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13805 :: NimBase: A terminal database programming environment.

• luciano (orginal) [2026-03-22T09:08:29+01:00] view original

  NimBase: A terminal database programming environment. Write procedures, open tables, fill forms. xBase syntax. SQLite storage. GNU+Linux.

  Why NimBase

  The xBase family — dBase, Clipper, FoxPro — gave hobbyists and small businesses a remarkably productive way to build data-driven applications. A .prg file, a few USE / APPEND / REPLACE commands, some @ SAY GET forms, and you had a working program.

  That world mostly disappeared. NimBase brings it back on a modern Linux terminal, with SQLite as storage so your data is a single portable file per table.

  Features

  • xBase syntax — procedures, functions, codeblocks, macro expansion (&var)
  • Full-screen TUI — @ SAY/GET/READ forms, boxes, PROMPT menus, TBROWSE browser
  • SQLite storage — one .sqlite file per table, no .dbf dependency
  • Memo fields — type M opens $VISUAL/$EDITOR for long text
  • Structure editor — interactive CREATE / MODIFY STRUCTURE
  • 100+ built-ins — strings, dates, arrays, math, file I/O, DB navigation
  • Interactive REPL — dot-command prompt for ad-hoc queries and exploration
  • Export — COPY TO ... DELIMITED (CSV) and COPY TO ... SDF (fixed-width)
  • Date arithmetic — DATE() + 30, d1 - d2 returns days as integer
  • GET VALID/WHEN — field validation and conditional display in forms
  • DO filename — call external .prg files at runtime

  https://github.com/lucianofedericopereira/nimbase

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• Araq (orginal) [2026-03-22T09:20:28+01:00] view original

  Offtopic but maybe helpful: If you are looking for something better than SQL, take inspiration from AQL which has its moments.

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• enthus1ast (orginal) [2026-03-22T11:19:53+01:00] view original

  When you say tui I can recommend adding some screenshots and record an example session with: https://asciinema.org/

  It sounds interesting but I have no idea what xbase or similar means.

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• Jaap (orginal) [2026-03-22T11:54:52+01:00] view original

  It works great!

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