Moving to 4D v12

I’ve been immersed these days with updating our databases to the 4th Dimension v12 http://www.4d.com. I’ve moved all of our smaller databases from 4D 2004 to v12 and am now working on our large insertion order system. It’s fun but very time consuming.

I use the Foundation Shell, http://www.foundationshell.com/, for many of my tools and to improve my productivity. This database predates my use of Foundation so I have been replacing my code with Foundation code over time.

I’m also using iLB ListMagic, http://www.foundationshell.com/app_store_4d_foundation_shell.html, to produce dice browsers into the database tables. iLB ListMagic works very nicely with the Foundation Shell.

PowerTools 4.2 from Automated Solutions Group, http://www.asgsoft.com/, provides me with lots of nice routines. It also integrates nicely with the Foundation Shell and some people might prefer using it over iLB ListMagic. But PowerTools will place a less prominant role in this version of our Insertion Order database.

One tool that I am dropping from my database development toolkit is AreaList Pro (ALP). It was a great way to handle arrays and portals to tables, but I find that 4D’s ListBox object (which ILB ListMagic builds on) usually meets my needs. And I am finding ListBoxes often easier to work with than ALP. Hopefully I will not eat my words a month from now.

4D v12 is a huge jump over 4D 2004. I am more productive in so many different ways. There is a lot to learn, but it is enjoyable. We will have better databases. Work does slow down when I have to learn new things but in this case there is a nice payout.