Clipper programming language

Clipper is a computer programming language that is used to create software programs that operate primarily under DOS. Although it can be used as a general-purpose programming tool, it is almost exclusively used to create databse programs.

Clipper was originally created strictly as a compiler for dBASE code. Compiling changes dBASE code from interpreted code[?], which must be interpreted every time the line of code is executed, to machine language, which does not need interpretation and thus is considerably faster in execution. Clipper was created by a company named Nantucket, and later sold to Computer Associates[?]. As the product matured, it remained a DOS tool, but added elements of the C programming language and Pascal programming language to become more powerful than the original. As of this writing (2003), the language has not been updated in several years but is still actively used, and many variants are being created, such as [[Xbase++]] and Harbour. Libraries that allow Clipper to create Windows programs are also available, principally FiveWin[?] and Clip4Win[?].