New class to perform TCP connections
With the release of 4D 20 R8, a game-changing feature has arrived:: the TCPConnection class. This modern class leverages object-oriented syntax and supports asynchronous network connection handling, providing a fresh and powerful alternative to the 4D Internet Commands. Using TCPConnection, you can connect to virtually anything—whether it’s servers, printers, cash registers, or industrial devices—making it a versatile tool for handling unique networking requirements.
In this release, the TCP client functionality is available, allowing you to connect to external servers and seamlessly exchange data.
QUIC Network Layer is Production Ready!
With the beta of 4D 20, we introduced you to our new network layer: The QUIC network layer.
At that time, it was still in development and thus removed from the official release. Today, we’re thrilled to announce that the QUIC network layer is out of beta and officially ready for production!
After rigorous load testing and valuable feedback from early adopters, QUIC’s stability and performance have been validated—surpassing even ServerNet in key areas. Now that QUIC has reached feature parity with ServerNet in 4D 20 R5, it’s the perfect time to consider making the switch.
But first, let me tell you more about such great news.
Deprecation of the Legacy Network Layer
To handle the communication between 4D Client and 4D Server, 4D proposes 3 different network layers:
- Legacy,
- ServerNet,
- and QUIC.
The Legacy network layer was introduced 30 years ago in 4D v3. It was originally developed for AppleTalk, enhanced for ISDN, and then added IPX and finally TCP/IP.
It was created for a very different Client/Server usage than 4D works today: it is single-threaded, optimized for slow networks with no encryption, and available for many different network protocols. As such, it is not optimized at all for modern network communications and supports a very limited number of features.
That’s why, with 4D 20 R5, we have decided to make the Legacy network layer obsolete and plan to remove it soon. We encourage you to move to ServerNet now if you are still using it. Let me explain what benefits you will get from the switch.
QUIC Now Matches ServerNet Capabilities
The QUIC network layer now supports as many features as the ServerNet network layer. With 4D 20 R5, we added support for IPv6, broadcast, and Single Sign-on on Windows.
Of course, we will continue to improve it in the coming versions to make it the best network layer 4D has ever had.
But for now, let me speak a bit more about the last functionalities we added.
New 4D remote session object with Client/Server connection and Stored procedure
In 4D applications, four types of sessions exist 4D Remote session, Stored Procedure session, Mobile session, and Web session.
The Session command already returns Web or Mobile sessions. This gives you access to a wealth of information about the session and an object shared by all processes in the session.
In 4D 20 R5, the Session command has been extended to the Client/Server connection and stored procedure.
QUIC network layer: Automatic update and sleep mode
Our development of the QUIC network layer continues, and with 4D 20 R4, we now have the sleep mode and the automatic update. Let’s take a closer look at these enhancements and see how they compare to the way they work with other network layers.
Activate QUIC Layer from the Structure, User and Database Settings
In 4D v20 beta, we were excited to show you our work on the new QUIC network layer. As the layer is still in the beta version, we deactivated it for the LTS final release. The QUIC layer will be available in the feature releases, so you can follow its development and help us improve it.
While 4D v20 allowed switching network layers only in interpreted applications and forced a new build for engined applications, 4D v20 R2 allows layer changing in compiled/build applications via the Structure, User and Database Settings to facilitate testing even in production.
QUIC layer: the future of network communications
The most considerable production servers running with 4D accept more than a thousand simultaneous connections, and this number keeps growing. As a consequence, performance becomes an increasingly important focus of our teams. The QUIC protocol, used by the new version of the HTTP standard, has been specifically built to increase speed and reliability. As we are always looking for exciting technologies, we are working on replacing our low-level network protocol with the QUIC protocol.
For v20, you can switch to this network layer and check if it improves your performance. This is still in beta test, as we need your feedback before using it as our default network layer. As such, you will only be able to use it on beta versions of 4D.
Check out our Security Guide!
Over the years, security has become a core topic for business applications. As a 4D developer, you are constantly facing customers who pay close attention to the level of security in the solutions they use for running their everyday businesses.
To help you answer your customers’ security-related questions, we are pleased to announce the release of the 4D Security Guide.
This reference document describes all the built-in tools and techniques involved in creating a secured environment for your business applications: from authentication and TLS encryption, to data access system and data protection. Now it’s time for you to check it out!
More security for your 4D Server
Over the years, security has become a core topic for business applications. Transport Layer Security (TLS) and its predecessor, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), both frequently referred to as “SSL”, are cryptographic protocols that provide communications security over a computer network. The TLS version that your application is using for web or client/server connections, for instance, contributes to its security level.
4D supports all TLS versions: 1.0, 1.1 and 1.2. The protocol version used is negotiated between the server and the client when establishing the connection. To increase the security level, beginning with 4D v16 R5, the default minimum supported version is TLS 1.2, older versions are rejected, as they could be unsecure.
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