Even in 2025, a surprising number of Xbase++, Harbour, and VFP projects still run on classic DBF files.
I had this verified across seven AI systems (Claude, Copilot, Deepseek, Le Chat, Perplexity, Gemini, and ChatGPT) – and looking at the numbers, it’s actually the SQL folks who are evangelizing:
Technology DBF SQL
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Conclusion: About 60–70% of active systems still rely on DBF – despite the SQL hype.
(Source: Evaluation using 7 AI systems: Claude, Copilot, Deepseek, Le Chat, Perplexity, Gemini, and ChatGPT)
For me, the fundamental question isn’t “DBF or SQL,” but rather:
How can we secure existing DBF applications effectively in 2025?
As a test, I built a DBF microservice using ReadDirectoryChangesW() and Cloudflare Access:
No open port, no VPN required
2FA via browser (Zero Trust principle)
Only .req files are accessed
Response returned via .result
The whole setup runs stably, performs well (under 100 ms) – and most importantly, without SQL migration or admin overhead.
I’d be interested to hear:
What solutions are you using to secure RDP, web, or DBF systems?
Classic VPN? Or are you already working with Cloudflare, 2FA, reverse proxy, …?
Best regards,
Otto
