How do table reservations work in restaurant software?

A reservation module ties each booking to a table and a time, not only to a number of guests. Check how it handles conflicts, online booking and reserved tables.

Short answer

Good reservation software ties each booking to a table and a time slot, and blocks double bookings.
4restaurants.net checks for overlaps on the table and slot you pick, and refuses a booking that clashes.
Guests can book online through a public booking page, which has built-in daily limits.
A reserved table is marked by the staff on the table map. The software does not change its status automatically when a booking is made.
Booking confirmations are shown on screen and can be added to a calendar. Optional SMS confirmations and reminders go through your own 4notify account (Plus plan and above); the software sends no email.

What to check before you buy

Whether a booking is tied to a table, or only to a number of guests.
How the software reports a conflict, and whether it blocks the booking.
Whether reserved tables show on the floor map on their own, or are marked by hand.
Whether guests get reminders by SMS or email, and whether that costs extra.

What 4restaurants.net does

Checks the table and time slot for overlaps and returns a conflict when they clash.
Public online booking, with per-day and per-phone limits built in.
Shows a booking as a calendar file that the guest can add to a calendar.

What it does not do

It sends no email reminders; SMS reminders need your own 4notify account (Plus plan and above).
It does not show reservations on the floor map, and it does not mark a table as reserved on its own.