4D GitHub Copilot Instructions

A collection of GitHub Copilot custom instructions designed to enhance 4D application development. These instruction files help GitHub Copilot understand 4D-specific syntax, conventions, and best practices, resulting in better code suggestions and assistance.

Credits: 4d.instructions.md & 4d.test.instructions.md initialized & inspired by https://github.com/e-marchand/instructions

📋 What's Included

File	Purpose
4d.instructions.md	Core 4D development guidelines: syntax, variables, types, operators, commands, and best practices
4d.forms.instructions.md	4D Forms architecture: form-class binding, event handling, and UI patterns
4d.errors.instructions.md	Error handling guidance and common issues with the 4D syntax checker
4d.catalog.instructions.md	Guide for editing catalog.4DCatalog XML files (database structure)
4d.test.instructions.md	Instructions for running 4D tests with tool4d
formsSchema.json	JSON schema for 4D form validation

🚀 Installation

Step 1: Create the Instructions Directory

In your 4D project root, create the .github folder with an instructions subfolder:

YourProject.4DProject/
├── Project/
│   ├── Sources/
│   ├── DerivedData/
│   └── ...
├── .github/
│   └── instructions/          ← Create this folder
│       ├── 4d.instructions.md
│       ├── 4d.forms.instructions.md
│       ├── 4d.errors.instructions.md
│       ├── 4d.catalog.instructions.md
│       ├── 4dtest.md.instructions.md
│       └── formsSchema.json
└── ...

Step 2: Copy the Instruction Files

Copy all .instructions.md files and formsSchema.json from this repository into your project's .github/instructions/ directory.

Step 3: Verify the Setup

Open your 4D project in VS Code with GitHub Copilot enabled. The instructions will automatically apply to matching file patterns:

• **/*.4dm → 4D methods and classes
• **/Forms/**/*.4DForm → 4D form files
• **/Forms/**/*.4dm → Form-related methods

📁 Alternative: Global Instructions

If you want these instructions to apply to all your 4D projects, you can place them in your VS Code user settings:

macOS:

~/Library/Application Support/Code/User/globalStorage/github.copilot-chat/.github/instructions/

Windows:

%APPDATA%\Code\User\globalStorage\github.copilot-chat\.github\instructions\

🎯 How It Works

GitHub Copilot custom instructions use YAML frontmatter to specify which files they apply to:

---
applyTo: '**/*.4dm'
---

When you're editing a file that matches the pattern, Copilot will automatically include the relevant instructions in its context, providing:

• ✅ Correct 4D syntax suggestions
• ✅ Proper variable declarations with $ prefix
• ✅ Type-safe code with explicit declarations
• ✅ 4D-specific patterns and idioms
• ✅ Form architecture best practices
• ✅ Proper error handling

🔧 Customization

Feel free to modify these instruction files to match your team's conventions:

1. Add project-specific patterns - Include your own naming conventions or architectural patterns
2. Reference your classes - Add examples from your actual codebase
3. Extend the guidelines - Add rules for specific components or libraries you use

📚 Resources

• 4D Documentation
• 4D Language Reference
• GitHub Copilot Custom Instructions

📄 License

See LICENSE for details.