FileMaker Pro to 4th Dimension Quickstart Guide

Development Misconceptions

FileMaker Pro developers have many misconceptions about 4th Dimension. They believe that 4th Dimension is hard to learn. They believe that tasks are harder to accomplish in 4th Dimension. They also believe that since 4th Dimension includes a full-fledged programming language, that everything in 4th Dimension requires programming to accomplish.

FileMaker Pro developers who have added 4th Dimension to their toolbelts quickly realize that accomplishing the same task in 4th Dimension and FileMaker Pro requires roughly the same amount of work. 4th Dimension is viewed as a more difficult environment because there is so much more that can be done in 4th Dimension..
For example, let's look at programming. In FileMaker Pro, the programming is hidden behind a multitude of dialog boxes and preferences from which you define your database. When you need to automate something, you write scripts. In 4th Dimension, you can also develop most of your application through choices in dialogs. When you need to automate something, you write methods. Although there are significant differences between the two, the amount of work is very similar. Regardless of whether you are writing scripts or methods, it is a form of coding. You do not need a background in programming to use 4th Dimension.

Some FileMaker Pro developers are intimidated by 4th Dimension, thinking that everything in the product is more complicated than what they're used to. They believe that 4th Dimension is inherently hard to learn. The truth is that 4th Dimension is like any other development environment. It's like FileMaker Pro, only it goes further with what you can accomplish. You can jump into 4th Dimension and use the built-in tools without having to climb a steep learning curve. Then, as you need more and more customisation, you can extend the reach of your application without much difficulty. As far as database development environments are concerned, 4th Dimension is the closest thing to FileMaker Pro that is currently on the market.

There is a perception that everything in 4th Dimension is completely different than its counterpart in FileMaker Pro. While there are certainly areas where the products differ, the fact of the matter is that 4th Dimension isn't all that different than FileMaker Pro. 4th Dimension is cross platform, like FileMaker Pro. 4th Dimension allows you to draw a layout (called a form in 4th Dimension) in a drawing environment like FileMaker Pro. Defining files and fields is very similar. They even have many of the same concepts that other databases don’t have. For example, FileMaker Pro has the concept of the ‘Found Set’. 4th Dimension calls this the ‘Current Selection’. This guide will help FileMaker Pro developers see the similarities and how easy it is to start working with 4th Dimension.

Perhaps the most pervasive myth about 4th Dimension development is that everything takes longer to accomplish in 4th Dimension than in FileMaker Pro. Many FileMaker Pro developers believe that building a solution from the ground up in 4th Dimension just takes longer than a corresponding system built in FileMaker Pro. This isn't the case at all. In fact, someone who is proficient in 4th Dimension can generally produce a system faster than a proficient FileMaker Pro developer could produce a corresponding solution in FileMaker Pro. The main reason for this is that just about everything in FileMaker Pro is set up through a convoluted series of dialog boxes which constrain your decisions. Navigating these dialogs can significantly hamper your ability to quickly develop a solution, even for the most experienced FileMaker Pro developer. Once you're familiar with 4th Dimension, you'll find that getting a system up and running from the ground up just takes less time. For example, in 4th Dimension you define all the files (called tables in 4th Dimension) in one screen, along with all relations (which can be single or bi-directional). 4th Dimension lets you view and manage all the forms, scripts (called methods in 4th Dimension), passwords, menus and other parts that make up your application all in one place. You can copy entire pieces from one database to another including layout objects and code. You can search for database pieces throughout the whole application. There are so many conveniences built into 4th Dimension that make development quite easy.