TweetFollow Us on Twitter

Another Dimension
Volume Number:7
Issue Number:2
Column Tag:Developer's Forum

Programming In Another Dimension

By Joe Pillera, MacTutor Contributing Editor, The Environmental Research Institute of Michigan

Programming In Another Dimension

Introduction. As software development systems evolve, there is always a increasing level of abstraction away from the machine - and to the problem domain of the user. One tool for the Macintosh that exemplifies this is the 4th Dimension® (4D1) from Acius. 4D is an incredible tool, because it goes far beyond a database: rather than just producing GUI (graphical user interface) skeletons like other programs, 4D can generate finished, ready to ship programs, complete with all the necessary Macintosh user interface controls.

This is the story of MacTutor Phone Book (MTPB), a complete 4D program (which is a stand-alone Macintosh application when compiled with the 4D compiler) which features:

• Complete support of the Macintosh interface, including pull down menus, desk accessory support, modeless dialog boxes, and printing.

• Searching, sorting and printing of address labels.

Background.

When constructing MTPB, I wanted more than a flat-file database: I wanted an application that could stand alone by itself. While a phone book application may not be as exotic as killing viruses, it serves as a good example of what 4D is capable of; without it, I would have faced the prospect of writing thousands of lines of code, and undoubtedly reinventing the wheel several times in the process.

Developing in 4D. The first aspect to developing in 4D is to specify the table structures, and use the layout editor to paint your user interface. As can be seen in Figures 1 and 2, 4D gives you a rich set of GUI controls to design the look and feel of your program.

Figure 1. Construction a MTPB input disalog with the 4D layout editor

Figure 2. The repetoire of user interface controls available for a custom 4D application.

Once the database structures and your custom windows have been designed, the fun starts. 4D gives you a comprehensive script language to implement custom applications, and even comes with a symbolic debugger, as illustrated in Figure 3. This script language is very pascal-like (minus the Unit module encapsulation feature), and includes features such as arrays, functions and procedures (a 4D function is a procedure that returns a value in the variable $0), pointer manipulation, and string manipulation that reminds me of BASIC (BASIC has one of the richest string manipulation syntaxes available).

Figure 3. Debugging a 4D procedure.

After your application has been designed, you can compile it with the 4D Compiler, as illustrated in Figure 4.

Figure 4. How to build a stand-alone application out of MTPB with the 4D Compiler

MacTutor Phone Book. Refer to Figure 5: not only can MTPB manage your phone records - it’s a complete Macintosh application (when compiled with the 4D Compiler).

Figure 5. MTPB as a stand-alone Macintosh application.

Furthermore, one of the parallels between object oriented programming and 4D programming is that you can “inherit” functionality, without having to write any code to implement it. Refer to Figures 6 and 8: MTPB makes full use of searching, and label printing - but these are given to you by 4D, and not implemented by me. This kind of reuse of software allows you to concentrate on the problem at hand, rather than on implementing code that has been written many times before. When custom windows do need to be designed, they can be assembled very quickly with 4D’s layout editor, as illustrated in Figure 7.

Figure 6. Search for all addresses that are either in Ann Arbor or whose last name field starts with 'P'.

Figure 7. Sorting in MTPB with a custom dialog constructed with the 4D layout editor.

Figure 8. Printing labels with MTPB.

Suggestions for Improvement.

While 4D is an incredibly powerful tool, I would like to suggest two possible future improvements:

Hierarchical menus: would be very useful in the menu editor, and would allow for a more concise construction of 4D applications.

Procedure abstraction: in a large 4D application, it is easy to get buried by a plethora of “global procedures.” What would be extremely useful here is some sort of hierarchical way of cataloging procedures. For example, introducing a “module” concept (containing procedures with scope only visible to it) would make organizing your 4D code a lot easier.

The End... Please note that this month’s source code disk contains only the data files for MTPB - and not a stand-alone program. Because of licensing rules, you’ll need to compile it with your own copy of the 4D Compiler - and a 4D Runtime module - before ending up with a double-clickable application.

The technical support at Acius is outstanding, and the software very thorough. Compared to other development tools which also hammer out skeleton user interfaces, there’s no doubt that 4D costs more. But that age-old adage still applies here.

You get what you pay for.

Joe Pillera is a research scientist at the Environmental Research Institute of Michigan (ERIM) in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The opinions expressed here are solely those of Joe Pillera, and not of ERIM or its affiliates. The author can be reached electronically via the GEnie2 service by sending mail to JPILLERA.

1 4D is a registered trademark of Acius, Inc.

2 GEnie is a trademark of the General Electric Company.


Global Procedures for MTPB
© MacTutor Magazine, February 1991


f_format_number
 ‘Pretty-process a phone number
 ‘Examples: 
 ‘format_number(“3131234567”)->(313)123-4567
 ‘format_number(“3131234567”;”313")->123-4567
 ‘Arguments:$1 = raw phone number
 ‘ $2 = area code to drop, if any.
 ‘Return Value: $0 = formatted result.
If (Length($1)>0)
 If (Length($2)=3)
 ‘The caller wants to zap an area code...
 If (Substring($1;1;3)=$2)
 ‘Omit the area code    
 $0:=Substring($1;4;3)+ “-” +
 Substring($1;7;4)
 Else 
 ‘Keep it    
 $0:=”(“+Substring($1;1;3)+”) “ +
 Substring($1;4;3) + “-” +
 Substring($1;7;4)
    End if 
  Else 
 ‘Caller wants the area code no matter what
 $0:=”(“ + Substring($1;1;3)+”)” + 
 Substring($1;4;3) + “-” +
 Substring($1;7;4)
  End if 
End if 


p_display
‘Display all records in the phone book
DEFAULT FILE([Phone Book])
ALL RECORDS
OUTPUT LAYOUT([Phone Book];”Output Layout”)
MODIFY SELECTION


p_print_sel
‘Print the records last selected by the user
DEFAULT FILE([Phone Book])
If (Records in selection=0)
 ALERT(“You haven’t selected any records
   to print!”)
Else 
 OUTPUT LAYOUT([Phone Book];”Output Layout”)
 PRINT SELECTION([Phone Book])
End if 


p_print_tbl
‘Print all records in the phone book
DEFAULT FILE([Phone Book])
ALL RECORDS
OUTPUT LAYOUT([Phone Book];”Output Layout”)
PRINT SELECTION([Phone Book])


p_search
‘Let the user perform a search on the database
DEFAULT FILE([Phone Book])
SEARCH
If (OK=1)
 OUTPUT LAYOUT([Phone Book];”Output Layout”)
 DISPLAY SELECTION
End if 


p_sort
‘Permanently sort the database, and display
‘results to the user.
DEFAULT FILE([Phone Book])
OPEN WINDOW(110;100;390;260;0;”Sort The Database”)
DIALOG(“Sort Dialog”)
‘Note: the actual sorting takes place in the script
‘      associated with the “ok” button, but is
‘      omitted here for brevity.
CLOSE WINDOW
If (g_display=True)
  p_display 
End if 


p_labels
DEFAULT FILE([Phone Book])
ALL RECORDS
PRINT LABEL([Phone Book];” “)


p_new
‘Add new records(s) until the user cancels
DEFAULT FILE([Phone Book])
INPUT LAYOUT([Phone Book];”Input Layout”)
Repeat 
 ADD RECORD
Until (OK=0)

 

Community Search:
MacTech Search:

Software Updates via MacUpdate

Latest Forum Discussions

See All

Recruit two powerful-sounding students t...
I am a fan of anime, and I hear about a lot that comes through, but one that escaped my attention until now is A Certain Scientific Railgun T, and that name is very enticing. If it's new to you too, then players of Blue Archive can get a hands-on... | Read more »
Top Hat Studios unveils a new gameplay t...
There are a lot of big games coming that you might be excited about, but one of those I am most interested in is Athenian Rhapsody because it looks delightfully silly. The developers behind this project, the rather fancy-sounding Top Hat Studios,... | Read more »
Bound through time on the hunt for sneak...
Have you ever sat down and wondered what would happen if Dr Who and Sherlock Holmes went on an adventure? Well, besides probably being the best mash-up of English fiction, you'd get the Hidden Through Time series, and now Rogueside has announced... | Read more »
The secrets of Penacony might soon come...
Version 2.2 of Honkai: Star Rail is on the horizon and brings the culmination of the Penacony adventure after quite the escalation in the latest story quests. To help you through this new expansion is the introduction of two powerful new... | Read more »
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Ste...
I adore game series that have connecting lore and stories, which of course means the Legend of Heroes is very dear to me, Trails lore has been building for two decades. Excitedly, the next stage is upon us as Userjoy has announced the upcoming... | Read more »
Go from lowly lizard to wicked Wyvern in...
Do you like questing, and do you like dragons? If not then boy is this not the announcement for you, as Loongcheer Game has unveiled Quest Dragon: Idle Mobile Game. Yes, it is amazing Square Enix hasn’t sued them for copyright infringement, but... | Read more »
Aether Gazer unveils Chapter 16 of its m...
After a bit of maintenance, Aether Gazer has released Chapter 16 of its main storyline, titled Night Parade of the Beasts. This big update brings a new character, a special outfit, some special limited-time events, and, of course, an engaging... | Read more »
Challenge those pesky wyverns to a dance...
After recently having you do battle against your foes by wildly flailing Hello Kitty and friends at them, GungHo Online has whipped out another surprising collaboration for Puzzle & Dragons. It is now time to beat your opponents by cha-cha... | Read more »
Pack a magnifying glass and practice you...
Somehow it has already been a year since Torchlight: Infinite launched, and XD Games is celebrating by blending in what sounds like a truly fantastic new update. Fans of Cthulhu rejoice, as Whispering Mist brings some horror elements, and tests... | Read more »
Summon your guild and prepare for war in...
Netmarble is making some pretty big moves with their latest update for Seven Knights Idle Adventure, with a bunch of interesting additions. Two new heroes enter the battle, there are events and bosses abound, and perhaps most interesting, a huge... | Read more »

Price Scanner via MacPrices.net

May 2024 Apple Education discounts on MacBook...
If you’re a student, teacher, or staff member at any educational institution, you can use your .edu email address when ordering at Apple Education to take up to $300 off the purchase of a new MacBook... Read more
Clearance 16-inch M2 Pro MacBook Pros in stoc...
Apple has clearance 16″ M2 Pro MacBook Pros available in their Certified Refurbished store starting at $2049 and ranging up to $450 off original MSRP. Each model features a new outer case, shipping... Read more
Save $300 at Apple on 14-inch M3 MacBook Pros...
Apple has 14″ M3 MacBook Pros with 16GB of RAM, Certified Refurbished, available for $270-$300 off MSRP. Each model features a new outer case, shipping is free, and an Apple 1-year warranty is... Read more
Apple continues to offer 14-inch M3 MacBook P...
Apple has 14″ M3 MacBook Pros, Certified Refurbished, available starting at only $1359 and ranging up to $270 off MSRP. Each model features a new outer case, shipping is free, and an Apple 1-year... Read more
Apple AirPods Pro with USB-C return to all-ti...
Amazon has Apple’s AirPods Pro with USB-C in stock and on sale for $179.99 including free shipping. Their price is $70 (28%) off MSRP, and it’s currently the lowest price available for new AirPods... Read more
Apple Magic Keyboards for iPads are on sale f...
Amazon has Apple Magic Keyboards for iPads on sale today for up to $70 off MSRP, shipping included: – Magic Keyboard for 10th-generation Apple iPad: $199, save $50 – Magic Keyboard for 11″ iPad Pro/... Read more
Apple’s 13-inch M2 MacBook Airs return to rec...
Apple retailers have 13″ MacBook Airs with M2 CPUs in stock and on sale this weekend starting at only $849 in Space Gray, Silver, Starlight, and Midnight colors. These are the lowest prices currently... Read more
Best Buy is clearing out iPad Airs for up to...
In advance of next week’s probably release of new and updated iPad Airs, Best Buy has 10.9″ M1 WiFi iPad Airs on record-low sale prices for up to $200 off Apple’s MSRP, starting at $399. Sale prices... Read more
Every version of Apple Pencil is on sale toda...
Best Buy has all Apple Pencils on sale today for $79, ranging up to 39% off MSRP for some models. Sale prices for online orders only, in-store prices may vary. Order online and choose free shipping... Read more
Sunday Sale: Apple Studio Display with Standa...
Amazon has the standard-glass Apple Studio Display on sale for $300 off MSRP for a limited time. Shipping is free: – Studio Display (Standard glass): $1299.97 $300 off MSRP For the latest prices and... Read more

Jobs Board

Liquor Stock Clerk - S. *Apple* St. - Idaho...
Liquor Stock Clerk - S. Apple St. Boise Posting Begin Date: 2023/10/10 Posting End Date: 2024/10/14 Category: Retail Sub Category: Customer Service Work Type: Part Read more
*Apple* App Developer - Datrose (United Stat...
…year experiencein programming and have computer knowledge with SWIFT. Job Responsibilites: Apple App Developer is expected to support essential tasks for the RxASL Read more
Omnichannel Associate - *Apple* Blossom Mal...
Omnichannel Associate - Apple Blossom Mall Location:Winchester, VA, United States (https://jobs.jcp.com/jobs/location/191170/winchester-va-united-states) - Apple Read more
Operations Associate - *Apple* Blossom Mall...
Operations Associate - Apple Blossom Mall Location:Winchester, VA, United States (https://jobs.jcp.com/jobs/location/191170/winchester-va-united-states) - Apple Read more
Cashier - *Apple* Blossom Mall - JCPenney (...
Cashier - Apple Blossom Mall Location:Winchester, VA, United States (https://jobs.jcp.com/jobs/location/191170/winchester-va-united-states) - Apple Blossom Mall Read more
All contents are Copyright 1984-2011 by Xplain Corporation. All rights reserved. Theme designed by Icreon.