The DBISAM Database System is a proprietary database system designed from the ground up to merge the best features of the various local database formats available for the Delphi developer. The DBISAM Database System is targeted at the Delphi developer developing applications for single-user and multi-user use with heavy distribution requirements (such as shareware or downloadable software) or for small inhouse installations on a LAN such as Novell Netware, Windows NT, LANtastic, or Windows 95 networking. With that in mind, here is a listing of the various highlights of the product:

- Compiles into the application's. EXE

- Small footprint, around 200k

- Available for Delphi 1, 2, 3, 4with the same set of functionality across all versions (Delphi 1 and 2 are "replacements" for the VCL DB units and hook into the data-aware controls while Delphi 3 and 4 are TDataset descendants)

- Does not pre-allocate large chunks of memory, only uses memory as needed and frees the memory when done

- Transparent single-user and multi-user usage, no special setup needed to support multi-user use

- Performance is very good

- Built-in repair facilities

- Provided utility for transferring data from Paradox, dBase, and FoxPro formats

- Provided utility for browsing, restructuring, updating, and searching data files

- Complete BLOB support, including configurable block sizes

- Transactions

- Primary and secondary indexes

- Complete filter support

- In-memory data files with support for streaming

- Partial index key searches and ranges

- Ranges with accurate record counts

- Auto-increment fields

- Logical sequence numbers

- Complete NULL support

- Min/max and required validity checks

- Default values

- Complete free space recycling

- Index key compression

- Read-only open support for CD-ROMs

- Complete BCD support

- Case-insensitive indexes

- Password-protected encryption of data files

- Unique secondary indexes