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4.4.2 Using 4D and 4D Server Databases to Power Dynamic Web Sites

Slicksurface is a 4D PartnerSlicksurface's Technical Director, Jay Harper, has been using 4D (4th Dimension) and 4D Server to deliver dynamic web solutions since 1996. Combined with the design skills of Slicksurface's Creative Director, Dan Wong, Slicksurface is one of the best 4D development firms for turning your 4D database application into a highly effective web site - whether that be a public web site, an intranet for employees, or an extranet for customers or business partners.

For public web sites, Slicksurface will optimize your web site for search engines to ensure the maximum amount of "organic" traffic. We do not take an after-the-fact "add a few metatags" approach. Our approach to search engine optimization (SEO) is extremely rigorous and the principles of SEO are embedded in everything we do. We can confidently say we have more experience and knowledge in this area than almost any other 4D developer.

Slicksurface prefers to use 4D's native "non-contextual" web processing when possible, but we will gladly support and enhance existing Active4D-based applications.

4D is also capable of interacting with web applications via XML. 4D can serve XML documents via SOAP-based web services or via HTTP. This is an ideal solution for "Web 2.0" applications that are built using AJAX or Adobe's Flex 2.0. Slicksurface is in the process of deploying solutions in this manner where they are appropriate.

Slicksurface hosts 4D-based public web sites for clients at one of the premier colo facilities in the nation.

Selected Project: Netterimages.com

Netterimages.com is an e-commerce web site, based on 4D Server, which is designed, developed and administered by Slicksurface. The site demonstrates Slicksurface's ability to implement successful, public web sites.

  • The 4D application that powers the site has handled over 2 million page requests in a single month from roughly a 250,000 unique visitors each month.
     
  • The 4D application is proxied by Apache which handles the load for all static documents and images.
     
  • Thanks to the search engine optimization (SEO) techniques used, approximately 75% of the site's traffic comes from search engines.
     
  • A senior engineer at MSN Search has called netterimages.com a "beautiful and well-organized site".

Other 4D Web projects:

  • 2002 to 2005 - Developed and maintaned an extranet for Teletrax which gave clients near-real-time access to data on where their video assets were being used on broadcast television around the world. The application used 4D Open to connect to a data server with over 10GB of data accounting for millions of detections each day. Clients included some of the biggest names in news, entertainment and advertising.
     
  • 2001 - Developed the survey portion of a 360° review intranet for a large bio-tech company. The application used 4D ODBC to connect to a Sybase backend.
     
  • 2000 to 2001 - Developed a intranet for a wall coverings business. Worked closely on the project with David Adams (author of The 4D Web Companion).
     
  • 1996 to 2000 - Developed an intranet and extranets for a medical communications company.

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