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> So DRH asked the question: what if the database just worked without any server? This was an innovative idea back then. Strange my recollection of the time wa

> So DRH asked the question: what if the database just worked without any server? This was an innovative idea back then. Strange my recollection of the time was file based databases were much more popular. FoxPro, Access (jet) and Dbase where all in wide use in 90's and early 2000's and ran a lot of business software using network file shares instead of a database server.

vidarh 2y ago
Indeed, you're right - there was a multitude of products like that, and linked in libraries for managing databases. That said, I'm not aware of anyone doing that with SQL before SQLite. Though I might well have missed some.
- Kwpolska 2y ago
  Microsoft Access/JET: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Access_Database_Engine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Access_Database_Engine
  - colejohnson66 2y ago
    Access is indeed an RDBMS, but it did not originally support SQL.
    - SigmundA 2y ago
      Here is an example straight out of the MS access 1.0 introduction to programming from 1992, page 100, brings back some memories: > You can also create a Dynaset variable using an SQL string instead of the name of an existing table or query: Dim db As Database, dsSomeData As Dynaset, SQL Set db = OpenDatabase("NWIND.MDB") SQL = "SELECT * FROM Employees WHERE Employees![City] = 'London';" Set dsSomeData = db.CreateDynaset(SQL) It had a nice visual builder for queries took me a while to appreciate writing them in SQL, many people never knew it was in there.
- beagle3 2y ago
  Borland’s Interbase. I also vaguely remember an optional SQL interface for Btrieve circa 1990, but I might be mistaken.
  - neverartful 2y ago
    Interbase is still around and it can store the entire database in a single file or across multiple files. There are also 3 versions of it available: IBLite (in process DB engine), IB-To-Go (in process DB engine), and Interbase (server based).
- chasil 2y ago
  dBase IV had a SQL implementation. I never used it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DBase#dBase_IV https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DBase#dBase_IV
- SigmundA 2y ago
  The Access database engine used SQL, it's how I got started using the language in the mid 90's. It wasn't just used by MS Access, its was used from VB and other languages because it was just an ODBC/OLEDB driver. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Access_Database_Engine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Access_Database_Engine FoxPro looks like it supported SQL in V2 in 1991 https://www.landley.net/history/mirror/collate/foxpro/foxprotimeline.htm https://www.landley.net/history/mirror/collate/foxpro/foxpro...
- whartung 2y ago
  GUPTA SQLBase was another popular embedded database. We had it in an application written in C.
- litoE 2y ago
  Unify was also serverless. It handled multiple concurrent writing processes and supported SQL. We were using it in the 1985-1990 timeframe.
- emmelaich 2y ago
  There is/was https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MSQL https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MSQL There were also minimalist SQL interfaces to say BerkeleyDB and DBM around. It was a rival of MySQL for a while. The article says "mSQL was the first low-cost SQL-based database management system" but notes citation needed. Certainly matches my memory though. Home page: https://hughestech.com.au/products/msql/ https://hughestech.com.au/products/msql/ [I thought it could run serverless but maybe that was very early versions if at all]
danpalmer 2y ago
Yeah this one stuck out to me. I had thought that SQLite was probably inspired by BerkeleyDB which came out in 1994. That’s key value not relational, but the idea of a local, embedded database was not new.

vidarh 2y ago

Indeed, you're right - there was a multitude of products like that, and linked in libraries for managing databases. That said, I'm not aware of anyone doing that with SQL before SQLite. Though I might well have missed some.

Kwpolska 2y ago
Microsoft Access/JET: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Access_Database_Engine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Access_Database_Engine
- colejohnson66 2y ago
  Access is indeed an RDBMS, but it did not originally support SQL.
  - SigmundA 2y ago
    Here is an example straight out of the MS access 1.0 introduction to programming from 1992, page 100, brings back some memories: > You can also create a Dynaset variable using an SQL string instead of the name of an existing table or query: Dim db As Database, dsSomeData As Dynaset, SQL Set db = OpenDatabase("NWIND.MDB") SQL = "SELECT * FROM Employees WHERE Employees![City] = 'London';" Set dsSomeData = db.CreateDynaset(SQL) It had a nice visual builder for queries took me a while to appreciate writing them in SQL, many people never knew it was in there.
beagle3 2y ago
Borland’s Interbase. I also vaguely remember an optional SQL interface for Btrieve circa 1990, but I might be mistaken.
- neverartful 2y ago
  Interbase is still around and it can store the entire database in a single file or across multiple files. There are also 3 versions of it available: IBLite (in process DB engine), IB-To-Go (in process DB engine), and Interbase (server based).
chasil 2y ago
dBase IV had a SQL implementation. I never used it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DBase#dBase_IV https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DBase#dBase_IV
SigmundA 2y ago
The Access database engine used SQL, it's how I got started using the language in the mid 90's. It wasn't just used by MS Access, its was used from VB and other languages because it was just an ODBC/OLEDB driver. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Access_Database_Engine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Access_Database_Engine FoxPro looks like it supported SQL in V2 in 1991 https://www.landley.net/history/mirror/collate/foxpro/foxprotimeline.htm https://www.landley.net/history/mirror/collate/foxpro/foxpro...
whartung 2y ago
GUPTA SQLBase was another popular embedded database. We had it in an application written in C.
litoE 2y ago
Unify was also serverless. It handled multiple concurrent writing processes and supported SQL. We were using it in the 1985-1990 timeframe.
emmelaich 2y ago
There is/was https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MSQL https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MSQL There were also minimalist SQL interfaces to say BerkeleyDB and DBM around. It was a rival of MySQL for a while. The article says "mSQL was the first low-cost SQL-based database management system" but notes citation needed. Certainly matches my memory though. Home page: https://hughestech.com.au/products/msql/ https://hughestech.com.au/products/msql/ [I thought it could run serverless but maybe that was very early versions if at all]

danpalmer 2y ago

Yeah this one stuck out to me. I had thought that SQLite was probably inspired by BerkeleyDB which came out in 1994. That’s key value not relational, but the idea of a local, embedded database was not new.