Welcome to 4D v16. This version is part of the continuous delivery (R-release) program.

This document describes new features and implementations added since 4D v15 R5. For more information about features introduced during the v15 R-release program, you can download the corresponding R-release Upgrade manuals (PDF):

• 4D v15 R2 - Upgrade
• 4D v15 R3 - Upgrade
• 4D v15 R4 - Upgrade
• 4D v15 R5 - Upgrade

The database cache manager has been entirely rewritten in 4D v16, in order, more specifically, to take full advantage of 64-bit environments. Automatically available and optimized, it can nevertheless be configured or dynamically analyzed using the commands of the new Cache Management theme.

This theme includes, in particular, the new Get cache size, Cache info and SET CACHE SIZE commands.

It is now possible to define specific user settings linked to the current data file. This way you can deploy and update several copies of the same application with several data files, each containing different settings.

To manage this feature, you can use the new Get 4D file command; in addition, the Get 4D folder command now returns the data file of the database. 

-> To find out more, see: User settings

New options in the Preferences make it possible to customize the code editor: Highlight the logical blocks, Always show block lines, Hide collapse/expand icons, as well as Highlighted text.

-> To find out more, see: Methods Page.

In 4D v16, the built-in Web Server of 4D 64-bit for Windows and OS X allows you to take full advantage of multi-core computers by using preemptive Web processes in your compiled applications. All Web Server commands are now thread-safe. You can configure your Web-related code, including 4D HTML tags and Web database methods, to run simultaneously on as many cores as possible.

-> To find out more, see: Using preemptive Web processes.

In 4D v16, several sets of commands are now thread safe, meaning they can be used in preemptive processes in compiled mode:

• All commands in the Web Server theme (see above)
• All commands in the XML DOM and XML SAX themes
• All commands in the HTTP Client theme
• Most of the 4D Write Pro commands, as well as the FONT LIST amd FONT STYLE LIST commands.

The development of 4D Write Pro continues in version 16 and several major new features are now available:

• Default filtering of expressions contained in a 4D Write Pro document using 4D's standard filtering feature  (Filter expressions contained in a 4D Write Pro document).
• Definition of view properties for 4D Write Pro areas (Configuring View properties).
• Headers and footers for pages and sections (Handling headers, footers, and sections). Support of pagination properties of former 4D Write documents (see Importing 4D Write documents).
• Automatic expressions such as $wp_title or $wp_pageNumber (Inserting document and page expressions)
• Support of bookmarks (named references to ranges) allowing you to build dynamic document templates; new WP CREATE BOOKMARK, WP Get bookmark range, and WP DELETE BOOKMARK commands
• New commands for inserting and creating elements and documents: WP INSERT DOCUMENT, WP New (new document from a range), WP INSERT PICTURE,

The DISTINCT ATTRIBUTE VALUES and DISTINCT ATTRIBUTE PATHS commands generate arrays of distinct values based on attributes of Object fields in the 4D database.

The QUERY SELECTION BY ATTRIBUTE command performs a search limited to the records of the current selection.

Thanks to the new On Mouse Up Form event, 4D v16 provides more accurate management of user clicks in pictures. This event is accompanied by the new Is waiting mouse up command, which allows you to ensure the consistency of the internal state for a picture object in this context.

Two new features concern list boxes in 4D v16:

• Column Auto-Resizing: a new list box property automatically resizes all the list box columns when the list box width increases or decreases; (in previous versions, only the rightmost column of the list box could be resized).

• Variable row height (4D View Pro option): you can define different heights for each list box row. This feature is based on the following elements:
  
  • a new Row Height Array property
  • the new LISTBOX Get row height and LISTBOX SET ROW HEIGHT commands.

The new GET PICTURE FORMATS command returns all the codecs contained in the same picture. It is particularly useful for detecting obsolete picture formats and filtering formats you want to keep so as to reduce the size of the data file.

The new BLOB to print settings and Print settings to BLOB commands allow you to save and reuse all of a user's current print settings, including "private" printer driver settings. These commands extend and replace the functionality of the (obsolete) 4D Pack _o_AP BLOB to print settings and _o_AP Print settings to BLOB commands.