Visualise your Classes Component in the Method Explorer
From the 4D v19 R5, components can publish their classes. This feature came with tips and code completion support to smooth your code writing.
To make your coding experience even easier, 4D v19 R7 is bringing a new feature: say hello to the support of classes in the method explorer.
Access your component classes from your host project
Components can now publish classes! And even better, if your application is still in binary mode, you can now benefit from classes and object-oriented development by using a component (in project mode) to create your own classes and use them from your (binary mode based) application.
Project Databases: Build your own documentation for components
In a previous blog post, we showed you that documentation for methods has returned in the Explorer. Want to take things even further and use them as documentation for your components? In this blog post, we’ll show you how!
News flash: 4D components available on GitHub!
In 2017, 4D initiated a new program to share the source code of 4D internal components to 4D Partners.
Sharing the source code of 4D components lets you customize them and make them your own! With project databases and the ability to share an application’s source code via a source control system, we’ve converted our 4D internal components into project databases and pushed the source code to the 4D GitHub account. It’s open to everyone, all you need to take advantage of it is an account on Github. Why did we do this? To make your life easier by keeping track of changes and modifications to both code and forms.
Project databases and components
Since the delivery of 4D v18, a series of blog posts on how to convert and develop with project databases have been published. What about components? This blog post answers that question.
Using 4D libraries within project databases
4D provides libraries to help you develop applications. One of these libraries is standard and contains preconfigured form objects and widgets, while other libraries are custom. The standard library is “read-only” and its behavior doesn’t change when developing project databases (with the exception of minor, cosmetic interface differences). You also have the ability to create your own custom libraries to save your own form objects or group of objects. In this case, a few changes have been made to make them even more powerful. The following is everything you need to know about these changes:
A new tool: JSON Validator
4D v16 R4 introduces a new command: JSON Validate. This command allows you to verify that a JSON document is “valid” according to your JSON schema. This is really useful for exchanging information between servers or between a server and its client. Thanks to JSON schema standards, you can define a “protocol” for communication with your server or an external server. More details can be found in this blog post.
Source code sharing of internal 4D components with 4D Partners
4D has initiated a new program to share the source code of internal 4D key components such as the 64-bit Quick Report, the date/time pickers, or even the 4D Write Pro user interface.
Sounds already interesting, but what exactly does it concretely mean for you? You always wanted to use the Time picker widget, but with a different look and feel. The 4D Write Pro user interface is great, but can’t fit exactly in your application, that is requiring a more ‘Microsoft Office like’ ribbon bar approach.
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