

Works with Windows 10

No

Yes

 

Works with Windows 11
No
Yes
 

SQL centred

No

Yes

Most procedures as within scope of SQL

Handles Paradox 3.5, 4, 5, 7

Yes

Yes

Within scope of SQL

Handles dBase III+, IV, 5

Yes

Yes

Within scope of SQL

Read/Edit dBase 7 tables

No

Yes

 

Create/Modify dBase 7 tables

No

Yes


Dynamic Data Directory

No

Yes

Follows most recent table selection

In App PdxNetDir selection

No

Yes

Selectable run time

Rename current table

Yes

Yes


Delete table via dialog selection

Yes

Yes


Copy entire tables including indexes and value checks

Yes

Yes

PdxEditor: Paradox tables only

Set/Change Field Name Paradox

Yes

Yes

Paradox 3.5 - 4 - 5 - 7

Set/Change Field Size Paradox

Yes

Yes

Paradox 3.5 - 4 - 5 - 7

Set/Change Field Name dBase III+, IV, 5

Yes

Yes


Set/Change Field Size dBase III+, IV, 5

Yes

Yes


Set/Change Field Name dBase 7

No

Yes


Set/Change Field Size dBase 7

No

Yes


Set/Change Field Type

Yes

No

PdxEditor manages via SQL CAST(field AS type) and Save as new table

Set/lift Paradox field attribute Required

Yes

Yes


Set/lift dBase 7 field attribute Required

No

Yes

dBase tables will be propagated to level 7, as levels III+, IV and 5 do not support Required.

Set/Change Paradox Validity Checks:
Min. value, Max. value, Default value.

Yes

No

PdxEditor shows the presence of validity checks as True/False values in a table view, except for the literal values themselves.

Set/Change dBase 7 Validity Checks:
Min. value, Max. value, Default value.

No

No


Insert fields

Yes

No

PdxEditor manages using SQL
ALTER TABLE TableName
ADD FieldSpecs;

Rearrange dataset field order

Yes

No

PdxEditor manages using SQL.

Reordering columns by columns dragging

Yes

Yes

Columns display may be reordered by simple column dragging. With PdxEditor reordered columns are reflected in exports.

Paradox Primary Index, adding/lifting to existing tables

Yes

Yes


Referential integrity settings

Yes

No

 

Password settings

Yes

No

PdxEditor opens any Paradox and dBase table!

Set/Change Language Driver

Yes

Yes


Change Block Size of existing Paradox Table

No

No

Increase BDE Admin Paradox Block Size, create equivalent table by SQL, copy data with INSERT INTO

Table packing

Yes

Yes


Show Memo in DBGrid

No

Yes

Displays first 50 characters in grid

Edit Memo & FmtMemo

No

Yes

Popup window editor

Edit formatted RTF in standard Memo field

No

Yes

Can convert from/to RTF. Useful for dBase tables.

View Graphics

No

Yes

BMP, PNG, JPEG, GIF, TIFF, ICO in popup window

Import ClientDataSet (MyBase) as *.cds or *.xml files
No
Yes
 

Import/Export Graphics

No

Yes

BMP, PNG, JPEG, GIF, TIFF, ICO via popup window

Import/Export binary large objects (BLOBs)

No

Yes

Via in-DBGrid popup dialog.

Bytes arrays display and view and entering

No

Yes

Via in-DBGrid popup dialog.

Bytes arrays as hexadecimals in text import and export.

No

Yes

In-table editing via popup dialog.

Export SQL result as table (Paradox or dBase)

(Yes)

Yes

Database Desktop only via modifying standard volatile ANSWER TABLE prior to running the SQL.

Import from CSV Text

No

Yes

Mappable Field Types/Sizes.

Boolean/Logical accepting 'True','False','1','0','NULL' and blanks. Spaces treated as blanks.

Storable import schemas (profiles)

No

Yes

Stores/retrieves as *.SCH file (CSV structure).

Export to CSV Text

No

Yes

Selectable comma, semicolon, tabs. Selectable encoding: Unicode, UTF-8, Windows 1252 or default Windows.
Creates accompanying basic Schema file (*.sch) for field names and data types.

CSV Date/DateTime text export as ISO format irrespective of system settings

No

Yes

User selectable.

Export to Excel

No

Yes

Basic Excel 2 format (MS Office/MS Excel not required). Memo/FmtMemo RTF-text converted to plain text with optional conversion of line breaks to literal '<br\> ' tags. Bytes arrays as hexadecimals.

Export to XML and CDS in ClientDataSet (MyBase) format

No

Yes


Numeric and Date NULLs exports as blanks (i.e. NULL)

N/A

Yes

Both CSV text and Excel export

All exports reflecting current column order as rearranged by columns drag

N/A

Yes

Any PdxEditor columns export may be rearranged before export without affecting source table.

Execute SQL statements from app

Yes

Yes

PdxEditor with triple tabbed SQL editor windows

Execute semicolon separated
standard SQL scripts
No
Yes
PdxEditor can process SQL scripts from semicolon separated SQL statements, including mixed DDL/DML statements.
SQL Editor also accepting SQL
'-- single line comments'
No
Yes
Single line comments not accepted by standard BDE but accepted by most other database engines, has been added to the PdxEditor, and may be used together with the usual /* comment */ delimiters and compliant with MySQL and SQLite comment handling.

Autosaving created SQL statements

No

Yes

PdxEditor saving statements as per user via Windows Registry

Save SQL result as Table

Yes

Yes

In format of current database driver: Paradox, dBase, FoxPro

In App SQL quick help

No

Yes

via popup menu selection of most SQL features

SQL handling dynamic date & time functions CURRENT_DATE and CURRENT_TIMESTAMP or NOW()

No

Yes

via on the fly substitution** with date and datetime constants corresponding current system date and datetime as well as current datetime format

Reverse engineering SQL table definition

No

Yes

Generates a SQL CREATE TABLE statement.

Analysis of longest string data

No

Yes

Preprogrammed compound SQL feature

Associated HTMLHelp and local or web-located WebHelp on LocalSQL

No

Yes

PdxEditor: Original WinHelp manual recompiled to HTMLHelp and to browser based WebHelp. User selectable settings via INI-file for desired help system.
Database Desktop 7 uses deprecated MS WinHelp not working with Windows 10, etc.

P.S.: In BDE terminology dBase III is actually dBase III+ equal to dBase III Plus. The preceding dBase III format is not compatible with dBase III+ and later.
* : The Borland Database Desktop 7.0 (DBD) as of 1996 - no newer existing version.
** : SQL statements as viewed in the SQL editor will stay unaltered keeping the CURRENT_DATE and CURRENT_TIMESTAMP variables.
Executed SQL statements as displayed using the [View SQL] function will display the current Date and DateTime constants converted from the CURRENT_DATE and CURRENT_TIMESTAMP variables.