4D for Mobile: What’s New in 4D v19 R8



Product Young asian woman using a smart phone. Mobile communication.

With every release, the list of 4D for iOS and 4D for Android features is growing bigger. And this feature release is no exception. Without further ado, let’s see what 4D v19 R8 has in store for you:

WHAT’S IN IT?

For 4D for Android (already available in 4D for iOS):

  • Create a choice list from a table field or a JSON file.
  • Use input control with code to retrieve, for example, GPS coordinates or phone numbers in the Contact application.
  • Add a section in list form to group data by the company, for example.
  • Use a custom login form.
  • Improvement of the bottom navigation bar to display more than four tables and follow the Android guideline.

SUMMARY TABLE

Here is a table summarizing all the features available in 4D for Android or 4D for iOS. Plus, the features planned in our roadmap for 4D for Android.

 

 

 Android iOS

Build native apps

A native app provides access to all platform and device-specific features.

 ✓

✓

Offline support

Have up-to-date data at hand… even when you’re offline.

✓

✓

User management

Use authentication to determine the identity and legitimacy of the person trying to log into your app.

 ✓

✓

Filter data

Restrict access to data depending on the user. Only the data that the user is authorized to access is available.

 ✓

✓

Data formatters

Format your data, for example, to represent numerical data in currencies or percentages.
You can create your own formatters to convert strings, booleans, or integers to images or display object fields in your mobile application in human-readable or JSON format.

 ✓

✓

Multi-criteria search

Run search operations based on multiple fields and display filtered content in your generated app.

 ✓

✓

Personalize your application

Extend the capabilities of your app by creating templates. 
Use your own icons for more personalized and more beautiful apps. 
Define the dominance of your app by using the color of your logo or selecting a color.

 ✓

✓

Pull to refresh

It’s possible to force a refresh at any time.

 ✓

✓

Debug your apps

Debug your generated apps on your device.

 ✓

✓

N to One relation and One to N relations

Display the relative data to a record in list and detail forms.

 ✓

✓

Computed attributes and Alias for scalar

Display computed attributes such as full name in your list or detail form, allowing you to retrieve values at several degrees of depth and display even more relevant information in your mobile app.

 ✓

✓

Offline actions

Declare CRUD or custom actions for tables, selections, or entities; they’ll automatically be displayed in the right place, even offline.

 ✓

✓

Action input controls

Add or replace pictures by selecting them directly from your library or using your camera.
Scan a Bar or QR Code directly from your mobile application to fill in an input text.
Extend the capabilities of your app by including forms that use signature areas.

 ✓

✓

Interact with other apps

Interact with different applications by touching a field on the screen: 

  • an address to automatically display a map showing the location, 
  • a phone number to call or add to contacts, 
  • a mail to open the mail app,
  • or a URL to open an URL in the default web browser.

For your specific needs, you can create your own Kotlin or Swift formatters.

 ✓

✓

Sort actions

Sort the content of a list form

 ✓

✓

Custom Input Controls

Create a choice list from a table field or a JSON file.

 ✓ v19 R8

✓

Input control with code

For example, to fill the current location of the app user with coordinates (latitude and longitude) and addresses automatically.

 ✓ v19 R8

✓

Sections in list form

Group data into a list form

 ✓ v19 R8

✓

Custom login form

Create your own login form or download a login form from the gallery.

 ✓ v19 R8

✓
Code bar search, Push notifications, Deep linking Planned

✓

Stay tuned for more updates! Meanwhile, join the discussion on the 4D forum and let us know your thoughts about the new features.

 

Discuss

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Vanessa Talbot
• Product Owner •Vanessa Talbot joined 4D Program team in June, 2014. As a Product Owner, she is in charge of writing the user stories then translating it to functional specifications. Her role is also to make sure that the feature implementation delivered is meeting the customer need.Since her arrival, she has worked to define key features in 4D. She has worked on most of preemptive multi-threading new features and also on a very complex subject: the new architecture for engined application. Vanessa has a degree from Telecom Saint-Etienne. She began her career at the Criminal Research Institute as a developer for the audiovisual department. She has also worked in media and medical fields as expert in technical support, production as well as documenting new features.