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.
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.
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.
4D v18 R5 Beta Starts Today
Beta testing for 4D v18 R5 is starting today and we couldn’t be more excited!
From ORDA, the Form editor, 4D for iOS, 4D Write Pro, and 4D View Pro, to advanced programming and deployment related-features. This feature release has it all, including a feature that was the highest and fastest voted feature request ever in our feature request forum:
- Beautifying your applications has never been easier thanks to the ability to preview the final CSS rendering in the Form editor.
- Macros are available in the Form editor to help you to get more done in less time!
- ORDA is still bringing new features and this feature release is no exception: shareable entity selections are available and more control over function availability is granted.
- More advanced features are at your disposal, including the ability to name your parameters and results when declaring functions and methods, the ability to debug code running on the server using your client, customized 4D cache for merged 4D server, and 4D clients … just to name a few.
- 4D for iOS has two new advances available: the data synchronization process has been optimized, giving you up to 25 times faster data sync and deep linking to help improve the user experience.
- New IMAP commands are available for search, copy, move and delete. More IMAP features are in our pipeline.
- 4D Write Pro is also packed with new features and 4D View Pro is making writing your code easier with a new command.
- And much more (see below).
List boxes: Setup movable rows (or not!) by code
List boxes are powerful form objects. They’re easily created and manipulated, and most importantly, they can handle any kind of data. Additionally, they can be fully set up by programming … everything from inserting or deleting rows and columns, to defining or modifying tons of properties using the 4D language. With 4D v18 R4, another important property has been added to the list. Can you guess which one? Hint: read the title again.
New declaration syntax for an intuitive autocompletion
Have you ever wondered about 4D’s autocompletion feature or asked yourself why 4D suggests all functions used in the code? Since an object is a very generic type, 4D only knows what it’s really storing at runtime. However, that doesn’t help much when you’re writing your code.
4D now offers a new, alternative syntax which will greatly enhance autocompletion when declaring your variables.
Access form object values by programming
An increasing number of developers are using the Form command to link their form objects and many of you require easy programming access to the values of those objects. So, to help you access the value of a form object, regardless of its variable or expression, we’ve added two new commands: OBJECT Get value and OBJECT SET VALUE.
Let’s see how to use them!
ORDA Classes to handle your data model
In a previous blog post, we introduced you to the world of ORDA data model classes. Now it’s time to get our hands dirty and learn more!
You already know that ORDA‘s structure (datastore, dataclass, entity, entity selection) is made up of objects. But they’re not just objects, they’re strongly-typed objects linked to specific ORDA classes. This means that you can write functions to hide the complexity of your data’s physical implementation.
Welcome to the world of ORDA classes
ORDA was a revolution with 4D v17. It opened a whole new world of possibilities and took you to another programming dimension. A dimension where you can easily develop applications using an object-oriented approach.
We didn’t stop there! We continued to add enhancements to ORDA through a set of features in each subsequent feature release. Now with 4D v18 R4, we’re thrilled to be going another step further with the availability of ORDA data model classes. Classes dedicated to your data model.
This will greatly elevate your code. Your applications can now easily expose services, be more manageable and easier to maintain, and seamlessly integrate with other applications.
This is another big feature made possible thanks to the projects!
4D v18 R4 Beta Starts Today
4D is pleased to announce the launch of beta testing for 4D v18 R4.
4D v18 R4 is one of the best Feature Releases ever delivered! I’m so thrilled to share all of the advances we’ve added to the ever-growing list of 4D features.
Without further ado, let’s get a sneak peek at the 20+ new functionalities waiting for you:
- ORDA classes make their first appearance to enable business-oriented code so you can hide complexity, reduce errors, and speed up the development process.
- A CryptoKey class is available to protect the confidentiality of your data, as well as verify the integrity of messages and the authenticity of senders.
- The 4D developer toolkit is bursting with additional features including a new declaration syntax for intuitive autocompletion, easy access by code to the values of form objects, and the ease of developing and debugging server code in project applications … just to name a few.
- More exciting features are included with 4D for iOS for even more engaging apps, more UI possibilities, and more control over access to your app.
- You asked for it, you got it! 4D Write Pro can import and export different document formats via the widget, as well as direct export to PDF while supporting hyperlinks, image size optimization, and more.
- You no longer need a 4D View Pro license to use pro list box features. They’re now FREE!
- 4D View Pro also has a whole new set of commands to give you further control over your documents.
- To make things even better (and simpler), 4D v18 R4 creates new projects by default, while developers – if they choose to do so – can continue to create binary databases via a simple setting.
- And much more (see below).
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