4d Database System

4D Database System

In the company I work in the program we use was developed specifically for our company. In land development, there are a number of factors that need to be taken in consideration to keep track of lots and blocks within different subdivisions. As well as lots being bought and sold to companies and individuals. The database system we use is called Ginger, a custom database designed to achieve the following objectives for our company:

1. Replace our old database.

2. Combine date from the old database.

3. Improve usability of the database by improving performance and stability.

4. Make modifications to the design of the database that will enable it to adapt to the changing needs of our home sales office.

Ginger was created with the 4th Dimension Database platform that is a powerful relational database or the Macintosh; though we usually refer to the database system as simply 4D.

4D is used to enter, modify or delete records, search for records and sort lists of records, create and print reports, labels and graphs. In 4D you store information in tables. Ideally, each table stores a different type of information. For example, the Prospects table stores information about a specific prospect, the lots table stores information about each specific lot.

We use forms to enter and manage data. Each table in our database has an input form and an output form. An input form displays one record at a time. We use an inpu7t for to enter, view, and modify information in a single record. An output form displays several records as a list. We use an output form to browse through records, select and sort records, and print a selection of records.

Of the people that access this program are our architects, our new home sales office, and our corporate office. The 4D plat maps are created in AutoCAD by our architects and marked with the correct addresses, lot separations and lot and block numbers for each subdivision and then uploaded into our database system. Once the maps are uploaded into 4D they now act as a message board, marking the status of the homes in our system. Place a red dot on the property for sold, green dot for available and a blue dot for not yet built. This helps our new home sales office to maintain the status of all properties more efficiently by providing a visual aid. As well as, create sales reports, vendor lists, buyer lists, buyers, lenders, title companies, VIPs, realtors, prospects, labels, lots, reservations, contracts, and reports. The other use would be for our corporate office to check the status of tax information and home sales for each subdivision and lot sales to homebuilders, which most of these reports come in very handy.

The database system is designed to aid our home sales office by creating real estate contracts based on the lot and block and address to keep track of which homes have been sold, are still available and have not yet been built. All these properties and kept track by using a plat map for each neighborhood that we have developed which marks all the properties by color coding. This allows no confusion for possibly selling the same home twice or getting the wrong address or lot and block on the contract. This also allows pre-lot sales and pre-construction sales; being able to have a database that can easily mark the status of properties is at any given time. 4D also has all homebuyer information along with the dates of the sale and builder