Borland Paradox
Paradox is a relational database system for OS/2 and DOS with a version later showing up for MS Windows that was very different from the other two versions although mostly compatible with the exception of the programming language.
Paradox was quite a different take on the database that most of the other database packages popular at the time, it was heavily influenced by the spreadsheet package Lotus 1-2-3 in looks and function and this was not the least apparent in the programming language that was shipped with the database, known as Paradox Application Language (PAL) and although a fairly common 4th generation business language in some way it could be recorded from keyboard actions like a Lotus 1-2-3 macro.
History
Originally released in 1985 by USA independent publisher Ansa Software in 1985, it was taken over by Borland in 1987, who went on to port it to OS/2.
A version for the Mac was not shipped. The Reflex flat file database that on DOS was a budget software with limited programming abilities, existed in a version for the Mac was already quite an advanced relational database.
Paradox SQL
An add on program developed for Paradox OS/2 in 1988 that emulated the SQL interface of IBM DB2 and allowed Paradox for OS/2 1.0 to replace IBM's product as a database server, this was later given more generic SQL features and ported to other operating systems.
Versions
- OS/2
announced by Borland in late 1987 but actually not shipped until summer 1988. A superset of "Paradox 386" but could run all programs developed on it and "Paradox version 2"
- 2.05
- 2.1
- DOS
Ansa Software
- 1.0 (1985)
- 1.1
- 2 (1986)
- 2.01 (1987)
- Version 386 (1987)
Borland International
- 3.0
- 3.5 (1990)
- 4.0 (1992) - re-written mostly from scratch in Borland C++
- 4.01 (1993)
- 4.02 (1993)
- 4.5
- Paradox for Windows 3.1
- 1.0 (1993)
- 4.5 (1993)
- 5.0 (1994)
- 7 (May 1996)
Publications
- PC Magazine's famous 1988 rave review of Paradox OS/2 which asserted that it was the first OS/2 software that took advantage of the OS/2 feature set to such a degree that it made sense for people to move from DOS to the newer OS.
License
- Commercial software - DOS and OS/2 versions discontinued, MS Windows version still available.
Authors
- Richard Schwartz & Robert Shostak (original authors) - Ansa Software 1985
- Borland International, Inc.
- Corel Corporation Ltd.