Support of pictures in Objects
From 4D v16 R4, we have added the support of pictures in object attributes. For example, if you use an object to exchange settings or data between methods, forms or processes, now, you can also pass an icon or a picture in this object. You don’t need anymore to temporarily save the picture on disk.
This new type can be used like any other object attribute type: you can use, get and set pictures in objects. You can also use the controls of the picture theme.
Meet the Updated Print form & FORM LOAD Commands
4D v16 R5 brought a significant improvement to the DIALOG command. An improvement that lays in the possibility of passing a new parameter “formData” of type object. It was great to hear that this new addition has been well received by 4D developers.
With 4D v20, two other commands are upgraded, Print form and FORM LOAD! The benefit will be just as great. The object’s content passed in the parameter will be directly exploitable in the printed forms or forms loaded in memory.
Comparison with an Undefined Value
Since the appearance of ORDA, classes, and other objects, you must work increasingly with undefined values.
Since some of you are asking for an easier way to use them, starting with v20, you can compare any type of value to an undefined value without throwing an error.
Object and Collection Literal Initializer
In your code, objects and collections can be instantiated using New object and New collection commands.
However, starting from 4D v20, a more convenient and readable approach is available using object literals and collection literals. These new features provide a simpler and clearer way to initialize objects and collections.
Create a Help Menu with a Simple Collection
The “Help” menu of a software is handy. Obviously, you have a menu item to open the online documentation of the software, but also how to contact the support, and several other items depending on the software.
With 4D v20, you can easily create your application’s “Help” menu by passing a collection describing the different menu items.
New Handy Functions for Collections!
The functions associated with collections were introduced with 4D v16 R6 and have evolved with the possibility to use formulas for some of them, like map() or reduce(). 4D v20 brings other features that are just as practical, which we will present here.
4D v20 Beta Starts Today
We’re excited to announce that beta testing for 4D v20, one of our most anticipated LTS versions yet, is starting today!
With over +100 advances, including enhancements to existing products and highly requested features that have been voted for by our 4D developers, this release promises to be one of our most comprehensive and feature-rich releases yet.
Buckle up, and let’s discover some of what 4D v20 Beta has to offer:
- Build real-time web applications that can handle large volumes of data and provide a seamless user experience with the new built-in WebSocket Server.
- Work with complex data structures with object and collection literals that provide a more concise and readable way to initialize objects and collections in your code.
- Quickly and efficiently search and replace code with the Find and Replace feature improvements.
- Create a custom “Help” menu for your application by passing a collection describing the menu items.
- Save time and quickly analyze and organize your data with 4D Write Pro’s tables, which automatically fill your data in tables with page breaks, headers, footers, and even break rows.
- Take advantage of 4D Write Pro text boxes (floating containers) to print complex product flyers or brochures.
- Evaluate the new feature, QUIC Network layer, a total rewrite of Client/Server communication. Built on UDP instead of TCP, it facilitates faster recovery in case of packet loss, congestion, and other issues that can cause delays and disruptions in network traffic.
- Native support for Microsoft 365 using the Microsoft Graph API allows sending, receiving, organizing emails, and handling user authentication with Single Sign On (OAuth2)
- Much more awaits you with this LTS (see below)
Tips & Tricks for your 4D Apps – March 2023 Edition
by Add Komoncharoensiri, Director of Technical Services at 4D Inc
Here we go with another set of tips and tricks.
The 4D Knowledge Base is a library of information about 4D technology where weekly tech tips and monthly tech notes are actively published. If you missed the last tips on the KB, that’s fine; here is a compilation from the past few weeks.
This blog post covers 20 tips:
ORDA – From Beginner to Expert
ORDA, which stands for Object Relational Data Access, is a method of accessing data that combines the advantages of object-oriented programming with those of relational databases, allowing developers to focus on solving business problems rather than managing data access.
Whether you are new to ORDA or already familiar with it and want to expand your knowledge, consider this blog post a road map to guide you through the learning process.
This blog post includes the following:
- ORDA benefits
- ORDA overview
- Main concept
- ORDA APIs
- ORDA abstraction layer
- Working remotely
- Requests optimization
- Permissions system
- Sharing data between process
Without further ado, let’s get down to business!
4D Write Pro : Say Welcome to Floating Text Boxes!
4D Write Pro is an essential product for creating business documents. That’s why with every feature release, we give you more features to nail your work, and this time, 4D v19 R8 is bringing floating text boxes to 4D Write Pro.
So if you are required to use text boxes, let’s say, to create company letters in compliance with the company identity, you are free to get started right away.
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