Our top 10 blog posts from 2017!

From Object Notation to 4D Write Pro and security to straightforward tips, 2017 had it all! Let’s take a look back with ten of our most-read posts. Here are the topics that grabbed your attention in 2017:

#10 – list box: more programming possibilities

In this blog post, we introduced the ability to use generic programming with list boxes. Now developers have full control over the complete list of list box properties. 

#9 – search by linking array attribute query arguments

4D provides several ways to query data using indexes, in an extremely fast way. Even better, this feature was enhanced by allowing even more complex queries inside a list of elements … in a single object!

 #8 – 4D write pro: document creation by programming

4D Write Pro facilitates automatic document creation thanks to the bookmark concept. This allows you to easily build new documents, section by section. A demo database is included in this post to show you how to use the new commands to dynamically generate documents.

#7 – discover how object notation can simplify A developer’s life

This post presents a major enhancement to the 4D language: Object Notation. We’ve highlighted what can be done differently and more efficiently thanks to the power of Object Notation!

 #6 – timestamp is now available

A new command was introduced to get a precise UTC time stamp including milliseconds. As an example, this information can be used in a log file to know precisely when an event occurred!

 #5 – sdi mode for applications on windows

4D applications can benefit from the SDI mode on Windows. Previously, 4D had a grey main window (the MDI window) with all application windows displayed inside (as child windows). SDI applications, however, have a main window that can open many additional windows independently.

 #4 – new object: an easy way to initialize an object

We introduced a new command to initialize an object: New object. This command creates an object and returns a reference to it. Therefore, OB SET is now unnecessary in several situations.

#3 – object notation: another way of coding

With Object Notation came a lot of possibilities. One of them is no more need to use OB Get or OB SET. On top of that, code execution is 10 times faster with Object Notation!

#2 – Discover and use standard actions

More than 100 standard actions for 4D Write Pro and Styled Text have been added. In this post, we’ve presented various ways to use standard actions, as well as their benefits. One of them is 4D’s automatic handling of the menu item or button deactivation whenever the action is not applicable, without any coding!

#1 – create your own interface for 4D Write Pro

In the #1 post of 2017, we emphasized using standard actions to handle 4D Write Pro areas. Without a single line of code, you can quickly create a menu bar or a customized contextual menu to easily manage your 4D Write Pro documents.