How to extract data from a 4D database?

Question

The mime client has an old 4D program. I am not familiar with this format, but I have 4 files; file .4DC, .rsr, .4DD and one .4DR.

I suspect the data is in a .4DD file. How can I extract the data?

Answer 1

The data format is proprietary to 4D and unlike a SQL dump, and the schema is stored in separate files.

.4DC contains compiled code, gui, and a database structure (schema). The data itself is in .4DD.

To open the back door so you can interact with it, you need .4DB, which is an unrelated structure (both code and gui). There probably also is a password required to open .4DB in design mode.

4D supports ODBC connections (at least in some versions). If you are lucky that this can be activated, and you can access it by running the compiled application, and then fulfilling your requests against it.

Answer 2

If the 4D application does not have an export function, you need to contact the developer to open the data. Data in 4D applications is available only to the application that created the data file. This allows standalone applications to remain proprietary. ODBC connections are great when you have access to the source code, which then allows you to separate data from this application.

This may not solve your problem, but I hope this explains how the 4D.com product works.

Answer 3

Well, I suspect I'm reading a 4D database, you need a 4D database client .

I also assume that this can be obtained in the "4D DEVELOPER STANDARD" package , which can be bought from the 4D manufacturer. See http://www.4d.com/ .

There may be other (possibly free) solutions, but until you specify what you want to achieve exactly (just read the data? Update it? Change the structure of the database and on which platform?), It’s hard to offer useful ideas besides “google that "