To Antonio: a begging letter

[Otto]

Dear Antonio,

You have often revitalized the Clipper community. Perhaps you can lead the way again and standardize DBF.

I am convinced that if we were to collect and systematize the documentation on DBF, and establish a worldwide federation to manage the database,
DBF would immediately garner significant interest once more.

What is currently missing is a beacon, and in the Clipper/Harbour world, I only know of one – you.

DBF is not a file format that needs to be newly introduced.
It is used millions of times. What is lacking, however, is a perspective - a market leader or technological leadership.

There are so many programmers/amateurs who need a database connection. DBF would be the perfect format.
Websites - why should someone buy more expensive web hosting for SQL, which is also complicated to administer and must be shared with others?
EXCEL/ACCESS programmers who want to go on the web. Even for small to medium applications, it is an ideal system.

You and your company FIVEWIN could easily ignite the initial spark for a worldwide association or federation.

Drop this anchor in the harbo(u)r.

With best regards,
Otto

[Antonio Linares]

Dear Otto,

Our friend Charles Kwon Oh Chul is organizing "The Harbour foundation" similar as it exists for Python. This is great news!
This should revitalize xbase very much. We have a lot of hope on this.

If we could implement vectors support on DBFs I think we could take DBFs to the next stage. DBF + LetoDB is a great partnership. On the web there is no need for LetoDB unless you want to have your DBFs on a different server for some reasons.

I agree with you that DBFs are such a great invention. We should have SQL support for them and we can have it using ADO. It would be nice if SQL could be used without it on DBFs. SQLite source code for SQL could be ported to DBFs!

To me DBFs are very much alive! They are simple and work really well. We have to combine them with the AI power and show what it can be done!

Lets work on these possibilities! A big hug,

[TimStone]

The Advantage Database Server made DBF's very fast and powerful. When SAAS bought the company, they never improved anything, and simply tried to obtain income by selling the licenses. There was never any further development after 2015, but that version ( ADS 12 ) was all we need even today.

Although it is no longer supported, or sold, SAAS refuses to release the code into public domain. They do not have any form of alternative, so it would not compete with anything they offer.

Perhaps someone could reach out to them to see how we might get it into Open Source. Wouldn't it be a great addition to Harbour or FWH ? It is incredibly well documented. It would not cost them anything to release it. They don't have to support it. Just let us have an ability to take the source code and integrate it into our own programs.

Although I have been encouraged to use SQL, for my clients, I can still provide a very fast performing program, which is highly reliable, and very easy to service ( the data files ) with the DBF file system. Because my focus is 100% on what benefits my clients, I haven't made the change to another database system.

To me, it's all about what is a practical solution or my clients.

[Antonio Linares]

Dear Tim,

> Perhaps someone could reach out to them to see how we might get it into Open Source

Thats a great idea. Maybe Reinaldo Crespo is the right one to try it.

I just sent him an email!

[TimStone]

Antonio,

I tried several times since it went totally end of life. They just don't care. The only reply is NO. Because I had ( have ) an account with them, their new reps keep reaching out wanting me to sell their other products. When I explain what I want, they usually do not reply.

That company has taken over other products I use(d) and ruined every one of them. Because they are based in Europe ( Germany ), perhaps someone in that continent might have better results. Reinaldo was well know to the group in Idaho when they built the product, but is probably of no interest to the SAAS people after the takeover. We can see what he shares.

Tim