Borland Database Engine

Borland Database Engine (BDE) is the Windows based core database engine and connectivity software behind Borland Delphi, C++Builder, IntraBuilder, Paradox for Windows, and Visual dBASE for Windows.

The included set of database drivers enables consistent access to standard data sources: Paradox, dBASE, FoxPro, Access, and text databases. You can add Microsoft ODBC drivers as needed to the built in ODBC socket. Optionally, Borland's SQL Links product provides access to a range of database management systems (DBMS), including Informix, IBM Db2, InterBase, Oracle, and Sybase. BDE is object oriented in design. At runtime, application developers interact with BDE by creating various BDE objects. These runtime objects are then used to manipulate database entities, such as tables and queries. BDE's application program interface (API) provides direct C and C++ optimized access to the database engine, as well as BDE's built in drivers for dBASE, Paradox, FoxPro, Access, and text databases. The core database engine files consist of a set of DLLs that are fully re entrant and thread safe. Included with BDE are a set of supplemental tools and examples with sample code. BDE system is configured using the BDE Administrator (BDEADMIN. EXE). Included with BDE is Borland's Local SQL, a subset of ANSI 92 SQL enhanced to support Paradox and dBASE (standard) naming conventions for tables and fields (called "columns" in SQL). Local SQL lets you use SQL to query "local" standard database tables that do not reside on a database server as well as "remote" DBMS servers. Local SQL is also essential to make multi table queries across both local standard tables and those on remote SQL servers. The older name for the BDE API is the "Integrated Database Application Program Interface" or "IDAPI".