When we start the dBASE III programme, it prompts by dot (.). Also when it finishes executing a given command, it writes dot in the first column of next line on the screen. Interaction with dBASE III package consists mainly of issuing appropriate commands against this dot prompt. Each dBASE III command starts with a key word (or verb) followed by certain parameters. The command for creating a file for customer data would be
..CREATE CUSTLIST
Note the keyword CREATE which is typed by the user against the dot prompt produce by dBASE III. CREATE command wants a parameter which will be used as a name for the file so created. The user can choose any name that he desires within the syntactic rules specified by the package. We shall henceforth omit such minor syntactic details of the package. We shall use the symbol to indicate enter or return key of the keyboard. In response to CERATE command, dBASE III will provide a screen where we can enter the above nine filed names alongwith their type characteristics.
