DataFlex is an object-oriented high-level programming language and a fourth generation visual tool for developing Windows, web and mobile software applications on one framework-based platform. It was introduced and developed by Data Access Corporation beginning in 1982. [5] [2] [6] [7]
DataFlex can be traced back to 1982 when the company called Data Access Corporation [8] (founded in 1976) created and developed a language allowing application code to run on almost any system architecture, regardless of hardware. [2] [9] It started as a relatively early example of a fully fledged and commercially used fourth-generation programming language (4GL). In its early forms, DataFlex was available for CP/M, MS-DOS, TurboDOS, Novell NetWare, [10] OS/2, Unix, VMS and IBM AIX operating systems. [11] By 1985, DataFlex was applied in a variety of high-tech industries including automated inventory control systems and insurance fraud detection systems. [5]
DataFlex has lasted many years as a niche application development environment. The DataFlex product supports many relational database environments: Oracle database, Microsoft SQL Server, IBM Db2, MySQL, PostgreSQL and any ODBC database. DataFlex applications are used by around 3 million users. In 1991, the 3.0 version with a modernized interface was released. [12] In 2014, Data Access released 2014/18.0 version. [13] The release of DataFlex 2023/23.0 introduced FlexTron technology that allows the usage of web controls within Windows desktop applications.
DataFlex is developed and provided by Data Access Worldwide, a software company with main offices in Miami, Florida, Hengelo, Netherlands, and São Paulo, Brazil. [1] [14]
The DataFlex language supports:
The DataFlex programming language is used in the following development environments:
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