What is ISAM?
ISAM (Indexed Sequential Access Method) refers to indexed databases such as Btrieve, dBASE, FoxPro and Paradox. The Microsoft Jet database engine can reference these databases through user-installable drivers. The locations for these ISAM drivers are maintained in the Windows Registry. These entries are created automatically when you install a database application such as Microsoft Access, or QUERYer. If you change the location of these drivers, you need to make the corrections in the Registry. The most efficient way to access ISAM databases is to attach them to an existing Microsoft Jet database. Attaching a table creates a reference to the ISAM database and saves it in the Jet database. This stored link keeps a record of the database’s structure only – none of the ISAM data is stored in the Jet database. Once the ISAM databases are attached you can access them using all of Jet’s functionality.
