Overview

4DPop is a series of productivity components grouped into a toolbar that integrates perfectly with the 4D development environment.

4D TN Spotlight

4DPop.4dbase is the container component that handles loading and provides an interface to compatible components.

Filled with clever tools and immediately useful for developers, 4DPop has many advantages:

A Mind for Productivity

Every 4DPop component is a handy little nugget you’ll wonder how you ever did without. Created by 4D developers for 4D developers, they’ll help you save precious time on repetitive operations, be the little helpers you always dreamt of having, and put an even friendlier face on your development environment.

Easy to Use

Installing a new component is easy: Just drag and drop on to the 4DPop toolbar! Each comes with its own online help.

Modular

You can compose your 4DPop palette à la carte with the tools you prefer, without overloading your screen.

Free

4DPop and its components are free to use and distribute in all 4D development environments.

Source Code Provided

Like all 4D components, 4DPop tools are miniature 4D projects delivered to you compiled for your immediate use, but also in interpreted mode, so that you can explore the source code. You may wonder how rules are created in 4DPop Rulers, for example, or how 4DPop Commands manages predictive typing, or how to manage a palette, a help file or to create a component. It’s all there in the code. 4DPop’s code is also a very good example of the art of programming efficiently in 4D... even if we do say so ourselves!

Open

You can enhance 4DPop with your own components, and you are also able to share them, and find others in the 4D developer community.

📥 Get the latest version of the all-in-one family or explore the family and add only the components you want from the list below.

4DPop AppMaker	4DPop Bookmarks	4DPop Color Chart	4DPop Commands	4DPop Constants Editor
4DPop Git	4DPop Image buddy	4DPop KeepIt	4DPop Macros	4DPop Pasteboard
🆕 4DPop QuickOpen	4DPop Rulers	4DPop sqlSchemas	4DPop Window	4DPop XLIFF
4DPop XLIFF Pro

And when you’re ready to deploy, you can eliminate all the 4DPop elements from your app to ensure its light weight.

Installation

1. Create a Components folder next to the Project folder of your database ①.
2. Place the 4DPop.4dbase component ② in the Components folder.
3. Place one or more 4DPop components you want to use in the same folder.
4. Open your database.
5. Open the structure settings dialog and go to the Security page to activate, if any, the option Execute "On Host Database Event" Method of the component③
6. Reopen the database, the palette is displayed in the lower left corner of the screen in Design mode.

①: For a binary database, the Components folder must be located next to the structure file of your database (".4db").

②: On macOS, the component is a package whose ".4dbase" extension is not necessarily visible depending on your display preference settings.

③: If you dont't want to use the automatic launch of the palette see Launch the palette with code

📍It is always preferable to use an alias file (macOS) or shortcut file (Windows) instead of the component and thus store the originals in a single copy. Updates will be simplified especially if you maintain several projects.

Compatible Components

Some developers provide tools that are displayed in the 4DPop palette. You can access the list of compatible components referenced on Github (with the 4dpop topic).

Here are the ones I know:

4D SVG	4D JSON Validator	chromo4D	RegexLab	Math4D
ogResources Buddy	QS_Toolbox

How to make a component compatible with 4DPop?

The compatibility of a component with the 4DPop palette is based on the presence of a "4DPop.xml" file in its "Resources" folder.

This XMLfile describes the elements of the component that will be available with keys and their attributes.

Something like:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no" ?>    
<tools name=":xliff:Ruler" picture="Ruler.png" helptip=":xliff:ToolHelpTip" initProc="Init">
    <tool name="Rulers" method="4DPop_ScreenRuler"/>
</tools>

Keys

<tools>

Start and end of file. Mandatory

Attributes

• name: Name as it will be displayed below the button ① (mandatory).
• picture: Name of the picture file of the button. This file must be located at the root of the "Resources" folder of the component (optionally, if omitted a default picture is used).
• helptip: Text of help tip associated with button ①
• initproc: Name of the component method ② to be executed on loading.
• ondrop: Name of the component method ② to be executed at the time of a drop on the button.
• default: Name of the component method ② to be executed for a simple clic on the button when more than one tool is available.
• popup: Display flag of the pop-up arrow linked with the button . Values: "True" (to display the arrow even when there is only one key, see below)

<tool>

Start and end of definition of a tool.

This key can be repeated:

• if there is only one key, the method is executed as soon as the button is clicked;
• if there are several keys, a menu arrow linked with the button is displayed and a menu listing the available tools is provided for the user.

In case of the default attribute above is defined, a simple clic launches the method referenced and a long click or an on arrow click display the tools' menu.

Attributes

• name: Name of the tool as it will appear in the menu associated with the button ① (mandatory if there are several keys)
• method: Name of the component method ② corresponding to the tool to be executed (mandatory)

① These attributes accept the syntax ":xliff :resname", so the strings must be located in the xliff files of the components and the displayed string will be localized.

② The called methods must have been declared as shared in the component database. All the methods receive a pointer as parameter (on the button of the palette. this pointer can be used to test the state of the button or to correctly display a popup). If you plan to compile the component, this parameter must be declared explicitly [var $1 : Pointer] in all the methods of the component called by 4DPop (initproc, ondrop, default, and method) if not, an error will be generated each time the method is called (-20008 - incorrect Parameters in a command EXECUTER).

📍The component method can be responsible for building and displaying the menu. In this case, a single tag calls the component method whose code displays the menu and processes the choice of the user. In order for the related menu arrow to be displayed on the button of your tool, you must pass "True" in the popup attribute of the key.

It will be very appreciated if you publish your component on Github and don't forget to link your project with the 4DPop topic.

Topic 4DPop

If you develop a component compatible with 4DPop, it is strongly recommended to add the "4DPop" topic to be referenced in the list of 4DPop compatible components.

Launch the palette with code

If you dont't want to use the automatic launch of the palette, you can do it with this code:

// Run 4DPop
// This code is available even if the component is not present like in the final application.
If (Not(Is compiled mode))
	ARRAY TEXT($tTxtComponents;0) 
	COMPONENT LIST($tTxtComponents)
	If (Find in array($tTxtComponents;"4DPop")>0)
		EXECUTE METHOD("4DPop_Palette")
	End if
End if

Note

If you encountered a bug or have a feature request, feel free to create an issue. However, it is highly appreciated if you browse and search current issues first. Found the issue? Go on and join its discussion thread. Not found? Go on and create one.