Open and read .abs database files in python

Question

I'm tasked with opening up and parsing a database dump file of the format ".abs". Apparently it's a Delphi database engine called Absolute Database.

Looking through the internet I couldn't find a library for python for reading files of such a format, but maybe I'm not looking at the right place.

Can any of you suggest libraries for me to look into?

Answer 1

This is not a database dump file. This is an actual database file. Absolute Database is a file based database, kind of like a proprietary version of SQLite. The client accesses database tables by directly opening the database file on disk or on a network share for multi user access. You do this using a Delphi component set produced by ComponentAce.

As far as I know there are no libraries for accessing Absolute Database other than ComponentAce's own Delphi components. Googling I found a ten year old post about an ODBC driver -

http://coding.derkeiler.com/Archive/Delphi/borland.public.delphi.thirdpartytools.general/2004-06/0067.html

I don't think this driver is maintained anymore though.

There is a free for personal use version of the Absolute Database components which comes without source code, but it still requires you to use Embarcaderos Delphi or C++Builder development environment.

Your best bet, I think, is to contact the ComponentAce company directly and ask them if they have any options for you.