ORDA – Share an entity selection between processes
4D v16 R6 introduced a new concept of communication between processes: shared object and shared collection variables! Thanks to this, you’re able to easily share information between processes.
Until now, entity selections weren’t shareable between processes. However, that has changed … we’re pleased to announce that in 4D v18 R5 entity selections are shareable!
Gone are the days of building a list of primary keys to move a selection of entities to another process. Enhance your multi-processes code by including ORDA entity selections as shared objects.
Keep reading to learn more.
4D View Pro: Use 4D formulas in your spreadsheet
4D v18 R5 introduces a new command that simplifies writing your code: VP SET CUSTOM FUNCTIONS. It creates custom functions in 4D View Pro which execute 4D formulas.
Thanks to this command you can now allow 4D commands, fields, variables, methods, or any arbitrary expression to be used in your cell formulas. For example, there’s no need to create a method to use a simple variable in 4D View Pro, just pass it as a parameter to your Formula.
4D Write Pro: soft-hyphens made easy
With 4D v18 R5, we’ve simplified the insertion of soft-hyphens by providing new standard actions, as well as new buttons in the 4D Write Pro Interface widgets.
Automate repetitive tasks and more with form macros!
If you’re a fan of macros in the code editor, then 4D v18 R5 has some good news for you … because now macros are also available in the form editor!
Let me start by telling you how useful macros can be for you. Have you ever needed to use formatting or naming rules in your application, then apply them to each new form? Or maybe you’ve had to work on existing forms created by someone else, and always need to do the exact same checks and analyses before getting started. If you’ve ever encountered one of these scenarios, then 4D v18 R5 is for you because it gives you the ability to create macros and save time on predictable, repetitive tasks.
4D for iOS: Improved UX (& more) with deep Linking
4D v18 R5 includes a new great feature: Deep linking. That’s cool, but what the heck is it?
Here’s an example:
Have you ever gotten an email from Netflix asking if you want to continue watching a movie that you stopped halfway through? You click the link, but it doesn’t take you to the Netflix home page or launch the application on your phone. Instead, clicking the link opens the player, and resumes the movie exactly where you stopped.
That’s deep linking! It allows users to open a specific view in their app just by clicking on a URL (significantly improving the user experience and increasing user retention and engagement).
Remote debugger: Debug server code on the client
There are many different client/server development scenarios, but in all of them, you need to switch between the client-side and the server-side to look at your server debugger or error window. To make your life easier, we’ve added a new option that allows you to decide where you want to debug your server code. Do you need to debug on a client because your server is headless? Just attach it to your client through your 4D menu!
Coder-friendly syntax for class functions and methods
Using $1, $2, and $n variables in your code not only makes the code less readable, it can also increase confusion since the human brain can find it difficult to remember what these variables correspond to. The solution is to create a variable with an understandable name and assign it the value of $1, $2, or $n.
4D v18 R5 has good news, you can now name your parameters when declaring:
- a project method,
- a trigger
- a database method
- a form method
- a constructor of a class
- a function of a class.
Let’s see how!
ORDA – Improve your API with function scope
4D v18 R4 and ORDA made it possible for you to create high-level class functions above the data model. This allows you to write business-oriented code to hide complexity, reduce errors, and speed up the development process.
With 4D v18 R5, we’re bringing even more features to help you optimize and organize your code. For example, you might need to run a function locally on the client to improve performance when working in client/server mode. It’s now possible! Or if you expose your database as a REST server, you might want some functions to be available on the server-side but hidden for your REST clients. This is also possible!
Vote for your features!
Understanding what users really need has always been a fundamental product management challenge. At 4D, we take this very seriously which is why we’ve decided to revisit the Feature Request section on our forum. The following is a summary of what has been changed and how you can get the most value from it.
Preview your CSS directly in the form editor!
In 4D v18 R5, you can preview the final CSS rendering in the form editor WITHOUT running your dialog. Yes, you heard that right. Standardizing and reviving your forms has never been easier!
If you haven’t yet heard about CSS in 4D, now’s the perfect time to learn more! Introduced in 4D v18 for project applications, this concept includes enhanced and quick style sheets based on CSS. I recommend taking a look at this blog post.
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