Tips: ORDA Data Model Classes
By now you’re aware of the availability of ORDA classes. In this blog post, you’ll learn a few handy tips to get the most out of them!
ORDA Data Model Classes and REST
In a previous blog post, you learned about ORDA classes and the possibilities they offer to make your coding experience smoother. In this blog post, you’ll see how to use them with the REST server.
Let’s see it in action!
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!
ORDA: an up-to-date datastore without restarting
We’re thrilled to announce that 4D v18 R3 includes an enhancement that will have a huge impact on the developer’s experience. A feature many of you have requested, and 4D delivers!
When you work in 4D standalone mode during the development phase (writing and testing your code), you’re no longer required to restart your database in order to have an up-to-date datastore (ds) when the structure is updated!
Now you don’t need to restart the database each time you need a new attribute or a new table in your code! It’s all automatic!
When you call the ds command, you get an up-to-date datastore object. This means that several versions of this datastore object are handled at the same time … depending on when you updated your structure … without breaking running processes.
If you work in client / server mode, this works fine for code running on the 4D Server.
For remote clients, you simply need to restart the client requiring the structure’s update.
ORDA – Better list box row selecting
ORDA: Breaking news for entity selection methods
When it comes to ORDA, 4D v18 R3 is full of good news! New member methods are at your disposal to further enhance your coding experience.
For starters, extracting data from an entity selection has been greatly enriched allowing you to build a fully customized collection with your entity selection data.
In addition, we’re providing you a way to indicate to an entity selection that its data needs to be refreshed from the server immediately, invalidating cached data.
Interested in some details? Keep reading, everything you need to know is below.
Remote datastores – A practical use case
One of the most interesting features delivered with 4D v18 was remote datastores. They opened a whole world of possibilities and in this blog post we’ll show you a practical use case:
A new tool to easily build Entity Selection list boxes
To display a list of records, an entity selection list box is the most suitable when using ORDA technology. 4D v18 R2 simplifies your life with a new tool to easily build entity selection list boxes: List box builder. What is it? It’s a simple dialog where you can set up your list box in a few quick steps (select the table and fields to display, enter column titles, and define the column order).
Onboarding developers new to 4D? Here’s how we do it at Sweetwater
Blog post by guest author Joel Levy, a 4D developer at Sweetwater:
4D is the heartbeat of Sweetwater Sound. Our application harmoniously interconnects the diverse needs of over 700 concurrent users. We’re always seeking out more developers to fulfill the needs of a constantly growing company. Here’s a look into the strategies that Sweetwater uses to onboard developers new to the 4D platform.
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