4th Dimension Learning Basics

The history of 4D and FileMaker is more than trivia — it explains why the two products look so different today, and why 4D’s version numbering, licensing, and architecture evolved the way they did. Understanding this lineage helps a developer make sense of the platform they are actually working with.

Key Takeaways

• 4D and FileMaker Pro share a common origin story in the mid-1980s Macintosh database boom, but they diverged sharply in architecture and philosophy.
• 4D was created by Laurent Ribardiere and brought to the US market by Guy Kawasaki’s ACI US, with prerelease builds code-named “Silver Surfer.”
• 4D’s version numbering was historically confusing because US, French, and server releases were incremented independently before being unified at version 6.
• FileMaker’s corporate history runs through Nashoba Systems, Claris, and finally FileMaker, Inc., a wholly owned Apple subsidiary.
• Knowing this history is practical: it explains 4D’s client/server model, its integrated web server, and its long-standing cross-platform support.

Why the History Matters to a Working Developer

Most tutorials skip straight to “create a table, build a form.” That is fine for getting started, but the historical context of a database platform tells you what problems its designers were solving — and therefore what the tool is genuinely good at.

4D and FileMaker Pro are the two surviving descendants of the 1980s Macintosh database wars. Both were built for people who wanted a real relational database without writing SQL by hand, and both grew into full application-development environments. But they took different roads:

• FileMaker stayed close to its “end-user database” roots, favoring an approachable, document-like model.
• 4D leaned earlier and harder into a compiled, client/server, programmable platform with its own language, an integrated web server, and a multithreaded engine.

If you are choosing a platform or inheriting an existing one, that distinction is the single most useful thing to internalize.

The FileMaker Pro Timeline

FileMaker’s history is a story of corporate reshuffling as much as product evolution.

Guy Kawasaki, then Apple’s director of software product management, is credited with the original idea behind Claris. The product itself began life at Nashoba Systems — the first release in April 1985 was simply called FileMaker, with no “Pro” attached.

Key milestones:

• 1985–1988 — Nashoba ships FileMaker, FileMaker Plus, and FileMaker 4; Claris releases FileMaker II.
• 1990 — Claris releases FileMaker Pro 1.0, Macintosh only.
• 1992 — FileMaker Pro 2.0 becomes cross-platform, running on both Macintosh and Windows.
• 1994 — FileMaker Pro Server 2.0 and the SDK 2.1 arrive, allowing developers to build unlimited networkable runtimes.
• 1995–1996 — FileMaker Pro 3.0, Server 3.0, and the Solutions Distribution Kit follow.
• 1997 — FileMaker Pro 4.0 introduces the Web Companion, connecting FileMaker files to the web. Dominique Goupil becomes president of Claris.
• January 1998 — Claris restructures as FileMaker, Inc., an Apple subsidiary focused exclusively on the FileMaker Pro line. Roughly 300 Claris employees are laid off, and all non-FileMaker products are transferred to Apple or discontinued.
• February 1998 — The Claris Solutions Alliance is renamed the FileMaker Solutions Alliance (FSA), with more than 2,500 members.
• 1998–1999 — The Developer Edition enables unlimited runtimes (with multiuser networking disabled in bound files); FileMaker Pro 4.1 adds ODBC import; FileMaker Pro 5.0 is rewritten from Pascal to C/C++ and introduces a web-access licensing restriction limiting use to a maximum of 12 unique IPs in a rolling 12-hour period.

That last point is worth pausing on. The Pascal-to-C/C++ rewrite and the IP-based web restriction together mark the moment FileMaker had to reconcile its friendly desktop heritage with the demands of networked, web-facing deployment.

The 4th Dimension Timeline

4D’s origin is intertwined with Apple and with the same Macintosh database ferment.

In the early 1980s, Guy Kawasaki was Apple’s chief software evangelist. The Macintosh database field was crowded: PFS:File, OverVUE, Filevision, Microsoft File, Helix, DB Master, MacLion, Hayden Base, and Interlace all competed for attention.

Laurent Ribardiere originally programmed 4D on an Apple II computer, and prerelease versions were code-named “Silver Surfer” after the comic-book hero — a favorite of Ribardiere’s. He was the sole programmer of 4D through version 2.0.

In 1987, Kawasaki left Apple and started ACI US to market 4D. The corporate timeline:

• March 1986 — Apple acquires the rights to distribute 4th Dimension.
• December 1986 — Apple meets with Ashton-Tate.
• February 1987 — Apple announces it will not publish 4th Dimension.
• 20 April 1987 — Analyses Conseils Informations US (ACIUS) begins operations.
• July 1987 — 4th Dimension ships.
• September 1987 — Ashton-Tate’s dBase Mac ships.
• 1993 — ACI releases 4D version 3, debuting the multithreaded/multitasking engine, alongside 4D Server, the client/server edition.
• September 1995 — 4D version 3.5 ships cross-platform (Macintosh and Windows).
• 17 February 1997 — 4D version 6.0 arrives with major enhancements and a tightly integrated HTTP web server at the core.
• 21 July 1997 — Laurent Ribardiere is appointed Chairman of the Board of ACI France and President of ACI US.
• 3 August 1998 — ACI US moves from Cupertino to San Jose, California.
• 18 May 1999 — 4D version 6.5 is released.
• 17 June 1999 — Brendan Coveney is appointed President of ACI US, Inc.

Kawasaki later joked in his book The Macintosh Way that ACIUS stood for “Apple Computer, Inc. Unshipped Software” — a wry nod to the product’s near-miss with an Apple release.

The Version-Numbering Puzzle

One of the most confusing aspects of 4D’s history is its version numbers, and it is worth understanding because it trips up anyone reading old documentation or forum posts.

The first version released in the United States was 1.0, while the same version in France was 3.0. Subsequent releases in each country incremented by one — so by the time the US reached 4D v3.x, France and the rest of the world were on 4D v5.x. Meanwhile, 4D Server was released as version 1 while single-user versions were at 3 and 5.

When the next major release was due, the decision was made to unify everything under version 6. That is why 4D 6.0 is a genuine watershed: it is the point where the numbering finally converged.

Practical takeaway: if you encounter a reference to “4D 3” or “4D 5” in older material, check whether it refers to the US or French numbering scheme before assuming anything about feature parity.

Comparing the Two Lineages

Dimension	FileMaker Pro	4th Dimension (4D)
Original developer	Nashoba Systems	Laurent Ribardiere
US market champion	Claris / FileMaker, Inc.	Guy Kawasaki’s ACI US
First cross-platform release	FileMaker Pro 2.0 (1992)	4D 3.5 (1995)
Client/server edition	FileMaker Pro Server	4D Server (1993)
Integrated web server	Web Companion (1997)	HTTP server at core (1997)
Language rewrite	Pascal → C/C++ (v5.0)	—
Corporate home	Apple subsidiary (FileMaker, Inc.)	ACI / ACI US

The pattern is clear: both products converged on the same capabilities — cross-platform support, client/server, and integrated web serving — but 4D reached the multithreaded engine and server edition earlier, while FileMaker emphasized accessibility and a broader end-user base.

How to Use This History When Learning 4D

History is only useful if it changes what you do. Here is how to apply it:

• Expect a programmable platform, not a document tool. 4D’s lineage as a compiled, multithreaded environment means you should plan to learn its language and structure, not just its UI.
• Treat the integrated web server as first-class. Since 4D 6.0, the HTTP server has been core to the product. Design your data model with web exposure in mind from the start.
• Verify version references. Because of the numbering split, always confirm which scheme an old source uses.
• Understand the client/server split. 4D Server and single-user 4D are distinct deployment targets; decide early which you are building for.

For broader context on the database concepts underlying both products, the Wikipedia article on database management systems and the relational model are useful primers. The FileMaker and 4D entries provide additional background on both platforms.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who created 4D?

4D was originally programmed by Laurent Ribardiere, who wrote it on an Apple II computer and was the sole programmer through version 2.0. Guy Kawasaki’s company ACI US brought it to the US market starting in 1987.

Why was 4D’s version numbering so confusing?

The US and French releases were incremented independently, so the same product could be version 1.0 in the US and 3.0 in France. 4D Server was also numbered separately, starting at version 1. The numbering was finally unified at version 6.

What was the relationship between Claris and FileMaker?

Claris was an Apple subsidiary that developed and released FileMaker Pro. In January 1998, Claris restructured to focus exclusively on FileMaker, changed its name to FileMaker, Inc., and divested its other products.

When did 4D become cross-platform?

4D version 3.5, released in September 1995, was the first cross-platform release, running on both Macintosh and Windows. FileMaker Pro had become cross-platform earlier, with version 2.0 in 1992.

What is the significance of 4D version 6.0?

Released in February 1997, 4D 6.0 unified the previously divergent version numbering and integrated an HTTP web server at the core of the product — a major architectural milestone.

What was the “Silver Surfer” code name?

Prerelease versions of 4D were code-named “Silver Surfer” after the comic-book hero, a favorite of 4D’s author Laurent Ribardiere.