Commentary on the 4th Dimension Development Community
One of my favorite bits of 4D Memorabilia is my Signed 4D v3 Key Disk.
Key… disk? What is this, you might ask? Children, gather ’round and learn of the great mystery of a key disk and of the night when mine was signed by its author in the exotic surroundings of an Egyptian temple.
The best 4D Summit 2007 rumor I’ve heard thus far is that the new language for 4D, to be available in an unnamed future release, will be ActionScript-flavored ECMAScript. Wow.
Jay Harper is blogging 4D Summit 2007 over on Slicksurface.com. The notes are detailed and thorough, and garnished with photos. The level of coverage reminds us of our previous efforts! Thanks, Jay! We’ll be reading with relish!
4D Today is covering 4D Summit 2007 with terse but much-appreciated notes. Thanks, 4D Today!
It’s 4D Summit Day One and although I’m not physically present, the #4dsummit chatroom on irc.freenode.net is the next best thing. Here’s what I’ve learned so far:
Lee Hinde is dining at http://flyingfishinthe.net/
Basil Borque is dining at http://www.hogsfly.com/ where “We’re not really open til 4:30. But y’all can come in you want ribs, beans, and slaw.” Mmmm… slaw…
Basil Borque reports that David Adams’ Ajax class was a big seller. Looked like > 150 people in the room.
Dave Batton says Tom Dillon has a camera, so watch out.
Jim Rietz has set up a Flickr account: e-mail your pictures to moving55note@photos.flickr.com and view them at http://www.flickr.com/photos/4dsummit/
It’s Summit Eve 2007!
After almost exactly two years’ hiatus, we are on the verge of a 4D Summit. It starts tomorrow, and I’m not going. Obligations at the Day Job prevent me from attending. Even so, I am quite excited about the Summit.
This year there is something new: the first major version of 4D in several years, 4D v11 SQL. It was released only a few weeks ago, an event timed with the Summit in mind. Naturally, much of the Summit’s content centers on the new version.
There are also many other side-events: Jeff Kain’s birthday tomorrow, third-party demonstrations, gatherings of Secret Societies, and so forth.
I shall watch the events from afar, and stay in touch by e-mail and 4D Today’s coverage. If anything good happens, please let me know: flushbuffers@gmail.com. I plan to post updates here as soon as I receive rumors and other unsubstantiated information.
Today on 4DToday.com, Garri Ogata sponsored a survey that asks “What age group do you fall into?” You can see from the results that we in the 4D Development Community are of a mature age.
Damn you, Garri Ogata! Thanks for making me feel old!
One of the fun things to do with 4D is to take it apart. Long-time Mac users know how to edit an application’s resources, and sometimes you can find rather interesting artifacts in that way.
’Way back in the day, ACI employed a form of copy protection for 4D Server that required a special hardware device called a dongle. I still have one!
There is an Easter Egg that has been hidden in 4th Dimension for many years, since 4D 6.0 and probably before. Here’s how to make it appear:
You will see a small window open in the center of your screen. It contains a picture of Asmae Benkirane, who must be a very special person to have her picture embedded inside 4D!
Be careful not to hold down the shift key for too long — all, and I mean ALL, event processing stops during this time. As soon as you release the Shift key, the window disappears and things return to normal.