Why 4D

4D offers:

• A modern IDE built around a database engine.
• An object-oriented language.
• Thousands of APIs for user interfaces, web access, database settings, serial port configuration, etc.
• Fully programmable and integrated word processing and spreadsheet tools.
• Extended programming capabilities thanks to extensive 4D components from a solid development community.
• The flexibility of a scripting language, with the performances of native code.

With 4D, you can:

• Modify the data model graphically, without needing to restart the server.
• Code, test, and run, without rebuilding your applications!
• Drag and drop database objects onto your forms, no binding definition necessary.
• Use your data in http/REST instantly, no data mapping required!
• Print, generate PDFs, or create letters, brochures, invoices, and more in HTML.
• Develop alone or in a team with everyone connected to the same application and database server.

• Set up the development environment (including database structure, data model, application and web servers) in five minutes.

• Build your application’s skeleton and run your MVP in record time.

• Easily make enhancements following market requests.

• Work in real-time and have your updates immediately available to your users or customers.

• Rollout modifications to your databases. No need to migrate or export existing databases. 4D handles it for you.

• Whether you add or remove tables or fields, or modify field types, 4D automatically adapts your code and data.

• Code, test, debug, build and deploy: thanks to a sophisticated environment. Whatever the size of your team, development is drastically accelerated.

• Supporting both Macs and PCs has resulted in a feature-rich, cross-platform solution.

• Write code just once, 4D’s APIs will run it (without changes) on either Mac or Windows devices.

• Code in cross-platform mode: One developer can work on a macOS machine, while another works on a Windows PC … they can both use the same code base.

• Deploy a 4D Client/Server system without needing to know which platform (macOS or Windows) the server is using.

• All code and data are fully compatible with both systems and can be moved from one platform to the other.

• 4D offers the best and most flexible solution to extend your applications to the web and any connected devices.

• As a software developer: Benefit from a highly optimized environment, an efficient language, and the stability of 4D’s engine and APIs.

• Spend your time developing new features for your customers. 4D doesn’t force you to waste effort rewriting code for a new OS.

• As a small team / single developer: Develop and maintain the kinds of applications that require a large development team on other platforms.

• As a software publisher: Enjoy a greatly reduced time to market, thanks to automatic deployments and maintenance.

• As an administrator: Take advantage of the lowest possible administration costs on the market, due to a simple and automated deployment process with an easily accessible management console.

• Benefit from integrated backup and restore features, with an automatic verify and repair option, and automatic client and server updates.

• No need for expensive equipment, you can use a mini PC as a database server. Easy to install, easy to maintain.

• Several pricing models to suit your needs: license, subscription, software development contract, and more. Deployment costs start as a low as $30 per month, per user.

• Integrated client/server database engine removes the pain of writing multi-user applications.

• Run the same code no matter the number of users. 4D automatically scales to use multiple cores.

• 4D is THE unique platform on the market; allowing you to build client/server applications, and transform them into hybrid solutions open to thousands of web users.

• Use an internal or external password system such as Active Directory or LDAP, or your own custom system.

• Data encrypted when transferred, whether via WAN services or an internal LAN.

• By default, 4D uses modern security concepts and technologies such as TLS 1.2, PFS, HSTS, SHA-2 or bCrypt.

• Integrated automatic update mechanism makes sure everyone receives all security updates.

• Integrated backup and restore system protects your data with a transactional-based journal, logging every data modification – and allowing rollbacks if needed. For 24/7 systems, 4D supports mirrored systems, for major disaster recovery.

• And while a snapshot is no replacement for backups, 4D also supports VSS snapshots.