4D Database Software

[Keith Shelton]

We are Mac and FM4 users but wondered if anyone can comment on the viirtues or otherwise of 4D when compared with FM.

Thanks

Apologies if this message is in the wrong Forum.

[JPaul]

quote:

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Originally posted by Keith Shelton:

We are Mac and FM4 users but wondered if anyone can comment on the viirtues or otherwise of 4D when compared with FM.

Thanks

Apologies if this message is in the wrong Forum.

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here are several substantial differences between FM and 4th Dimension; concisely there are the most relevant:

• FM is user friendly (it does not require an high degree of programming knowledge) while 4D is more complicated: to unleash its power you MUST be a programmer

• 4D is a more powered RDBMS, and this clearly appears since the first approach: it can accomplish very complicated jobs simply by using METHODS (our scripts) and its strong programming language,

• FM also can do sophisticated things; in many cases you have to use tricks because the scripting language is a little bit poor (being a programmer, this consideration ONLY represents my strictly personal point of view)

• FM is a real RAD (Rapid Application Development system) while 4D requires more efforts and coding time

• FM is addressed to workgroups or to individuals; 4D usually is used as enterprise db, requiring in many cases the presence of IT managers or internal programmers.

I know all BASIC's idioms (DOS & UNIX) and actually i use DB2K (Visual Dbase 2000), FM and, sometimes, 4D: really my love is ..... FM !

Greetings.