Extract text from 4DC files
To convert your 4DC file to another format, you need 4D or other Database software.
To convert other file formats to the "Compiled Structure File" file type, you need software like 4D or a similar tool.
A .4DC file serves as the executable backbone for applications built on the 4D (Fourth Dimension) platform. Unlike the standard 4DB structure file which contains editable source code, the .4DC is a compiled version designed for deployment and performance. It contains the database schema, forms, and compiled methods, but importantly, it does not contain your actual data records (those reside in the paired 4DD file).
The main limitation with .4DC files is their proprietary, binary nature. You cannot open them in a standard text editor or SQL tool to view the underlying logic. Furthermore, because the code is compiled, you generally cannot reverse-engineer it back to a clean 4DB source file without the original project assets. Users often find themselves stuck with a .4DC file during legacy system migrations, unable to access the business logic locked inside.
For practical use outside the 4D environment, the best approach is converting the structure definitions. If you have access to the 4D software, you can export the structure to XML for version control or analysis. For documenting the database schema, converting the structural report to PDF or TXT is the standard workflow. If your goal is to extract the data (rows and columns), you are looking at the wrong file - you need to convert the 4DD file to CSV or SQL instead.
Convert.Guru analyzes your 4DC file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted PMA, IBD and MDB files.
If you want to convert 4DC file to DB, SQLITE, SQLITE3, MDB, ACCDB, DBF, ODB, FDB, GDB, MYD, FRM or SQL, you can use 4D or similar software from the "Compiled Database Structure" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert NDF, SQLITE3, BAK, RDB, SQL, DB4, MDF, MDB, LDF, DB, DB3 or SQLITE files to 4DC, try 4D or another comparable tool in the "Compiled Database Structure" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our 4DC converter.