Preface

version 6.0

4th Dimension has its own programming language. This built-in language, consisting of over 500 commands, makes 4th Dimension a powerful development tool for database applications on desktop computers. You can use the 4th Dimension language for many different tasks—from performing simple calculations to creating complex custom user interfaces. For example, you can:

• Programmatically access any of the editors available to the user in the User environment,

• Create and print complex reports and labels with the information from the database,

• Communicate with other devices,

• Manage documents,

• Import and export data between 4th Dimension databases and other applications,

• Incorporate procedures written in other languages into the 4th Dimension programming language.

The flexibility and power of the 4th Dimension programming language make it the ideal tool for all levels of users and developers to accomplish a complete range of information management tasks. Novice users can quickly perform calculations. Experienced users without programming experience can customize their databases. Experienced developers can use this powerful programming language to add sophisticated features and capabilities to their databases, including file transfer and communications. Developers with programming experience in other languages can add their own commands to the 4th Dimension language.

The 4th Dimension programming language is expanded when any of the 4th Dimension modules are added to the application. Each module includes language commands that are specific to the capabilities they provide.

The manuals described here provide a guide to the features of both 4th Dimension and 4D Server. The only exception is the 4D Server Reference, which describes features exclusive to 4D Server.

• The Language Reference is a guide to using the 4th Dimension language. Use this manual to learn how to customize your database by incorporating 4th Dimension commands and functions.

• The Design Reference provides detailed descriptions of the operations you can perform in the Design environment to create forms for managing data.

• The User Reference provides a description of the User environment, in which users enter and manipulate data in forms.

• The Quickstart manual leads you through example lessons in which you create and use a 4th Dimension database. These examples provide hands-on experience and help you become familiar with the concepts and features of 4th Dimension and 4D Server.

• The 4D Server Reference, which is included only in the 4D Server package, is a guide to managing multi-user databases with 4D Server.

This manual describes the 4th Dimension language. It assumes that you are familiar with terms such as table, field, and form. Before you read this manual, you should:

• Use the Quickstart manual to work through the database example.

• Begin creating your own databases, referring to the Design Reference manual when necessary.

• Be comfortable with managing your database in the User environment. See the User Reference manual for more information on the User environment.

In this manual, several writing conventions are used:

• Following the example of the 4th Dimension Method editor, commands are written in all caps using special characters, e.g.: OPEN DOCUMENT. Functions (commands that return a value) start with a capital letter and continue in lower case, e.g.: Change string.

• In the command syntax, the { } characters (braces) indicate optional parameters. For example, SET DEFAULT CENTURY (century{; pivotYear}) means that the pivotYear parameter may be omitted when calling the command.

• In the command syntax, the | character indicates an alternative. For example, Table (tableNum | aPtr) indicates that the function accepts either a table number or a pointer as parameter.

• In certain examples in this documentation, a line of code may be continued onto the following line(s) due to lack of space. However, you should type these examples as a single line of code without using carriage returns.

If you are reading this manual for the first time, read the Introduction section.