Editing Framework (office suite) (section)

=== Ashton-Tate era ===
[[File:Framework-II-floppy-disk-for-IBM-PC.jpg|alt=Framework-II-floppy-disk-for-IBM-PC|thumb|upright=1|A floppy disk for Framework II version 1.1, published by Ashton-Tate in 1985.]]

The original team, now working for Ashton-Tate, continued to enhance the product.{{sfn|Lammers|1986|p=216}}

Later Framework versions included a frame type that can hold compiled executable code.
Beginning with Framework II (1985), the company also produced the Framework II Runtime and the Framework II Developer's Toolkit.  These products allowed application developers to create business applications using the built-in [[FRED (programming language)|FRED]] programming language.
Novel MHS Electronic Mail<ref name="MHS Electronic Mail">{{cite web |last1=GREENBLATT |first1=BRUCE |title=Integrating MHS Services with Other Novell Products |url=https://support.novell.com/techcenter/articles/ana19951003.html |website=novell.com |publisher=Micro Focus |access-date=11 September 2022 |ref=[5]}}</ref> was integrated into Framework and a MailBox cabinet was added to the desktop.

Framework III was produced in 1988–1989,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hergert |first1=Douglas |last2=Kamin |first2=Jonathan |title=Mastering Framework III |publisher=Sybex |year=1989 |isbn=0-89588-513-1}}.</ref> and in 1991, Framework IV emerged as the last [[Ashton-Tate]]-released version.

Although Ashton-Tate humorously advertised, that "[[Lotus Cars|Lotus]] uses Framework",<ref name="byte198507">{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1985-07/1985_07_BYTE_10-07_Computers_and_Space#page/n101/mode/2up |title=Lotus Uses Framework. |magazine=BYTE |date=July 1985 |access-date=27 October 2013 |pages=94–95 |type=advertisement}}</ref> Framework failed to gain more than a fraction of the market share needed to become a workplace standard. [[Lotus 1-2-3]] was able to successfully capture most of the spreadsheet market, and after a number of setbacks regarding [[Ashton-Tate]]'s flagship product '''[[dBase|dBASE]]''', [[Borland]] bought Ashton-Tate, and later sold Framework to [[Selections & Functions]], Inc.