Board index » delphi » Accessing Delphi (Paradox?) data using Microsoft Access 97

jennyw

Delphi Developer
Sun, 01 Feb 2004 08:29:19 GMT

Accessing Delphi (Paradox?) data using Microsoft Access 97

A year or so ago we hired a consultant to write custom reports for a Delphi
app. that we have.  He chose to do this in Microsoft Access 97 because a) we
already had it; and b) the report writer built into the Delphi app. didn't
have all the features he needed. This worked great.  Unfortunately, we're
uprading to the new version of the application, which now uses Delphi 4 and
is compiled for 32-bit (it was 16-bit previously).  I'm not sure what the
difference in database formats is, but it seems that MS Access 97 can no
longer open updated tables (the message is: "External table isn't in the
expected format.").

I called the company that makes the Delphi program, and they're not sure
what format the data files are in.  They used something called SQL Explorer
(which apparently comes with Delphi?) to look at the table, and here is some
relevant information it reports:

table type: paradox 5.0 clustered
version: 72
structure: blank

The developers aren't really sure what the "table type" or the "version"
fields represent, so they're not exactly sure what I should be using to open
the Delphi tables.  I'm currently using Access 97 on Windows 2000 (we'll try
Access 2000 if we have to (we don't own a copy) but all or Access databases
are in 97 so that will cause all kinds of issues) and accessing the tables
using the data access package that came with the valupack on the Access/MS
Office Pro CD.

Any suggestions?  I'll ask on a Microsoft forum, too, but this seemed more
appropriate since I can't even tell what version of Paradox I'm trying to
connect to!

Thanks!

Jen

 
M.H. Avegaar

Delphi Developer
Sun, 01 Feb 2004 20:10:01 GMT

Re:Accessing Delphi (Paradox?) data using Microsoft Access 97


You can modify the Paradox version created by Delphi applications by
changing Configuration | Drivers | Native | Paradox | LEVEL in the BDE
Administrator (try 4 or 5).

Quote
"jennyw" <jennyw_at_yahoo_dot_com> wrote in message

news:tnjgcqlkk7slad@corp.supernews.com...
Quote
> A year or so ago we hired a consultant to write custom reports for a
Delphi
> app. that we have.  He chose to do this in Microsoft Access 97 because a)
we
> already had it; and b) the report writer built into the Delphi app. didn't
> have all the features he needed. This worked great.  Unfortunately, we're
> uprading to the new version of the application, which now uses Delphi 4
and
> is compiled for 32-bit (it was 16-bit previously).  I'm not sure what the
> difference in database formats is, but it seems that MS Access 97 can no
> longer open updated tables (the message is: "External table isn't in the
> expected format.").

> I called the company that makes the Delphi program, and they're not sure
> what format the data files are in.  They used something called SQL
Explorer
> (which apparently comes with Delphi?) to look at the table, and here is
some
> relevant information it reports:

> table type: paradox 5.0 clustered
> version: 72
> structure: blank

> The developers aren't really sure what the "table type" or the "version"
> fields represent, so they're not exactly sure what I should be using to
open
> the Delphi tables.  I'm currently using Access 97 on Windows 2000 (we'll
try
> Access 2000 if we have to (we don't own a copy) but all or Access
databases
> are in 97 so that will cause all kinds of issues) and accessing the tables
> using the data access package that came with the valupack on the Access/MS
> Office Pro CD.

> Any suggestions?  I'll ask on a Microsoft forum, too, but this seemed more
> appropriate since I can't even tell what version of Paradox I'm trying to
> connect to!

> Thanks!

> Jen

jenny

Delphi Developer
Mon, 02 Feb 2004 00:30:44 GMT

Re:Accessing Delphi (Paradox?) data using Microsoft Access 97


Unfortunately, we can't do this, since we're not the original developers.
Does anyone happen to know what version of Paradox is created by default by
Delphi 4 32-bit?

Thanks!

Jen

Quote
"M.H. Avegaart" <avega...@NOSPAMmccomm.nl> wrote in message

news:9ldor1$jjv$1@scavenger.euro.net...
Quote
> You can modify the Paradox version created by Delphi applications by
> changing Configuration | Drivers | Native | Paradox | LEVEL in the BDE
> Administrator (try 4 or 5).

> "jennyw" <jennyw_at_yahoo_dot_com> wrote in message
> news:tnjgcqlkk7slad@corp.supernews.com...
> > A year or so ago we hired a consultant to write custom reports for a
> Delphi
> > app. that we have.  He chose to do this in Microsoft Access 97 because
a)
> we
> > already had it; and b) the report writer built into the Delphi app.
didn't
> > have all the features he needed. This worked great.  Unfortunately,
we're
> > uprading to the new version of the application, which now uses Delphi 4
> and
> > is compiled for 32-bit (it was 16-bit previously).  I'm not sure what
the
> > difference in database formats is, but it seems that MS Access 97 can no
> > longer open updated tables (the message is: "External table isn't in the
> > expected format.").

> > I called the company that makes the Delphi program, and they're not sure
> > what format the data files are in.  They used something called SQL
> Explorer
> > (which apparently comes with Delphi?) to look at the table, and here is
> some
> > relevant information it reports:

> > table type: paradox 5.0 clustered
> > version: 72
> > structure: blank

> > The developers aren't really sure what the "table type" or the "version"
> > fields represent, so they're not exactly sure what I should be using to
> open
> > the Delphi tables.  I'm currently using Access 97 on Windows 2000 (we'll
> try
> > Access 2000 if we have to (we don't own a copy) but all or Access
> databases
> > are in 97 so that will cause all kinds of issues) and accessing the
tables
> > using the data access package that came with the valupack on the
Access/MS
> > Office Pro CD.

> > Any suggestions?  I'll ask on a Microsoft forum, too, but this seemed
more
> > appropriate since I can't even tell what version of Paradox I'm trying
to
> > connect to!

> > Thanks!

> > Jen

Markku Nevalaine

Delphi Developer
Mon, 02 Feb 2004 07:53:30 GMT

Re:Accessing Delphi (Paradox?) data using Microsoft Access 97


Quote
jennyw wrote:

> Unfortunately, we can't do this, since we're not the original developers.
> Does anyone happen to know what version of Paradox is created by default by
> Delphi 4 32-bit?

To find out that default Paradox table version may be relevant
information for you future needs. But to get your problem solved,
it probably is not the most important info right now.

The old 16-bit Delphi-1 is/was able to use Paradox 4 and Paradox 5 table
formats. Also Delphi 4 can use these same tables formats, without needing
any table structure conversions nor updates to be done. Even Delphi-1
app and Delphi-4 app can access those same Paradox tables simultaneously.

The problem may lie there, that Microsoft tools are able to deal and
use only Paradox 4 table format. Those Paradox 4 accessing tools came even
in standard Office-97 package.
If you try to offer Paradox 5 table format to those MS tools, you may
easily see "External table isn't in the expected format" message

Yet, those MS tools do not know if you are using D1 or D4, as long
as the Paradox table structure they find is on 4.0 level.

So you may still find a reasonable easy way to get along, if you check
and drop all your Paradox Table versions to level 4.0.

The only difference between Paradox 4 and 5 table formats are some
extra field types. Like there's no Logical Field type in 4.0, but it
is in 5.0.

Markku Nevalainen

jenny

Delphi Developer
Tue, 03 Feb 2004 03:33:04 GMT

Re:Accessing Delphi (Paradox?) data using Microsoft Access 97


What does the level signify?  Is this the version of Paradox?  Or is it
something else?

Thanks!

Jen

Quote
"M.H. Avegaart" <avega...@NOSPAMmccomm.nl> wrote in message

news:9ldor1$jjv$1@scavenger.euro.net...
Quote
> You can modify the Paradox version created by Delphi applications by
> changing Configuration | Drivers | Native | Paradox | LEVEL in the BDE
> Administrator (try 4 or 5).

> "jennyw" <jennyw_at_yahoo_dot_com> wrote in message
> news:tnjgcqlkk7slad@corp.supernews.com...
> > A year or so ago we hired a consultant to write custom reports for a
> Delphi
> > app. that we have.  He chose to do this in Microsoft Access 97 because
a)
> we
> > already had it; and b) the report writer built into the Delphi app.
didn't
> > have all the features he needed. This worked great.  Unfortunately,
we're
> > uprading to the new version of the application, which now uses Delphi 4
> and
> > is compiled for 32-bit (it was 16-bit previously).  I'm not sure what
the
> > difference in database formats is, but it seems that MS Access 97 can no
> > longer open updated tables (the message is: "External table isn't in the
> > expected format.").

> > I called the company that makes the Delphi program, and they're not sure
> > what format the data files are in.  They used something called SQL
> Explorer
> > (which apparently comes with Delphi?) to look at the table, and here is
> some
> > relevant information it reports:

> > table type: paradox 5.0 clustered
> > version: 72
> > structure: blank

> > The developers aren't really sure what the "table type" or the "version"
> > fields represent, so they're not exactly sure what I should be using to
> open
> > the Delphi tables.  I'm currently using Access 97 on Windows 2000 (we'll
> try
> > Access 2000 if we have to (we don't own a copy) but all or Access
> databases
> > are in 97 so that will cause all kinds of issues) and accessing the
tables
> > using the data access package that came with the valupack on the
Access/MS
> > Office Pro CD.

> > Any suggestions?  I'll ask on a Microsoft forum, too, but this seemed
more
> > appropriate since I can't even tell what version of Paradox I'm trying
to
> > connect to!

> > Thanks!

> > Jen

Andrew Skinne

Delphi Developer
Tue, 03 Feb 2004 14:44:31 GMT

Re:Accessing Delphi (Paradox?) data using Microsoft Access 97


Borland distributes a utility to change the level (version) of paradox
tables.

This might help, but you need a Delphi compiler to use it.

If your tables are version 5 you could proably convert to version 4 and
use them with Access.  

If you email me I'll try to send a ready to run version of the utility
if you haven't got it.

If your Delphi developer doesn't understand your problem and can't help
its probaly time to find another developer.  I'm just a hobby
programmer, but i've got to grips with this.

Higer versions of PAradox tables are needed to support longer file paths
as well as some data types.

Andrew

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