Delphi BDE-to-FireDAC Migration Plan

I need a senior Delphi mind to craft a clear-cut strategy for moving an existing application from the Borland Database Engine to FireDAC with SQL Server as the back end. The objective is full modernization: cleaner code, easier maintenance, and freedom from legacy BDE constraints. I will spin up a dedicated testing environment first, so your plan must assume zero changes touch production until every issue is ironed out. Please lean on practical experience—show me similar projects you have already steered; past work is my main filter when choosing who to collaborate with. Deliverables • A written migration roadmap outlining phases, timelines, and required tooling • A checklist for preparing the test instance (drivers, FireDAC components, SQL Server settings, connection pooling, etc.) • Code-level guidelines: how to refactor TTable/TQuery usage, handle cached updates, and map BDE datatypes to their FireDAC equivalents • Risk assessment with fallback steps and roll-back procedures • Recommendations for performance tuning and security hardening once we are live Acceptance criteria: the document set must be detailed enough that an in-house team could follow it end-to-end without guesswork, and all advice must be validated by compiling a small proof-of-concept module in the test environment. If your previous migration playbooks or sample Delphi units demonstrate mastery of FireDAC nuances, include them—those real-world proofs will fast-track your proposal. Technical Environment Current Version: Delphi 11. Scale: Approximately 700 source files. Reports: ~300 files (mostly already using SQL queries). DataSize : MaxTable : up to 1,000,000 records (all DB upd to 1/2 GB) Data Entry/Forms: Currently using TTable and TQuery components linked to DBF (dBase IV) files via BDE. Automation: Recommendation of tools or scripts (e.g., Delphi Parser, GExperts, or custom regex scripts) to automate the conversion of components and code to reduce development time. Compatibility Mapping: How to best handle the transition from ISAM-style navigation (specifically heavy use of SetRange, FindNearest, IndexName) to a Relational SQL approach without rewriting every business logic layer. FireDAC Optimization: Best practices for configuring FireDAC to maintain performance during the transition. Legacy Reports: Strategy for adapting remaining BDE-dependent report functions to work seamlessly with SQL Server. Freelancer Profile The ideal candidate must have: Extensive experience with Legacy Delphi migration projects. Deep knowledge of BDE, FireDAC, and SQL Server. Proven experience in moving from Table-based (DBF) logic to Query-based (SQL) logic.

Project ID: 40230898