Building updatable Client/Server applications:

To build 4D Client and 4D Server executable applications, you need a developer license for both Mac and Windows operating systems for building 4D Client executables on each operating system. 4D Client for Mac OSX can only be built on a Mac OSX using 4D standalone 2004, and 4D Client for Windows can only be built on a Windows machine using 4D Standalone 2004. Don't forget to compile for both operating systems (an option in 4D Preferences) before building or running the database on both operating systems. The machine that runs the 4D Server executable (with compiled .4DC structure file) needs to have the proper licences registered on that machine. Make sure the double-clickable 4D Server application you build runs on the same file system (Mac OSX or Windows) from which it was built.

The benefits of Client/Server builds include ease of execution and more control of the versions of 4D Client used. With executables, the client simply double-clicks the executable file to open 4D Client and connect to the proper database. They do not have to specify a database from the database window as is the case with normal 4D Client applications. For version control, when a Client connects to a new version of 4D Server, if the option to allow automatic updates was checked, the Client will request the user to allow the downloading and updating of their Client application (with the updated Client portion), and the rest is automatic. Remember to increment the 4D Server executable "version" in the Build Application -> Client/Server tab -> "Current Version" field when making an updated 4D Server executable, otherwise the Client executable will not know to update upon connecting.