A magic show awaits you with ORDA’s computed attributes!
It is often helpful or even essential that databases be adapted in a flexible and evolving way to users and their businesses in the computer world. The control of accessible data is also a recurrent and sensitive subject. From this point of view, developers use methods and formulas that are sometimes complex to give or restrict access to information, depending on the context or the access rights of the users.
Let’s take a simple example. In your application, you sometimes need to display a list of people. One of the columns displays their full names, but in your database, you have a first name field and a last name field. Currently, you write a formula in the list box column, and you have to manage the sorting on the column yourself. Wouldn’t it be great to have a computed field where you can define its calculation formula and sorting method, and have all the business logic inside the class and not in each interface?
Well, starting with 4D v19 R3, 4D provides a solution to this, with computed attributes.
4D Write Pro – Continuous Section Breaks
Starting with 4D v19 R3, 4D Write Pro supports continuous section breaks.
A continuous section break creates a section in its own right but without causing a page break.
This allows, among other things, to have different numbers of columns on the same page!
4D Write Pro – New image formats
Starting with 4D v19 R2, inline as well as anchored images inside 4D Write Pro documents will benefit from new formatting types.
We’ve also made it much easier to format the images used as background of documents, sections, paragraphs, etc.
Let’s find out more about these enhancements.
4D Write Pro – Find and Replace
For many years now, 4D Write Pro has made it possible to create simple or complex documents, either via programming using templates or by simply creating new documents from scratch. Starting with 4D v19, both developers and end users will be happy to use the new find (and replace) capabilities of 4D Write Pro. Using not just the interface… but also the code!
Let’s delve into the details!
From docx format to 4D Write Pro!
A couple of months ago, we were happy to announce the ability to export 4D Write Pro documents to Microsoft Word.docx format. Now we’re thrilled to announce that the reverse operation is also possible!
Starting with 4D v19, you can import .docx documents into 4D Write Pro. Let’s have a closer look.
4D Write Pro: Easily locate all the breaks
4D Write Pro documents support five types of breaks:
- line breaks
- paragraph breaks
- page breaks
- section breaks
- column breaks
Sometimes, you need to locate a certain type of break to replace it with another, or simply delete all its occurrences in the document. To make this possible, we developed a new function: WP Get breaks.
List Boxes: Time Columns and Footer Calculation!
List boxes are great, powerful tools to display data in the interface. They can display fields from records, items from arrays, and since recently, entity selections and collections.
While the new list boxes using collections or entity selections are more powerful in many ways, they did not allow time display and automatic calculations in their footers, unlike list boxes displaying arrays or records.
From now on, and as long as you use project mode, all types of list boxes can display hours in their columns, but also have the possibility to display calculations on their footers.
Use collections and lists within forms objects
Collections are increasingly used in 4D programming. Starting with 4D v19, you can use them to define the content of some interface objects, including through the Form function. This is very useful for generic interface management.
We’ve also added improvements to how lists are used. Let’s see this in detail!
4D Language – String comparison improvements
The 4D language offers 20+ commands to handle strings. And with 4D v18 R6, 4D introduces a new command: Compare strings. And yet another command has been improved: Position. Both of these commands allow you to use options for more accurate results. Let’s learn more!
List boxes: Manage clicks in edited cells
As a developer, you’re used to handling events inside form objects. The most common is the on clicked form event which can be used in most objects, including list boxes. In this particular object, clicks can be managed either at the list box level itself or within the column methods.
And starting with 4D v18 R6, the on clicked form event is triggered whether a cell is being edited or not, giving you increased control and improving the interface.
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