4D 21 R4 Beta Starts Today

Beta testing for 4D 21 R4 starts today, bringing more resilient client/server connectivity, local AI writing assistance inside 4D forms, safer cleanup code, stronger REST resource control, clearer server monitoring, and smoother development workflows.

This release focuses on the small moments that shape daily work: a network drop that should not close a session, a cleanup step that should not be copied everywhere, a REST session that should not keep too much in memory, or an interface that should stay synchronized without manual refreshes.

• QUIC session resilience: Keep 4D Client sessions alive during short network interruptions.

• Local AI writing tools: Use Apple Writing Tools directly in 4D form text areas and 4D Write Pro areas.

• defer command: Run cleanup code automatically when a method or function exits.

• REST server quotas: Control entity sets stored in memory for each REST session.

• 4D Server visibility: Monitor desktop clients, Web sessions, REST access, and SOAP calls from one unified Sessions tab.

• Mail and calendar notifications: React to Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace changes with one consistent notification model.

And that’s just the beginning, there’s much more to discover!

Download 4D 21 R4 now (Exclusive to 4D Partners)

 NETWORK

QUIC: More Resilient Client/Server Connectivity

QUIC session resilience is improved with the QUIC session timeout database parameter, allowing 4D Server to keep an unreachable 4D Client session alive during short network interruptions. If communication returns within the configured timeout, the session becomes active again, affected windows recover their previous state, and users can continue without losing work.

 AI Integration

Local AI Writing Tools in 4D Forms

Apple Writing Tools are now available directly inside 4D form text areas, including multiline text inputs and 4D Write Pro areas. Users can proofread, rewrite, summarize, adjust tone, or extract key points without leaving the application, while developers enable the experience through the Writing Tools property or the WritingTools standard action.

4D language

Reliable Cleanup Code at Method and Function Exit

The new defer command lets developers declare completion code that runs automatically when a method or function exits. Whether execution ends normally, reaches a return, or stops after an error, deferred expressions run in LIFO order, reducing repeated cleanup logic and making resource management safer.

HTTP SERVER

REST Server Resource Protection

REST server quota management adds session level control over entity sets stored in memory. Through Session.quotas and the new 4D.QuotaManager object, developers can define limits for REST sessions, helping protect APIs exposed to web apps, external systems, 4D Qodly Pro, mobile clients, or MCP based AI tools from accidental overload.

 4D Server Management

Clearer Session Visibility in the 4D Server Admin Window

The 4D Server Admin window now provides a unified Sessions tab for desktop clients, Web sessions, REST access, and SOAP calls. Administrators can compare active connections in one place, inspect contextual details such as IP address, User Agent, privileges, machine name, and usage rights, and troubleshoot server activity faster.

4D NetKit & Mailing

MAIL AND CALENDAR CHANGE NOTIFICATIONS

4D NetKit now provides a unified notification model for Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. Applications can react when emails or calendar events are created, modified, or deleted, using onCreate, onModify, and onDelete callbacks through provider specific notifiers with either real time webhooks or timer based monitoring.

4D Qodly Pro

Webform Editor Enhancements

The 4D Qodly Pro Editor gains workflow improvements for navigation, event reporting, dialogs, and component interaction. Developers can move more easily between the Event Report and the Page Editor, keep filters when switching views, select related components faster, and control OnChange processing with debounce and throttle settings.

4D Write Pro

Hierarchical Style Sheets in the 4D Write Pro Interface

Multi level list style sheets are now available directly in the 4D Write Pro Interface from the toolbar and sidebar. Users can apply predefined templates, manage list levels, adjust numbering formats, and keep structured documents consistent as content changes, while developers can customize templates through multiLevelStyles.json.

Platform Updates

4D 21 R4 also strengthens platform foundations with a standardized design system component foundation for 4D Qodly Pro, plus updates to OpenSSL 4.0, BoringSSL, Ngtcp2 1.22.1, Libuv 1.52.1, and Windows App SDK 2.0.1. These updates support security, networking, WinUI, QUIC, WebSocket, HTTPS, broadcast, and client/server communication.

Need more technical details? The 4D 21 R4 Beta documentation is available on the 4D Doc Center.

Your feedback is greatly appreciated and will help us improve our product quality and better serve your needs. We’d love to hear your thoughts about any of the features above. Contribute to our beta forum (accessible for all 4D Partners). And don’t hesitate to tell us about your needs; we take votes very seriously! 

Not yet a partner? Don’t miss out on the opportunity to become a 4D Partner and engage in meaningful discussions. Join us today and be part of the conversation!