dBASE was a landmark in computing history, serving as one of the first and most successful Database Management Systems (DBMS) for microcomputers. Launched in 1980 by Ashton-Tate, it revolutionized how small businesses managed data by combining a database engine, a query system, and its own programming language into one package.
Unlike modern client-server databases (like MySQL or Oracle), dBASE was a file-based DBMS. This means the database engine and the data resided on the same machine (or a local network share).
File Format (.dbf): The core of dBASE is the .dbf file format. It stores data in a structured, tabular format (rows and columns). This format became so popular that it is still used today as a "universal" data exchange format for many GIS and legacy applications.
Architecture: It used a "monolithic" design where the application logic and the data engine were tightly coupled.
Relational Model: While technically an early RDBMS (Relational DBMS), its relational features were primitive. It allowed linking different .dbf files but lacked modern "referential integrity" (like foreign key constraints) that prevents data errors.
dBASE was unique because it wasn't just a place to store data; it was a complete development environment. The language is often referred to as an xBase language.
Procedural & Interpreted: It originally used a "dot prompt" (a command-line interface) where you could type commands like USE CUSTOMER or LIST to see data immediately.
Data-Centric: The language was built specifically to move through records. Commands like SKIP, GO TOP, and REPLACE allowed for direct manipulation of table rows.
Rapid Application Development (RAD): It allowed non-programmers to build complex menu-driven systems, custom data entry forms, and detailed reports.
Example Code Snippet:
USE Employees && Open the database file
LOCATE FOR ID = 101 && Find a specific record
IF FOUND()
REPLACE Salary WITH Salary * 1.10 && Give a 10% raise
? "Salary Updated"
ELSE
? "Employee not found"
ENDIF
CLOSE DATABASES
The success of dBASE led to several "clones" and successors, collectively known as the xBase family:
FoxPro / Visual FoxPro: A high-performance version eventually bought by Microsoft.
Clipper: A compiler that allowed dBASE code to be turned into standalone .exe files.
dBASE PLUS: The modern version (still maintained by dBASE, LLC) which supports Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) and 32/64-bit Windows environments.
Feature dBASE (Early Versions) Modern DBMS (MySQL, PostgreSQL)
Model File-based / xBase Client-Server / SQL
Concurrency Low (File locking issues) High (Multiversion Concurrency Control)
Language Procedural (dBase/xBase) Declarative (SQL)
Scale Small to Medium Massive (Big Data)
Even though it’s considered "legacy," dBASE is still relevant because:
Legacy Systems: Many older government and financial systems still run on xBase code.
Data Portability: The .dbf format is still a standard for transferring simple tables between different types of software.
Simplicity: It taught a generation of developers how to think about data structures before the web took over.
While dBASE was the pioneer, Clipper was the "powerhouse" that took the xBase language to a professional, commercial level. Created by Nantucket Corporation in 1985 (and later sold to Computer Associates), it was designed to overcome the speed and security limitations of dBASE.
Clipper is a compiler for the dBASE language. While dBASE was an interpreter (it read and ran code line-by-line), Clipper translated that code into a standalone executable file (.EXE).
Independence: You didn't need to install dBASE on a computer to run a Clipper program. You just gave the user the .exe file.
Speed: Because the code was pre-compiled into "p-code" or machine-ready instructions, it ran significantly faster than interpreted dBASE code.
Source Code Security: Since you distributed a binary file (.exe) instead of text scripts (.prg), users couldn't see or steal your logic.
The history of Clipper is often divided into two legendary eras:
Considered by many to be the most stable and popular version. It was the "gold standard" for DOS database development. It was highly compatible with dBASE III Plus but added massive power through User Defined Functions (UDFs).
Released in the early 1990s, this version moved away from being just a "dBASE clone" and became a sophisticated language in its own right:
Lexical Scoping: Introduced LOCAL and STATIC variables (better memory management).
Object-Oriented Programming (OOP): Introduced classes like TBrowse (for data grids) and Get (for input handling).
Code Blocks: A powerful feature similar to "anonymous functions" or "lambdas" in modern languages.
dBASE Routine: MULTIPLY.PRG
Code snippet
*--- MULTIPLY.PRG: Input, Store, and Output Routine ---
CLEAR
SET TALK OFF
*-- Define local memory variables
m_num1 = 0.00
m_num2 = 0.00
m_result = 0.00
*-- Step 1: Accept 2 numeric inputs from the user
@ 5, 10 SAY "Enter the first number: " GET m_num1
@ 6, 10 SAY "Enter the second number: " GET m_num2
READ
*-- Step 2: Process the multiplication
m_result = m_num1 * m_num2
*-- Step 3: Output result to the Display Screen
@ 10, 10 SAY "The product of the numbers is: " + STR(m_result, 10, 2)
*-- Step 4: Output result to the Printer
WAIT "Ensure printer is ready. Press any key to print..." TO m_choice
SET DEVICE TO PRINT && Redirects @...SAY commands to the printer
@ 1, 1 SAY "--- dBASE Calculation Report ---"
@ 3, 1 SAY "First Number: " + STR(m_num1, 10, 2)
@ 4, 1 SAY "Second Number: " + STR(m_num2, 10, 2)
@ 5, 1 SAY "-------------------------------"
@ 6, 1 SAY "Result (Product): " + STR(m_result, 10, 2)
EJECT && Form feeds the paper out of the printer
SET DEVICE TO SCREEN && Returns output to the monitor
RETURN