dBase: 1979-2026

Microsoft Access 2.0 had filters to import and export data from and to DBF files. We used this in WFW 3.11 to convert from DBase to MS-Access and later on SQL Server.

There were some Turbo C and Turbo Pascal source code that read DBF files, but hardly anyone used them. Most stored data is in text files that can be read by any application.

Re: dBase: 1979-2026

#5

Post by tobad357 » Mon, May 11, 2026, 3:19 AM UTC

I feel the timeline is wrong re when dBase Inc took over. I remember working as a consultant on shipping new features for dBase back in 2000 or so.

I implemented reflection for the dBase language and was also part of trying to convert it to Visual C++ instead of using the Borland compiler. I was very green back then but it was interesting, my only time dealing with interpreters / compilers

Re: dBase: 1979-2026

#6

Post by julianz » Mon, May 11, 2026, 3:33 AM UTC

My very first paid gig, aged 12, was figuring out how to print mailing labels from a Bondwell CP/M laptop running dBase II. Didn't enjoy it.

Re: dBase: 1979-2026

#7

Post by jhbadger » Mon, May 11, 2026, 3:46 AM UTC

My first gig at 18 was managing my university library's database (in dBase III; it was the 1980s) and writing the user interfaces for searching. This was a pre-SQL database for you youngins in case you have no idea what I'm talking about.

Re: dBase: 1979-2026

#8

Post by cyberax » Mon, May 11, 2026, 4:03 AM UTC

One of my first sizeable projects was a COM-compatible compiled language with .dbf support primitives for data transformation. As a unique quirk, it could even work on Novel Netware to interface with Btrieve.

Netware supported loading PE executables, but it lacked memory protection so developing for it was... fun.

The .dbf format was pretty straightforward, though.

Re: dBase: 1979-2026

#9

Post by thbb123 » Mon, May 11, 2026, 4:20 AM UTC

julianz wrote: post #6

My very first paid gig, aged 12, was figuring out how to print mailing labels from a Bondwell CP/M laptop running dBase II. Didn't enjoy it.

Very similar story, in 1982: got paid at 15 to create a prospect database for a small business. What now would be called a CRM.

The enterprise had to declare me as an apprentice for 'trade jobs', as it was against the law to give a regular salary to someone under 16.

I remember my first paycheck with deductions for retirement, which pissed me off quite a bit.

Re: dBase: 1979-2026

#10

Post by mercurialuser » Mon, May 11, 2026, 4:29 AM UTC

You may compile .prg files with Harbour, an open source Clipper clone compiler, on github.

Strange it is not cited in the post.