Multi-platform Document Management

version 6.0

4D Draw, like 4th Dimension and 4D Server, is a multi-platform program. Therefore, a database that uses 4D Draw, created under MacOS, can be opened and run under Windows with no modifications, and vice versa. This is possible only if you are using the correct versions of the software.

To manage 4D Draw documents on both platforms, you must consider the following principles:

• Under MacOS, 4D Draw uses the file type to recognize its own documents. For example, type 4DRW means that the document is a 4D Draw file. The complete access path includes the disk name, folder names, and document name, each separated by a colon (:). For example,

MyDisk:Folder1:Folder2:Mydatabase

• Under Windows, 4D Draw uses the file name extension to recognize its own documents. For example, the .4DW extension means that it is a 4D Draw document. The complete access path includes the disk letter, folder names, and document name, each separated by a backslash (\). For example,

D:\Folder1\Folder2\Mydatabase

• A 4D Draw document created under MacOS and copied onto Windows can be opened directly, provided that it has been saved with its file name extension. For example, the MyDoc document saved under the name MyDoc.4WR, and copied onto a volume of your PC, can be opened directly from the database under Windows, with no further handling.

• A 4D Draw document created under Windows and copied onto MacOS can be opened directly.

The following table lists the file equivalents of 4D Draw documents on MacOS and Windows. For more information, refer to the descriptions of the commands DR OPEN DOCUMENT and DR SAVE DOCUMENT.

Document	MacOS	Windows
	Type	Extension
4D Draw	4DRW	.4DW
MacPaint	PNTG	.PNT
EPSF	EPSF	.EPS
PICT	PICT	.PCT

To share a template on both Mac OS and Windows client machines, regardless of whether the server is a machine under MacOS or Windows, the program functions in the same manner.

While importing a template (single user or client/server), 4D Draw tries to read the AreaName_.4DW file, where .4DW is the Windows file name extension for the document. If the file is not found, for the sake of compatibility, the module will then try to read the file named AreaName_ file, with no file name extension.

In saving a template, the module will always use the file name AreaName_.4DW, regardless of the platform.

Font management procedures differ under MacOS and Windows. Under MacOS, each installed font has a different name and number. Fonts are thus applied by referencing these two unique identifiers.

Under Windows, fonts are also referenced by name and number, but the number varies with the font attributes. Each attribute of a font, such as bold, italic, etc., will have a different number. Therefore, different font numbers can return the same font name.

However, a font name always returns the same number, that of the "normal" style of that font. The ASIFONT.MAP file on your PC lists the names of corresponding MacOS and Windows fonts. You can edit this file with a text editor. In 4D Draw, the following functions are affected: DR Font name and DR Font number.

Note: Windows does not provide for the Outline and Shadow attributes. Selecting either of these has no effect in the Windows environment.

The values returned by DR Font name and DR Font number depend on the fonts installed in your system. The following two fonts each have a constant unique number: System font and Application font:

The Application font always has the number 1; however, you must also note the following behavior:

• Under Windows, for 4D Draw, the Application font is Arial. Normally, Arial has the number 21. Therefore, DR Font number(1) returns Arial and DR Font number("Arial") returns 21.

• Under MacOS, for 4D Draw, the Application font is Geneva. Normally, Geneva has the number 3. Therefore, DR Font number(1) returns Geneva and DR Font number("Geneva") returns 3.