pxview

pxview is a straightforward command line tool that was initially designed to test pxlib. This library helps in reading Paradox files, which can be pretty handy!

How pxview Evolved

As development progressed, pxview turned into a useful program for checking out what's inside Paradox files. Plus, it can convert these files into SQL or CSV formats, making it even more versatile.

Reading Different File Types

Right now, it can't read every single type of Paradox file but does a great job with .DB files. So if you're working with those, you're in luck!

The Configure Script

The `configure` shell script tries to guess the right values for different system-dependent variables during compilation. It creates a `Makefile` in each directory of the package using those values.

Creating Important Files

This script may also generate `.h` files with system-specific definitions. Finally, it makes a shell script called `config.status`. You can run this later to recreate your current setup and check out the `config.log` file for debugging info.

Caching Options

If you want to speed things up when reconfiguring, you can use an optional cache file (usually named `config.cache`). Just enable it with `--cache-file=config.cache` or simply use `-C`. Keep in mind caching is off by default to avoid issues from outdated cache files.

Compiling Made Easy

If you need to do something special while compiling, take a look at how the `configure` script checks for those needs and send any suggestions via email as noted in the README file.

Cleaning Up After Compilation

You can remove unwanted results from your cache file if you're using one. To compile this package easily:

1. cd into the package's source code directory and type ./configure.


2. If you're on an old version of System V using csh, try sh ./configure.


3. This process takes some time and gives updates about what it's checking.


4. Next, type make.


5. If you want to run self-tests included with the package, type make check.


6. You install everything by typing make install.


7. If you want to clean up binaries and object files from your source directory, use make clean. For cleaning everything created by configure so you can compile again for another computer type: make distclean.

A reminder: there's also a target called make maintainer-clean, but that’s mostly for developers who might need extra tools afterward.

What's New in This Release?

• The output now includes more info about blobs when in debug mode.


• Password checksum will show up if your file is encrypted.


• You can set the output format for timestamp, date, and time with an option; note that the default has changed to SQL format.