Lima uses case studies to introduce the template programming language of dBASE IV. He makes no attempt to describe CASE tools in general or to put this language in perspective by comparing it to other fourth-generation  languages.  The book examines the various dBASE IV templates in detail and then uses them as the basis for the generation of custom applications. The examination of some of these templates and forms requires entire chapters in the text. The reader will gain an excellent understanding of the dBASE template language, the changes necessary to incorporate these templates into applications, and the modifications that can make them more efficient.

The text is organized around the templates, forms, and case study applications. The book contains a minimal amount of text, plus listings of the templates and illustrations of the screen as the application is created. The cookbook approach has considerable merit as an introduction, but the reader will need some knowledge of the theoretical foundations of fourth-generation languages and CASE tools.

The book seems to be written for practitioners in the field. It succeeds in providing an example-driven tutorial for the dBASE IV template language. It could be used as a supplemental classroom text--the customization of the code created in the system provides good programming insights.