Database Engine Speed has been dramatically improved with speed improvements in certain situations clocked at 200 times faster.
List Box
Grouped Scrollable Arrays on Steroids, a completely new object to display arrays with many interesting properties such as automatically resizing columns, sorting by clicking on the header, alternate row colors etc. Properties can be set in the Object Property Editor or programmatically.
User Modifiable Forms
Forms that can be modified by the User at run time, even in compiled applications.
Integrated ODBC
Access Any ODBC Data Source from both your Windows and Mac OS X Applications.
New Integrated backup
A completely new Backup system, that automatically restores the database to the previous good state without any user intervention.
Integrated Spell Checker
Spell Checking is integrated into 4D 2004 for all entry areas as well as 4D Write.
Method Macros can call 4D Methods
Method Editor Macros can call 4D methods, to parse, create code or do whatever you wish.
New Form Editor Look and Feel
A completely new Form Editor, designed to maximize development productivity.
Automatic 4D Client Distribution
4D 2003 offers automatic Application distribution, 4D 2004 takes this one step further and automatically distributes the 4D Client software whenever the Client needs updating.
3D Buttons
New 3D Buttons including Bevel buttons as well as Office type buttons.
New Improved Subforms
Subforms have been completely rewritten and now boast all the features of standard output forms.
Native Entry Controls
Native Entry controls support native text entry with spellchecking, URL Detection and more.
Mach-O Support under OS X
Mach-O Support allows 4D 2004 to take advantage of more of the power of OS X such as Services.
BSD Networking under OS X
Good Bye to Open Transport, hello to the power and speed of BSD networking.
Enhanced Memory Management on Windows
4D 2004 on Windows now grabs memory when it needs rather than having to fix in advance what it can use.
XSLT
Transform XML Files from one type to another all from within 4D.
XML Creation
New XML Creation commands now simplify the creation of XML Documents.
XML Sax Parsing
4D 2003 introduced DOM Parsing, 4D 2004 expands this by also including a SAX parser. Sax Parsing is more powerful for larger documents as it reads serially rather needing to load the whole document in memory like DOM Parsing.
Xpath Notation
An easier and more efficent way of accessing XML Data.
Web Services Doc Style
The new emerging standard for Web Services. Doc Style has been popularized by Microsoft’s .Net architecture. 4D based applications can act as Doc Style Web Service Server or can consume Doc Style Web Services.
Integrated Parser
Documents can be parsed and variables filled in and more, with the use of one command.
Enhanced controllable Formula Editor
A new fully developer controllable Formula editor.
Standard Deviation in Report Engine
Standard Deviations has been added to the report editor to simplify statistical reports.
Launch External Process
4D 2004 can call other applications and receive data back from those applications.
OS X Service
Automatically Startup, remote maintenance and all the benefits of OS X Services.
Object Library Support
Drag and Drop Objects to the Object Library, Objects can be shared, sold etc.
Enhanced JDBC Performance
JDBC Performance has been enhanced by about 25%.
Enhanced Hierarchical Lists
Improvements include programatic control over enter in list, color support etc.
Web Server as Root under OS X
Security enhancement for the 4D Web Server under OS X.
New User/Group Commands
New User Group commands allow increased functionality such as password rules, expiration rules, locking the account etc.
Enhanced Lists
List forms have been totally enhanced with many new features including system highlighting, background pictures, visibility of objects depending on their selection, new form events and more.
Sheets under OS X
New OS X Native Window Type.
Groups in Explorer
Group database objects related to specific modules.
CGI Support added to OS X
New programatic control over CGIs.
Visible when Selected feature
A new option in list of records to only display an object when the record is selected.
Improved Object Property list
All Object properties are controllable from the new and improved property list editor.
Enhanced Ergonomic Design Environment
A completely redesigned environment created to enahnce developer productivity.
Command Line Control of 4D on OS X
Start, shutdown from the OS X Console, log in remotely and cotrol your server.
Integrated Customizer Plus
No more need for another application, all of the relevant customizer plus settings are now available from with 4D.
New Low Level Web Server Commands
Much higher granual control over low level web commands, gives you the power to create servers such as a DAV Server.
HTTP 1.1 Support
Web Server enhancement that allows features such as Keep Alive.
New Pusher Splitters
Splitters can now push the adjacent column rather than just collapsing it.
Printing on the Server
Applications can now create and print reports on the server.
Notification on Windows
Adds Notification to the Windows System Tray under programatic control.
Enterable Dialogs
Dialog option to allow enterability on forms called by the Dialog Command.
Get Object Format
New command that allows a programmer to get and set a multitude of Object attributes.
New Toolbox in Design Environment
A new convenient toolbox designed to make it easier to set various database properties such as security, lists, menus etc.
XML Preferences
Many of the new options store their preferences as XML Files which then can be modified programatically by the application.
ODBC Import/Export
Import or Export from any ODBC Datasource without any programming.
Tri State Checkboxes
Ever needed a Do not Care option? 4D 2004 supports tri state checkboxes.
Enhanced Native Platform Look and Feel
Create Applications that look part of the environment, 4D 2004 offers many enhancement to make native applications under Windows XP and Mac OS X Panther.
Automated Build Application Support
Programmatic control over your build process.
New Window Commands
The Windows Commands in 2004 has been enhanced to give developers even more tools for resizing windows.
Get and Set Relations
Enhance the power of the Report Editor by setting relations automatically.
Create Tables and Fields programmatically
Create Tables and Fields within code, perfect for applications when connecting with remote datasources.
System Drag and Drop
Drag and Drop data from external applications to and from 4D Based applications.
Automatic URL Detection
Automatically detect URLs and email addresses so users can click and open their browser or email client.
Masks
Control the transparency of graphics in 4D forms, images that are displayed with masks will blend perfectly over any form background.
Background Pictures in list forms
List Forms now support one background picture that covers the form.
Enhanced Soap Client Wizard
The SOAP Client Wizard has been enhanced to allow one click creation of multiple proxy methods.
Base 64 Encoding/Decoding
New command that adds base 64 encoding and decoding.
Enhanced Serial Port Control
Address any serial port using its name rather than its ID. Particularly useful uder OS X where the OS dynamically allocates the port number.
SOAP Header Control
Ability to control SOAP Headers programatically.
Quick Report Code Generator
Create a report and then generate the code to build the report within your own application.
Import/Export XSL Translation
Use XSL Transformations when exporting or importing XML Data.
New Array commands
New Array commands include Append to Array as well as Count in Array.
New Long Click and Arrow Click events
New Events for 3D Buttons include On Long Click as as well as Arrow click.
New Log-in dialog with expanded options
Options include allowing users to change passwords on the fly as well as saving database access parameters to a file.
HTTP Keep Alive Support
A benefit of HTTP 1.1 support ensures higher performance as connections can be kept open for multiple operations.
Self Adapting Cache Management
4D detects what is the optimum cache size rather than the developer having to choose a size based on trial and error.
Automatic Client reconnection
When 4D Client detects an error in the network it will retry to connect making Client-Server connections much more robust over lossy networks.
Multiple Macro File Support
The 4D Method Editor now supports Multiple Macro files so you can add other developers macro files much easier.
Page 0 support for Splitters
Splitters now set on Page 0 will work on every page in the form.
System Highlighting
4D now supports System Highlighting color, in previous versions 4D only supported a black highlight color.
New Form Rollover Events
Managing Rollovers is a simple process in 4D 2004, with 3 new events On Mouse Enter, On Mouse Move and On Mouse Leave.
New Form Management Commands
New Form Management commands include GET FORM OBJECTS, SET FORM SIZE, SET HORIZONTAL FORM RESIZING and SET FORM VERTICAL RESIZING.
New Pop-Up Windows
New Windows Type which can be closed by clicking on another window, escaping or closing it directly.
Users to Blob/Blob to Users
User lists can be encrypted stored in blob and restored, all under programmatic control.
New Plug-In access commands
Dynamically set which user group should have access to which plug-ins.
Run your methods directly from the Method Editor
No more switching to the user environment when you need to run your methods, now methods can be run and debugged directly from the method editor.
Improved Subfield support in the Report Editor
The new Quick Report Editor introduced in 4D 2003 has been updated with improved subfield support.
Improved Form Wizard
The Form Wizard has been updated to support new Form Editor features such as Views.
Drag and Drop between Forms during development
Deep Drag and drop objects between forms including object methods.
Fully Qualified Dynamic Field Names
Copy and Paste Dynamic Field Labels between forms and tables.
Set CGI Executable allows programattic control over CGIs
Control which CGIs are run, dynamically pass data to the CGIs.
4D Transporter is no longer required to move files from Mac to Windows
100% file compatibility between Mac and Windows.
Live Windows Resizing
When Windows are resized the form is redrawn live.
Save all in Design Environment
Instead of saving each individual item, there is now a handy save all menu option.
New commands for managing selections
New and updated commands simplify managing selctions in list forms and subforms.
New Database Methods for Backup
New Database methods allow you to schedule code to run before backup and once backup completes.
Enhanced Radio Button Behavior
Previously for radio buttons to work together they had to have the same first letter, in 2004 radio buttons can be grouped by the Group command in the form object menu.
Forms interface can be automatically changed for printing
A new Print property allows adapting of the appearance of a form or an object for printing. This does not affect the appearance when viewing on the screen.
Horizontal Scroll bars in Text Areas
New Text Areas, not only have native entry features but now also horizontal as well as vertical scroll bars.
Automatic Integration of LogFile if necessary on restart
If for any reason 4D closes abnormally without saving its buffers or while flushing buffers, on restart 4D Backup will detect if there is an inconsistency and automatically integrate the log file restoring database consistency.
Unlimited Undo/Redo in the form Editor
The new form editor includes many new feaatures including unlimited undo and redo.
Zoom in the form editor
Zoom up to 800% or Zoom down to 50%.
Group Objects into views
Objects can be grouped in to views which then can be made invisible or visible but not selectable.
Intelligent Resizing
Another new Form Editor feature, If for example you wished to resize a field in the middle of an output form, all objects will be pushed or pulled to adjust to the new fields dimensions.
Magnetic Gridlines
In the new Form Editor, when placing an object, guidelines show you where you need to put the object to align it with other objects.
Drill click
When designing forms sometimes objects are placed on top of each other, drill click allows you to select objects that are underneath other objects without having to move the topmost objects.
Create Objects invisible by default
A new attribute that can be set in Property window, previously this was only possible in code.
Save Objects as Templates
Objects can be saved as templates so that when creating other similar objects their attributes automatically get set to the template.
Information Shields for all objects in Form Editor
A visual indicator that can quickly show what attributes have been set for which object in the new Form Editor.
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