Debug on the server with scalable web sessions
Scalable web sessions were a significant improvement brought by 4D v18 R6. They allow you to use 4D tags, 4D actions, and REST API in preemptive processes, even in interpreted mode, on a 4D server. However, to debug such programs, you needed to open your development environment on the server to make it switch to cooperative mode, as the debugger window cannot be opened with preemptive processes. This way, until v19 R2, you could debug REST, 4D actions, or 4D tags. From v19 R3, all of this has become much easier, and you can debug on the server-side simply by attaching the debugger to it, as usual.
Stop press! Accessing parameters not being passed is … possible
A method or function can have optional parameters. Sometimes the function is called with two parameters, and other times with three parameters. We’ve all dreamed of accessing the parameters without counting the parameters, checking if the parameter has been passed, or simply not having to check if the variable associated with the parameter has been initialized. This could make the code much simpler, and much more readable, without all the “If” or “Count parameters” lines.
Well, dream no more, and switch to 4D v19 R3! Managing method and function parameters has never been easier.
How to automate the compilation
Since 4D v19, you can start the compilation of a project with a simple command. You might be wondering what you can use this for!
Your team may consist of several developers, so why not automate the compilation at each code push on your source control server? It is always easier to identify an error when it is quickly detected.
Another case is when your project consists of several components. You can write a method that compiles, builds, and then copies the component to the host database.
This blog will discuss the different technical points that are very useful to create your own automation tools, along with an example application.
Show online documentation directly from the code editor
In the latest versions of 4D, several improvements have been made to simplify the writing of code with classes:
- function and attribute suggestions according to type
- display of the prototype with a short description
With 4D v19 R2, you can open the online documentation of a function with a single action.
Create a BLOB attribute in an object
With the introduction of classes in the 4D environment, the need to store your data in objects, and especially blobs, has increased. That’s why 4D v19 R2 lets you encapsulate blobs in objects.
Beyond the storage aspect, since the blob object is a reference type, your performance in terms of memory occupation and speed will be greatly improved.
Invisible Characters on Stage!
Best practices in IT sometimes change, and the management of certain invisible characters in text files is one example. End of Line (EOL) characters have evolved, especially for version control systems integration purposes. In the same way, the Byte Order Mark (BOM) on Unicode text files is less and less used.
With 4D v19 R2, 4D has evolved smoothly to follow these best practices, giving you more flexibility along the way.
gitignore and 4D: a useful feature for Git users
Project mode allows you to easily track changes with Git, the most popular version control system. But often, you don’t want to track all the files of your project in the Git repository. 4D now offers you the possibility to define what not to track in your new projects.
4D View Pro: End of document loading
When you use 4D View Pro (especially in offscreen mode) with complex documents, calculating all formulas could take a while and it can be difficult to know when it’s finally finished (and it’s important to wait before you call commands such as export or print).
As a solution, we’ve introduced two new events. One of which is called for every single calculation/formula, which could be used to trigger a timer. If the time expires without another formula being finished, we can assume that the whole document is finished.
More enhancements to the 4D debugger!
4D v18 R6 comes with new features in the code editor to make things easier for you when writing code.
The same goes for the debugger. We know debugging an application can be difficult, that’s why we never stop working to help make your experience better. This time, we’ve added some options and additional information that will make it easier to trace and analyze your code.
Keep reading to see what’s in store for you:
Scalable sessions for advanced web applications
Nowadays, web applications are essential modern tools. As machines and processors become more and more powerful, your web applications must constantly meet performance requirements. This is why with 4D v18 R6, the 4D Web Server offers a new kind of web session: the scalable Web session.
Let’s find out more!
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