How to Download dBase 3 Plus
If you are looking for a classic database management system for your CP/M or MS-DOS computer, you might be interested in downloading dBase 3 Plus. In this article, we will explain what dBase 3 Plus is, why you might want to download it, where you can find it, and how you can install and run it on your computer.
What is dBase 3 Plus?
dBase 3 Plus is a database management system that was released in 1986 by Ashton-Tate. It was one of the first and most successful database systems for microcomputers. It allowed users to create, manage, and manipulate data using a core database engine, a query system, a forms engine, and a programming language. It also supported multiple users, networking, and printing.
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dBase 3 Plus was based on the earlier versions of dBase, which were developed by Cecil Wayne Ratliff in the late 1970s. The first version of dBase was called Vulcan and was designed for PTDOS. It was later ported to CP/M and caught the attention of Ashton-Tate, who licensed it and re-released it as dBase II in 1980. dBase II was then ported to MS-DOS and became one of the best-selling software titles for the IBM PC.
dBase III was released in 1984 as a major upgrade that added many new features, such as a character-based menu system, improved performance, enhanced security, and more data types. It also spawned many clones and competitors that used the same file format (.dbf) and programming language (xBase), such as Clipper, FoxBASE+, FoxPro, Visual FoxPro, Harbour, etc.
Why Download dBase 3 Plus?
There are several reasons why you might want to download dBase 3 Plus today. Here are some of them:
Nostalgia: If you used dBase 3 Plus in the past, you might want to relive the memories of working with this classic software. You can also see how far database technology has evolved since then.
Compatibility: If you have some old data files or applications that were created with dBase 3 Plus, you might want to access them or run them on your modern computer. You can also convert them to other formats or platforms if needed.
Learning: If you are interested in learning about database systems or programming languages, you might want to download dBase 3 Plus as an example of a historical software that influenced many others. You can also compare it with other database systems or programming languages that are more modern or popular.
Where to Download dBase 3 Plus
Now that you know what dBase 3 Plus is and why you might want to download it, the next question is where you can find it. There are several sources that offer dBase 3 Plus for download, but not all of them are reliable or legal. Here are some of the options you can consider:
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Official Source
The official source of dBase 3 Plus is the website of dBase, LLC, the current owner of the dBase brand and products. You can visit their website at and navigate to the Products section. There you will find a link to download dBase 3 Plus for free.
However, there are some caveats to this option. First, you will need to register an account and provide some personal information, such as your name, email, phone number, and address. Second, you will need to agree to the terms and conditions of the license agreement, which states that you can only use dBase 3 Plus for personal, non-commercial purposes. Third, you will need to verify your email address and wait for a confirmation email with the download link.
Alternative Sources
If you don't want to go through the hassle of registering and agreeing to the license agreement, you can look for alternative sources that offer dBase 3 Plus for download. However, you should be careful and cautious when doing so, as some of these sources may not be trustworthy or legal. Here are some of the alternative sources you can try:
WinWorld: WinWorld is a website that provides downloads of old and abandoned software for various platforms. You can visit their website at and search for dBase 3 Plus. You will find several versions of dBase 3 Plus for different operating systems, such as CP/M-86, MS-DOS, and Windows 3.x. You can download them as ZIP files or disk images.
Internet Archive: Internet Archive is a website that preserves and provides access to digital content, such as books, music, videos, and software. You can visit their website at and search for dBase 3 Plus. You will find several copies of dBase 3 Plus from different sources, such as magazines, books, or CDs. You can download them as ZIP files or disk images.
Tips and Warnings
Before you download dBase 3 Plus from any source, you should consider some tips and warnings to avoid any problems or issues. Here are some of them:
Check the file integrity: Before you open or install any file that you download from the internet, you should check its integrity using a tool such as MD5 or SHA-1. This will help you verify that the file has not been corrupted or tampered with during the download or transmission process.
Check the legality: Before you download or use any software that is not offered by its official source, you should check its legality in your jurisdiction. Some software may be protected by intellectual property rights or other laws that prohibit unauthorized distribution or use. You should respect the rights of the software owners and developers and comply with the applicable laws.
Check the compatibility: Before you install or run any software that is designed for an older platform or operating system, you should check its compatibility with your current platform or operating system. Some software may not work properly or at all on newer platforms or operating systems due to differences in hardware, software, or drivers. You may need to use an emulator or a virtual machine to run such software.
How to Install and Run dBase 3 Plus
After you have downloaded dBase 3 Plus from your preferred source, you are ready to install and run it on your computer. However, since dBase 3 Plus is an old software that was designed for CP/M or MS-DOS, you may encounter some challenges or difficulties in doing so. In this section, we will guide you through the steps of installing and running dBase 3 Plus on your computer.
Installation Steps
The installation steps of dBase 3 Plus may vary depending on the source and format of the file that you downloaded. Here are some general steps that you can follow:
Prepare a floppy disk or a virtual drive: If you downloaded dBase 3 Plus as a disk image, such as .img or .ima, you will need to write it to a floppy disk or mount it to a virtual drive. You can use a tool such as WinImage or Virtual Floppy Drive to do this. If you downloaded dBase 3 Plus as a ZIP file, you will need to extract it to a floppy disk or a virtual drive. You can use a tool such as WinZip or 7-Zip to do this.
Boot into CP/M or MS-DOS: If you have a CP/M or MS-DOS computer, you can simply boot into it and insert the floppy disk or access the virtual drive. If you have a Windows computer, you will need to use an emulator or a virtual machine to boot into CP/M or MS-DOS. You can use a tool such as DOSBox or VirtualBox to do this.
Run the installation program: Once you are in CP/M or MS-DOS, you will need to run the installation program of dBase 3 Plus. The name of the program may vary depending on the version and source of dBase 3 Plus, but it is usually something like INSTALL.EXE, SETUP.EXE, or DBASE.EXE. You will need to type the name of the program followed by the drive letter of the floppy disk or the virtual drive, such as A:INSTALL.EXE or B:DBASE.EXE.
Follow the installation instructions: The installation program of dBase 3 Plus will guide you through the installation process. You will need to answer some questions and make some choices, such as the destination directory, the installation options, and the license agreement. You will also need to swap the floppy disks or mount the different disk images if there are more than one.
Verify the installation: After the installation is complete, you will need to verify that dBase 3 Plus is installed correctly on your computer. You can do this by checking the destination directory and looking for the files and folders of dBase 3 Plus. You can also run dBase 3 Plus and see if it works properly.
Running Steps
The running steps of dBase 3 Plus are similar to the installation steps, except that you don't need to run the installation program again. Here are some general steps that you can follow:
Boot into CP/M or MS-DOS: As before, you will need to boot into CP/M or MS-DOS using your CP/M or MS-DOS computer, emulator, or virtual machine.
Navigate to the destination directory: You will need to navigate to the destination directory where you installed dBase 3 Plus using the CD command. For example, if you installed dBase 3 Plus in C:\DBASE3P, you will need to type CD C:\DBASE3P.
Run dBase 3 Plus: You will need to run dBase 3 Plus by typing DBASE.EXE followed by any parameters that you want to use. For example, if you want to run dBase 3 Plus in interactive mode with no memory resident programs loaded, you will need to type DBASE.EXE /I /N.
Enjoy dBase 3 Plus: You can now enjoy using dBase 3 Plus on your computer. You can create and manage databases, enter and manipulate data, query and sort data, generate and print reports, write and execute programs, and more.
Basic Commands and Features
dBase 3 Plus has many commands and features that allow you to work with databases and data. Here are some of the basic commands and features that you should know:
Creating a database: To create a database, you can use the CREATE command followed by the name of the database and the fields that you want to include. For example, to create a database named CUSTOMER.DBF with three fields: NAME (character, 20), AGE (numeric, 3), and CITY (character, 15), you can type CREATE CUSTOMER NAME 20 AGE 3 CITY 15.
Entering data: To enter data into a database, you can use the APPEND command followed by the name of the database. This will open a data entry form where you can type the values for each field. You can use the Enter key to move to the next field and the Esc key to save the record and exit the form. For example, to enter data into the CUSTOMER.DBF database, you can type APPEND CUSTOMER.
Querying data: To query data from a database, you can use the LIST command followed by the name of the database and the criteria that you want to apply. This will display the records that match the criteria on the screen. You can use the asterisk (*) as a wildcard to match any value. You can also use logical operators such as AND, OR, and NOT to combine multiple criteria. For example, to query data from the CUSTOMER.DBF database where the age is greater than 30 and the city is New York, you can type LIST CUSTOMER FOR AGE > 30 AND CITY = "New York".
Sorting data: To sort data in a database, you can use the SORT command followed by the name of the database and the fields that you want to sort by. This will create a new database with the same structure but with the records sorted in ascending order by the specified fields. You can use a minus sign (-) before a field name to sort in descending order. For example, to sort data in the CUSTOMER.DBF database by age in descending order and then by name in ascending order, you can type SORT CUSTOMER TO CUSTOMER2 BY -AGE BY NAME.
Printing reports: To print reports from a database, you can use the REPORT command followed by the name of the database and the options that you want to use. This will create a report file with the same name as the database but with a .FRM extension. You can then print this file using the PRINT command. You can use various options to customize your report, such as specifying the fields, headings, totals, breaks, etc. For example, to print a report from the CUSTOMER.DBF database with only the name and city fields, a heading of "Customer List", and a total count of records, you can type REPORT CUSTOMER FIELDS NAME CITY HEADING "Customer List" TOTAL RECORDS.
These are just some of the basic commands and features of dBase 3 Plus. There are many more commands and features that you can explore and learn by reading the documentation or searching online.
Conclusion
In this article, we have shown you how to download dBase 3 Plus from different sources, how to install and run it on your computer, and how to use some basic commands and features of it. We hope that this article has been helpful and informative for you.
dBase 3 Plus is a classic database management system that has a rich history and legacy in the software industry. It is still used by some people today for various purposes, such as nostalgia, compatibility, or learning. If you are one of them, or if you are curious about it, you can download dBase 3 Plus for free from its official website or from alternative sources.
However, before you do so, you should be aware of some tips and warnings that we have mentioned in this article, such as checking the file integrity, legality, and compatibility of dBase 3 Plus. You should also be prepared to face some challenges or difficulties in installing and running dBase 3 Plus on your modern computer. You may need to use some tools such as floppy disks, virtual drives, emulators, or virtual machines to do so.
Once you have installed and run dBase 3 Plus on your computer, you can enjoy using it to create and manage databases and data. You can also learn more about its commands and features by reading its documentation or searching online.
FAQs
Q: What is dBase 3 Plus?
A: dBase 3 Plus is a database management system that was released in 1986 by Ashton-Tate. It was one of the first and most successful database systems for microcomputers. It allowed users to create, manage, and manipulate data using a core database engine, a query system, a forms engine, and a programming language.
Q: How can I download dBase 3 Plus?
A: You can download dBase 3 Plus from its official website or from alternative sources. However, you should check the file integrity, legality, and compatibility of dBase 3 Plus before you download or use it.
Q: How can I install and run dBase 3 Plus?
A: You can install and run dBase 3 Plus on your CP/M or MS-DOS computer, emulator, or virtual machine. You will need to prepare a floppy disk or a virtual drive, boot into CP/M or MS-DOS, run the installation program, and follow the installation instructions. Then, you can run dBase 3 Plus by typing DBASE.EXE followed by any parameters that you want to use.
Q: How can I use dBase 3 Plus?
A: You can use dBase 3 Plus to create and manage databases and data. You can use various commands and features of dBase 3 Plus, such as CREATE, APPEND, LIST, SORT, REPORT, etc. You can also write and execute programs using the xBase programming language.
Q: What are some alternatives to dBase 3 Plus?
A: There are many alternatives to dBase 3 Plus that are more modern or popular, such as Microsoft Access, MySQL, SQLite, MongoDB, etc. You can also use some of the clones or competitors of dBase 3 Plus that use the same file format (.dbf) and programming language (xBase), such as Clipper, FoxBASE+, FoxPro, Visual FoxPro, Harbour, etc.
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