QuickCode Pro gets overhaul

Automated Solutions Group has updated QuickCode Pro to version 4.2. QuickCode Pro is an assistant editor for 4th Dimension.

QuickCode Pro (QCP) enhances the 4th Dimension method editor with a host of features designed to simplify and accelerate the process of writing 4D code, according to Brendan Coveney, president, ACI US. With over 600 commands in the 4D language, not to mention hundreds of tables, fields, methods and forms in a typical database, keeping tabs on all of this information can be a daunting task, he said. QuickCode Pro makes programmers more productive by putting all of this critical information a single keystroke or mouse click away and by automating complex tasks, according to Coveney.

Much of QuickCode Pro’s functionality is accessible through a toolbar at the top of each method editor window. Together, they provide most of the information available in the Explorer and the “keywords” area of the method editor, but in one place and in a more convenient form.

According to MacTech magazine, the new features in QuickCode Pro 4.2 include the following:

There are several new options you can use in the replace string for regular expressions, including options to change the case of portions of the matched string.

If using 4D 6.5.5+, the Method Tool now has an Open by name menu item that allows you to open a method by full or partial name. You can also press Command-D to do this anywhere in the Design environment, even if a method editor window is not frontmost.

You can now define macro variables at runtime using the QCP plug-in command QCP SET MACRO VARIABLE. This lets you create generic macros that will behave differently in different databases.

The comment wrapping algorithm has been totally rewritten to keep 4D syntactical constructs together as much as possible, including table references with embedded spaces.

Once the find and replace dialog is open, you can set the find and replace strings from the currently selected text by pressing Command-Shift-F and Command-Shift-R respectively.

When balancing control structures, the entire line at the beginning and end of the control structure is selected.

The Entire Word option for searching does a better job of determining if the matched text falls completely on word boundaries, taking into account variable prefixes.

Comment wrapping does a better job of maintaining a complete lexical entity such as a table name in square brackets, enclosed strings, parameters, etc.

A new Filter Tool has been added with the all-popular Get Locals and Swap Assignments functions that were in version 3.5.

The Marker Tool now recognizes markers in comments anywhere on a line, not just at the beginning of the line.

Zoom to Fit will now ensure that all of the toolbar tools remain visible.

You can now set an indent which is used by the AutoComment feature when auto-wrapping comments.

QuickCode Pro 4.2 for Macintosh is US$199.95 per user. Upgrades for registered 4.x owners are free. Upgrades from 3.5 are $119.95; from 3.0, they’re $149.95; and from 2.x, they’re $169.95. QuickCode Pro has to be purchased for each developer within an organization. Site license and multiple user packages are available upon request.

Requirements are a Power Mac running System 8.1 (with Appearance Manager 1.0.1) or higher (including Mac OS 9) and 4th Dimension 6.0.3 or higher (including 4D v6.5) for the Mac.