dBase is in ICU
Low-code, mobile app-builders, and new laws pushed dBase off the cliff
How’s dBase in 2024?
dBase IV, dBase III is DOS-based. The trouble with DOS are FCB (File-Control-Blocks) and DOS internals that dBase depends on. dBase IV, on Windows XP, Vista, 8, 10, 11 machines, opens and carelessly does not remove file-share handles. This kept causing data-corruption and was unsolvable. You could move to dBase III - who uses that?, or to FoxPro, xBase or newer Access database.
In a serverless environment, data-deduplication and data-syncing is required. Perhaps data deduplication isn’t in the mind of dBase LLC.
BI dashboards? haha.
WFH dBase
The new craze is WFH or Work From Home. The problem with dBase, is the lack of server, no easy way to share data on mobile, on web, and on desktop… and sync data changes across the above-mentioned platforms.
When will dBase server be available?
REST API server for dbase?
BI for dBase?
Pretty please?
To use dBase on mobile, you had two choices - use mobile-first (i.e., general-purpose databases) such as FileMaker on Apple, and using FileMaker server to render web-view for Android.
Or, server-based, such as FoxInCloud, Alaska Software, FileMaker Server … and Delphi.
Some swear by ElevateDB and Elevate Web Builder. ElevateWebBuilder doesn’t talk to non-ElevateDB servers… ElevateDB and NexusDB doesn’t provide easy-to-use REST APIs without extensive coding. There’s RAD Server, SAP Build.
Low-Code App Builders
I watched what my customers did - they used low-code - AirTable, AppSmith, Budibase, Bubble instead of using dBase, Delphi-made mobile-apps.
One customer did use LibreOffice Base initially - but gave-up after crashes, errors, and no ability to sync mobile and web and desktop.
Moving on
My customers needed help to import their dBase files over, and… help add AppSmith scripts, Budibase snipplets. No more dealing with database corruption, multiple versions of dBase files, hard or difficult to make dashboards. Charts and reports were made without having to hire Delphi developers, buy Unidac, FastReports, or ReportBuilder.
New anti-harassment laws
The kind of shaming, name-calling found in dBase newsgroups, is illegal in the UK from Jan 2024.
A new false communications offence will bring internet trolls to justice by outlawing the intentional sending of false information that could cause ‘non-trivial psychological’ or physical harm to users online.
As I look towards a new era of getting my customers setup on low-code and self-service self-hosted application builders, I drop by from time to time to see how the dBase community is getting along…
As of today, the dBase newsgroup server is off-line for two weeks. The town-hall, where the CTO wants to know, and various Q&A newsgroups forums are off-line.
The Alaska xBase community is strong…
Are you still using dBase after all these years? What are you using as a replacement for dBase? Let us know your comments below.