# FoxPro > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/FoxPro > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/FoxPro.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FoxPro > Source revision: 1337383284 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Programming language For the successor system from Microsoft, see [Visual FoxPro](/source/Visual_FoxPro). This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "FoxPro" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (August 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Cover of the FoxPro 2.6 Developer's Guide **FoxPro** is a [text-based](/source/Text-based_(computing)) [procedurally oriented](/source/Procedural_programming) [programming language](/source/Programming_language) and [database management system](/source/Database_management_system) (DBMS), and it is also an [object-oriented](/source/Object-oriented_programming) programming language, originally published by Fox Software and later by [Microsoft](/source/Microsoft), for [MS-DOS](/source/MS-DOS), [Windows](/source/Windows), [Macintosh](/source/Macintosh), and [UNIX](/source/UNIX). The final published release of FoxPro was 2.6. Development continued under the [Visual FoxPro](/source/Visual_FoxPro) label, which in turn was discontinued in 2007. ## Description FoxPro was derived from FoxBase (Fox Software, Perrysburg, Ohio), which was in turn derived from [dBase](/source/DBase) III ([Ashton-Tate](/source/Ashton-Tate)) and dBase II. FoxPro is both a DBMS and a [relational database management system](/source/Relational_database_management_system) (RDBMS), since it extensively supports multiple relationships between multiple [.dbf](/source/.dbf) files (tables). However, it lacks support for [transactional processing](/source/Transaction_processing). FoxPro was sold and supported by Microsoft after they acquired Fox Software in its entirety in 1992. At that time there was an active worldwide community of FoxPro users and programmers. FoxPro 2.6 for UNIX (FPU26) has been successfully installed on [Linux](/source/Linux) and [FreeBSD](/source/FreeBSD) using the Intel Binary Compatibility Standard ([ibcs](/source/Intel_Binary_Compatibility_Standard)2) support library. ## Reception Tom Campbell of *[Compute!](/source/Compute!)* in 1993 praised FoxPro's [rapid application development](/source/Rapid_application_development): "You can create a complete database browser with a mousing, menuing interface in well under 100 lines--including a custom data entry screen with error checking". He concluded that the $1000 price for FoxPro and [runtime library](/source/Runtime_library) was "without a doubt" worthwhile, as it "could mean that you'll make that $1,000 back--on your first job".[1] Richard O'Reilly of the *[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)* also approved of the [no-code](/source/No-code) development. He said that FoxPro 2.5 was preferable to [Microsoft Access](/source/Microsoft_Access) for most, being both faster and easy to learn, and also faster than [Borland Paradox](/source/Borland_Paradox).[2] A 1990 [American Institute of Certified Public Accountants](/source/American_Institute_of_Certified_Public_Accountants) member survey found that 2% of respondents used FoxBase as their database.[3] dBASE creator [Wayne Ratliff](/source/Wayne_Ratliff) in 2007 praised FoxPro: "FoxPro is more rigorous in its data approach than dBASE II was. It's—maybe user-friendly isn't the right word—it's just friendly. It's easy to do stuff".[4] Chuck Hinkle reviewed the Mac version in The Apple Barrel and complained that it wasn't more object-based and that the add-ins that simplify its programming on the PC don't exist on the Mac and require more work than using [FileMaker](/source/FileMaker) or [Helix (database)](/source/Helix_(database)). His final assessment was: "I would stick with FileMaker for simple databases and stick with Helix Express and 4th Dimension for sophisticated database applications for the Macintosh." However, he recommended it for Mac users who have to program for PC users or who need to run dBASE programs.[5] ## Version information ### Operating system compatibility Extant Versions by OS Version FP 2.0 FP 2.5 FP 2.6 MS-DOS Yes Yes Yes Windows 3.1 to 7 Ultimate sp1 Yes Yes Yes Macintosh Yes Yes Yes SCO UNIX Yes Yes Yes Linux and FreeBSD Yes Yes Yes[6] Windows 2000 No No Yes Windows 7, 8, 10 32 bit No No Yes ### Technical aspects FoxPro 2 includes the "Rushmore" optimizing engine, which uses indices to accelerate data retrieval and updating. Rushmore technology examines every data-related statement and looks for filter expressions. If one is used, it looks for an index matching the same expression. FoxPro 2 was originally built on [Watcom C/C++](/source/Watcom_C%2FC%2B%2B), which used the [DOS/4GW memory extender](/source/DOS%2F4G) to access [expanded](/source/Expanded_memory) and [extended memory](/source/Extended_memory). It could also use almost all available RAM even if no [HIMEM.SYS](/source/HIMEM.SYS) was loaded. ### Version timeline Version Returned by VERSION() File Size Release date FPW 2.6a FoxPro 2.6a for Windows 2.44 Mb September 28, 1994 FPM 2.6a FoxPro 2.6a for Macintosh Unknown August 1994 FPD 2.6a FoxPro 2.6a for DOS 1.79 Mb August 1994 FPW 2.6 FoxPro 2.6 for Windows 2.52 Mb March 9, 1994 FPM 2.6 FoxPro 2.6 for Macintosh Unknown 1993 FPD 2.6 FoxPro 2.6 for DOS 1.83 Mb March 1994 FPU 2.6 FoxPro 2.6 for Unix 2.3 Mb 1993 FPW 2.5 FoxPro 2.5 for Windows 1.63 Mb January 1993 FPD 2.5 FoxPro 2.5 for DOS 509.0 Kb February 1993 FPD 2.0 FoxPro 2.0 for DOS 488.7 Kb July 1992 FPD 1.0 FoxPro 1.0 for DOS 343.2 Kb November 1991 ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-campbell199302_1-0)** Campbell, Tom (February 1993). ["Using FoxPro"](https://www.atarimagazines.com/compute/issue149/66_Using_FoxPro.php). *Compute!*. No. 149. p. 66. Retrieved 10 March 2025. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-oreilly19930408_2-0)** O'Reilly, Richard (8 April 1993). ["Microsoft's FoxPro 2.5 Is Fast and Easy to Use"](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-04-08-fi-20371-story.html). *Los Angeles Times*. Retrieved 4 May 2025. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-aicpa1990_3-0)** [1990 AICPA survey of computer usage](https://egrove.olemiss.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1563&context=aicpa_guides) (Report). 1990. 561. Retrieved 30 April 2025. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-vsm20070801_4-0)** Barney, Doug; Caywood, Thomas (1 August 2007). ["Life After dBase -"](https://visualstudiomagazine.com/articles/2007/08/01/life-after-dbase.aspx). *Visual Studio Magazine*. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-hinkle199402_5-0)** Hinkle, Charles (Summer 1994). "Hunting the Fox". *Apple Barrel*. p. 30. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** using the [ibcs](/source/Intel_Binary_Compatibility_Standard) files from the [Linux ABI](https://sourceforge.net/projects/linux-abi/) on [SourceForge](/source/SourceForge) ## External links - [History of FoxPro - Timeline](http://www.foxprohistory.org/foxprotimeline.htm) - [A site devoted to the history of FoxPro](http://www.foxprohistory.org/) v t e xBase programming language Implementations dBase Clipper Visual Objects FoxPro Visual FoxPro Harbour Project XBase++ Vulcan.NET VP-Info AdvPL IDE HBIDE dBase Visual Objects --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [FoxPro](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FoxPro) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FoxPro?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.