4D Helper - VSCode Extension

A VSCode extension that simplifies 4D development by providing an easy way to launch 4D projects with different versions of 4D applications and various launch options.

Note: This extension was developed for my personal workflow, but I thought it might be useful to others working with 4D. Feel free to use it, and contributions are welcome!

Built with the help of Claude Code 🤖

Features

Automatic Project Detection - Recursively finds .4DProject files in your workspace
Smart Filtering - Automatically excludes projects inside Components, Components.src, or Components_src folders
Multiple 4D Versions - Configure and quickly switch between different 4D application versions
Launch Options - Choose how to open your project:
- Interpreted or Compiled mode
- Custom data file (.4DD)
- Create new data
- Dataless mode
- Skip On Startup
- Headless mode
Cross-Platform - Works on macOS and Windows

Installation

From VSIX (Manual)

Download the .vsix file from the Releases page
In VSCode, open the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P)
Run Extensions: Install from VSIX...
Select the downloaded file

From Source

git clone https://github.com/ganbin/vscode-4d-helper.git
cd vscode-4d-helper
npm install
npm run compile

Then press F5 in VSCode to run the extension in development mode.

Configuration

Before using the extension, configure your 4D applications in VSCode settings.

macOS

{
  "4d-helper.applications": [
    {
      "name": "4D v20 R8",
      "path": "/Applications/4D v20 R8/4D.app"
    },
    {
      "name": "4D v20.6",
      "path": "/Applications/4D v20.6/4D.app"
    }
  ]
}

Windows

{
  "4d-helper.applications": [
    {
      "name": "4D v20 R8",
      "path": "C:\\Program Files\\4D\\4D v20 R8\\4D.exe"
    },
    {
      "name": "4D v20.6",
      "path": "C:\\Program Files\\4D\\4D v20.6\\4D.exe"
    }
  ]
}

Usage

Opening a Project

Open a folder containing a 4D project in VSCode
Open the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P)
Run the command: 4D: Open 4D Project
If you have multiple 4D applications configured, select which version to use

Choose your launch options (you can select multiple):

Option	Description
Interpreted	Run in interpreted mode (default)
Compiled	Run in compiled mode
Select Data File	Choose a specific `.4DD` data file
Create New Data	Create a new data file on launch
Dataless	Open without any data file
Skip On Startup	Skip the On Startup database method
Headless	Run without the 4D GUI

The extension launches 4D with your project and selected options

Managing 4D Versions

Instead of manually editing the JSON configuration, you can use the built-in commands to manage your 4D versions:

Adding a 4D Version

Open the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P)
Run the command: 4D: Add Version
Browse and select your 4D application (.app on macOS, .exe on Windows)
Enter a display name for this version (defaults to the application name)
Choose where to save the configuration:
- User Settings - Available in all workspaces
- Workspace Settings - Only available in the current workspace

Removing a 4D Version

Open the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P)
Run the command: 4D: Remove Version
Select the version you want to remove from the list
Confirm the removal

Multiple Projects in Workspace

If your workspace contains multiple 4D projects, the extension will ask you to select one. Your choice is remembered for future launches (stored in workspace settings).

Requirements

VSCode 1.85.0 or higher
One or more 4D applications installed on your system

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

4D Helper

Ganbin