A better understanding of 4D REST sessions
In a previous blog post, we showed you how to get started with the 4D REST server. We walked you through different CRUD operations using Postman and pointed you to the full REST documentation. In this blog post, We’ll explain how sessions work in 4D. This understanding will ensure that you’ll be able to build a session-based authentication system using the 4D REST server.
Web Scraping using object notation
Want to retrieve data that isn’t available via REST or Web Services? What if it’s only available on a website? The data is easy enough for a human to read, but reading HTML data with a programming language isn’t so simple. Some developers try to use Position and Substring, others try Regex, but it’s unpleasant and time-consuming. A very different approach is to convert the HTML into an object and get the data via object notation. Table rows are handled as collections and are easy to loop through!
This blog post describes how to use this approach and provides some handy tips.
Test the powerful 4D REST server with Postman
4D provides a powerful REST server that enables direct access to data stored in your 4D databases. This makes it possible, for example, to build an API to use with a modern front-end technology (e.g., Angular, React, etc.). In this blog post, we’ll provide the first introduction to the 4D robust REST server. You’ll see how to configure it and test the create, retrieve, update, and delete (CRUD) operations using the API testing tool, Postman.
Project databases: Git. Commit. Pull. Push & more
In a previous blog post, we introduced you to Git (a version control system) and Github (a cloud-based hosting service) and how you can share your 4D code with other developers. In this blog post, we’ll go a bit further by exploring some scenarios a developer may encounter, such as cloning a remote repository, ignoring already committed files, and solving merge conflicts.
Project databases: New possibilities with the Form Editor
With the introduction of project databases, we’ve also modified the interface of some 4D dialogs. In this blog post, we’ll present some of the changes we’ve made to the form editor.
Formula – Think outside the box
According to the top 10 blog posts of 2019, the Formula: More power behind simplicity post ranked quite high … in the top five. It seems that Formula really grabbed your attention, so here’s another tip that Vincent de Lachaux (developer and 4D expert) has shown me and I’m sharing with you!
Binary database vs. Project database
As you know, 4D now supports two ways to work with sources: binary and project databases. Binary databases are the 4D we all know and love, with source code in a binary file to allow team development with 4D Server, and all of the design elements (methods, forms, structure, etc.) gathered in a single, compact binary file, the “.4db” file. Project databases make it easier for distributed teams to work collaboratively by storing the source code in a source control system in separate, plain text files. Projects will not replace the 4DB, we have no plans to make the 4DB disappear. It’s about two different ways of working and developing. It’s up to you to choose what best suits your needs. Here’s a blog post to help you decide:
Project databases: Users and Groups in action
A very detailed blog post has been published on Users and Groups in project databases. In this post, we’re providing a video about the key points to remember.
Enjoy it!
How to share your 4D code via Github
So you’ve been testing out project databases … maybe you’ve created one or perhaps you’ve converted an existing binary application. Now, it’s time for us to show you how to use Git (the revision control system) with Github as the hosting service for your 4D application.
Project database: Deploying your application
So your application has been developed and you’re ready for the next step. 4D lets you:
- generate a compiled database that no longer contains any interpreted code,
- generate a standalone application that can be double-clicked, (i.e., merged with 4D Volume Desktop, 4D’s database engine),
- generate client/server applications with automatic updates of client and server parts.
With a project database, you can also build your final applications for both platforms. A project database uses the same configuration file as a binary database.
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