The focus of this category is on the group of programming languages known as xBase, which is an umbrella term for the languages that derived from the original dBase programming language and database system.
Originating with a database system known as Vulcan, which was developed by Cecil Wayne Ratliff. In 1979, Ashton-Tate entered into an agreement with Ratliff to market Vulcan, changing its name to dBASE because it sounded more professional and looked more distinctive. Later, the company changed the capitalization style to form dBase.
Despite complaints that dBase was difficult to learn, it was wildly successful during the 1980s and 1990s, and continues to be in use today.
The language and database system also spawned a number of clones. However, Ashton-Tate maintained that anything related to dBase was proprietary, and filed lawsuits against several of the clone vendors. An immediate result of these actions was that the clone vendors avoided the use of the term dBase, as this was a trademark held by Ashton-Tate. The term xBase began to be used as a generic term for programs that were based on dBase.
Unlike several other programming languages, such as C or COBOL, for which there were published standards and an active community of third-party developers, the dBase clones.
When Borland acquired Ashton-Tate in 1991, the lawsuits were dropped, and efforts toward standardization of xBase programs began. An ANSI committee was formed and began meeting regularly in 1992, but its efforts have been negligible. Vendors were generally unwilling to change their products to match that of a competitor.
The original dBase was an interpreted programming language, but many of the clones were compiler versions of the product. Compiling improves the overall run speed and source code security, but it does so at the expense of an interpreted mode for interactive development.
Besides dBase itself, other xBase products include, or have included, BaseX, Clipper, Core, dBase Classic, DBD-XBase, DBFree, DollyBase, FoxPro, Harbour, MaxScript, NTK-Pro, Visual FoxPro, Visual Objects, X#, Xbase, xBASE, XBase, XBaseJ, and probably some others.
In the 2000s, there appears to be a resurgence of interest in xBase, due in part to the open-source, portable xBase implementations, and the scripting applicability of the language.
Topics related to dBase or any of the implementations of dBase, whether identified as dBase, xBase, or something else, are appropriate for this category. Editors or any other tools designed specifically for an xBase product may be listed here as well, along with tutorials, user groups, and other resources.
Categories
ClipperHarbour |
Recommended Resources
Founded in 1997, the company’s focus is on the development and improvement of Xbase++, a 100% Clipper-compatible Xbase language. Its products include Xbase++, as well as Foundation, Professional, and Classroom editions, which are discussed here. Trial versions may be downloaded, and the full version may be purchased online, along with information about its features, Clipper compatibility, Visual FoxPro compatibility, system requirements, and licensing.
https://www.alaska-software.com/
Open-source since 2005, under the terms of the 3-clause BSD License, BaseX may be freely downloaded, along with the source code. BaseX GmbH offers professional support, develops other software solutions, and provides training in XML technologies. An overview of the programming language, the BaseX XQuery Processor, the BaseX Client/Server Architecture and the BaseX Graphical User Interface are highlighted, along with documentation and development notes.
http://www.basex.org/
Developed by Galois and Immunant, C2Rust is an online tool that can translate most C modules into semantically equivalent Rust code. These modules are intended to be compiled in isolation in order to produce compatible object files. Available under the BSD-3 license, the translator focuses on supporting the C99 standard. C source code is parsed and type-checked using clang before being translated by the tool. The source code and instructions are available from the git repository.
http://www.dbfree.org/
Offered by dBase LLC, a few related products are offered, its flagship product being dBase, a commercial product that includes an optimized IDE, compiler, editor, components, and ADO, a Microsoft.NET framework. Other products include dBASE CLASSIC and dbDOS PRO 7, which are featured on separate sites, as well as dbfUtilities and SQL Utilities, which are featured here. Interested users may request an evaluation version of dBase or purchase it online. Support information is included.
http://www.dbase.com/
Based on the original Borland dBASE V for DOS, from 1994, dBASE CLASSIC will not run on Windows Vista or any of the Windows 64-bit operating systems without an MS-DOS emulation program like dbDOS. This new package comes with dBASE V for DOS, integrated help, and newly recreated copies of the documentation that came with the original package, but in a searchable PDF format. Available from dBase LLC, the product may be purchased from the site.
https://dbaseclassic.com/
DBF Viewer is a viewer and editor for DBF files. Through the program, developers can view, edit, sort, use query by example, delete duplicates, create, print database tables, and export the data from a variety of formats without using any packages. It can handle files from dBase, Visual dBase, FoxPro, Visual FoxPro, and Clipper. Personal, business, site, and worldwide licenses are available and may be purchased from the site. Its features, screenshots, and news are included.
https://www.dbf2002.com/
Originally from Fox Software, then from Microsoft, FoxPro is a relational database that clones the functionality of dBase IV but offers significant improvements in speed. Based on Fox Software’s FoxBASE and FoxBASE+, it adds a Mac-like user interface that was first developed for FoxBASE+/Mac. The text-based programming language is no longer actively maintained by Microsoft, but versions 1.0, 2.0, 2.5, 2.6, and 3.0 are available as free downloads. A user forum is included.
https://winworldpc.com/product/foxpro/
MaxScript is the built-in scripting language fo Autodesk, 3ds Max, and Autodesk 2ds Max Design. It is an xBase scripting language for web applications, offering an xBase, Clipper-like, server-side programming language. In a sense, it is a JIT compiler, adding a layer of interpretation to web pages situated between HTML and JavaScript. It is not a stand-alone application, as it requires a web server or a hosting environment like DBFree or DBMax.
http://www.maxscript.org/
Developed by the NTK-Project, the NTK Framework is similar to Clipper and Clip4Win, combining an xBase syntax with native Win 32 functions, allowing developers to create Windows applications. The language is backward-compatible with Clipper, Clip4Win, dBase, and FoxPro. An overview, screenshots, and documentation are put forward, with an overview of the company’s support services, and available add-ons. A free version and two premium versions are available.
http://www.ntkproject.com/
Based on the xBase programming language, C# is an open-source development language for .NET. It comes in several versions, including Core, Visual Objects, Vulcan.NET, xBase++, Harbour, and FoxPro, and has been built on top of Roslyn, the open-source architecture behind the Microsoft C# and Microsoft Visual Basic compilers. Registered users or subscribers may download files from the site, which includes informational articles, examples, free software, and a user forum.
https://www.xsharp.info/
