dBase for DOS was the database software that ruled the ‘80s and early ‘90s, powering everything from small business inventory to serious corporate record-keeping before “apps” were even a thing. Launched in 1980 by Ashton-Tate, the original dBASE II (yep, they skipped “I”) put command-line database management in the hands of anyone with a PC. dBASE III dropped in 1984, adding more stability and features, and dBASE IV hit in 1988, trying to keep pace with a growing wave of competitors. By the early ‘90s, it was basically the backbone for custom software before Windows GUIs and Microsoft Access took over. If you were building your own database on a beige box running DOS, you were probably living in dBase.