Paradox for Windows applications are programmed in a different programming language called ObjectPAL. Paradox for Windows is distinctly different from Paradox for DOS, and was produced by a different team of programmers. There are a few MSDOS emulators, among which are (a paid-for product) and (which has a freeware option), both of which provide the ability to run Paradox for DOS applications (such as Paradox 4.5 for DOS) on Windows Vista and above 64-bit operating systems.Įxample of QBE query with joins, designed in Paradox for Windows

Particularly in Paradox 1.0 and 2.0, the user and programming manuals won readability awards – they were copiously illustrated, well laid out, and explanations were written in common English.

Lotus-like text menus and windows, which was the native interface (in contrast to dBase, which had a command-line interface with menus layered on top).

An innovative programming language, the Paradox Application Language (PAL), that was readable, powerful, and could be recorded from keyboard actions (rather like Lotus 1-2-3 macro recording).

Effective use of conventional, extended, and expanded memory – caching data tables and particularly indexes, which caused Paradox to execute tasks very quickly in contrast to the explicit skills required for xBase performance optimisation.

An enhanced design and implementation of visual Query by Example that was supported by an AI engine for heuristic, dynamic query optimization.

The features that distinguished Paradox/DOS were:

Other notable competitors were Clarion, DataEase, R, and DataFlex. At that time, dBase and its xBase clones ( Foxpro, Clipper) dominated the market. Paradox/DOS was a successful DOS-based database of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Version 4.0 and 4.5 were retooled in the Borland C++ windowing toolkit and used a different extended memory access scheme.

Versions up to 3.5 were evolutions from 1.0. Notable classic versions were 3.5 and 4.5. In September 1987, Borland purchased Ansa Software, including their Paradox/DOS 2.0 software. The New York Times described it as 'among the first of an emerging generation of software making extensive use of artificial intelligence techniques,' and noted that Paradox could read the competing Ashton Tate's dBase files. Paradox for DOS was a relational database management system originally written by Richard Schwartz and Robert Shostak, and released by their Belmont, California-based company Ansa Software in 1985.

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