4D is a powerful and intuitive development environment that integrates SQL databases and a complete HTTP server. You can organize data – from any table or record – into individual objects based on JSON (JavaScript Object Notation), a lightweight interchange format that allows your data to be shared all throughout – and external to – your 4D solution.
v14.1 [Jun 20, 2014]
1. Structured Objects in 4D
- It allows you to organize data – from any table or record – into individual objects based on JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) a lightweight interchange format that allows your data to be shared all throughout – and external to – your 4D solution.
2. External access via SQL views
- There are many ways to interact with data from outside of 4D, the primary being ODBC. 4D v14 introduces an improved security model. Going beyond users, groups and schemas (and thus table control), SQL Views can limit the particular table columns and rows that users have access to. Creating a view is as easy as writing a SQL statement and a query, and users can be limited to accessing just this view, as opposed to an entire table or an entire database. This provides secure access from external tools like Crystal Reports and Dynamics GP (Great Plains) and is compliant with strict HIPAA privacy standards, not to mention within 4D itself to make access for users.
3. Extended multi-lingual functionality
- It can now be installed in any one or many of the six languages available. You can take multi-lingual apps further, with the plug-in architecture now supporting multiple languages with support for separate lproj files in each language.
4. Full-time mirroring
- It contains a mechanisms to generate and use journal files. With a high-availability mirroring system, 4D gains a more secure architecture with fine-grain control over which tables are journalized. Integrated log files that are less linear are also more robust. In journal mode, for example, records are uniquely identified by primary key, which is more secure than a record number. Mirrors have their own logs, so you can now mirror a mirror.
5. Selective journaling
- The efforts to improve mirroring has also resulted in improved journaling, namely selective journaling. Tables can now be specifically targeted for logging, allowing developers to select the important data to be included in a journal, while leaving out unimportant data for improved efficiency.
6. Log it
- Added a debugger log – providing consistent, more readable error logs – makes tech support easier, whether it’s for you calling 4D or your client calling you! And anything that makes support easier is better for your business, and leaves you more time for developing critical new features for your solution.
