oboroc/bdecli

Borland Database Engine command-line configuration tool

bdecli

Copyright (c) 2010-2019 Adrian Oboroc https://github.com/oboroc/bdecli/

About bdecli

bdecli is a Borland Database Engine command-line configuration tool. It can be included in deployment scripts or MSI custom actions to add or overwrite idapi32.cfg configuration settings in unattended mode.

One way to handle idapi32.cfg file updates is to keep a master copy, modify it in bdeadmin tool from Borland when necessary and then push updated file to all workstation. If this is how you handle it, you dont need bdecli.

If, however, you want to have multiple configurations in the field and you don't want to have an MSI overwrite idapi32.cfg file and delete all previous custom settings, you should give bdecli a try. It will allow you to import or update just the settings for the app you deploy and keep all other settings intact.

bdecli is a bugfixed and renamed version of idapi32cfg 1.0.0 project. It was moved from CodePlex to GitHub. Functionally they are identical, but idapi32cfg executable has two serious bugs: 75cb743 and 4a48981.

If you use idapi32cfg program, it is best to update to the latest 1.0.x version of bdecli.

Starting with v1.0.5, bdecli is compiled with Visual C++ 2019. bdecli v1.0.1 to v1.0.4 were compiled with Visual C++ 6.0 SP6. idapi32cfg 1.0.0 executable from April 2010 was compiled with Visual C++ 2010. Run-time was statically linked. Resulting executable was compressed with UPX.

Using bdecli

Start with a generic blank idapi32.cfg file. You can create one by deleting your current idapi32.cfg file, opening bdeadmin tool and saving default settings in new idapi32.cfg.

Export default settings to a text file using the following command:

bdecli -e idapi32.cfg default.txt

Now open bdeadmin program again and make necessary configuration changes for your application. Save to idapi32.cfg.

Export updated idapi32.cfg file to another text file:

bdecli -e idapi32.cfg updated.txt

Use your favorite text file comparison tool (fc, windiff, winmerge etc.) to find all lines in updated.txt that are not part of default.txt and put the difference in a new text file. Lets call it cfgdiff.txt.

Add this new text file and bdecli executable to your MSI project or deployment script. Use the following command to import application specific configuration settings:

bdecli -i idapi32.cfg cfgdiff.txt