Progress
Version 9
Product Update Bulletin
Progress Development Tools
The following sections describe new or revised development tools in Progress Version 9.1.
ADM Tools
The following Progress ADM Tools are new or revised in Progress Version 9.1:
- SmartDataObject — Three significant revisions have been made to SmartDataObjects in Version 9.1:
- You can define temp-tables for SmartDataObjects that contain subsets of the fields in the database tables that they will access.
- They can run statelessly.
- They now have four transaction-level validation entry points instead of only one.
For more information, see:
Dynamic SmartDataBrowser — This is a new SmartObject that can be configured dynamically to browse and update the query of any SmartDataObject. This dynamic object will, in many cases, eliminate the need to build a specific SmartDataBrowser or set of SmartDataBrowsers for each SmartDataObject. For more information, see:
- SmartDataViewer — In Version 9.1, the SmartDataViewer template
viewer.w
has been revised to allow you to drop other SmartObjects onto a SmartDataViewer instance; that is, a SmartDataViewer can now be a container. However, you cannot drop all types of objects onto a SmartDataViewer—it is intended to contain only basic objects or SmartDataFields. (See the “SmartDataField” item for a description of this new SmartObject.) For more information, see:
- SmartDataField — This new SmartObject, which displays a single data field, is intended for inclusion only in a SmartDataViewer. You typically use a SmartDataField™ to provide a specially formatted display of the data in a selected field in the containing SmartDataViewer. You can create any user interface for a SmartDataField as long as it meets certain basic requirements described in the documentation for this SmartObject. Note that the ADM provides one specially formatted SmartDataField called a SmartSelect. (See the “SmartSelect” item for a description of this new SmartObject.) For more information, see:
- SmartFolder — In Version 9.1, you can set Page 0 in a SmartFolder™. When Page 0 visualizes, either at design time or at run time, it simply provides a blank page that hides all objects not on Page 0. For more information, see:
- SmartFilter — This is a new SmartObject that receives selection criteria for a SmartSelect. (See the “SmartSelect” item for a description of this new SmartObject.) It displays data fields in a frame, filtered by user-specified selection criteria. It follows the query-by-example model and is implemented as a dynamic SmartObject; that is, the selection criteria (the filter) are specified at run time rather than at design time. The application user specifies selection criteria in the filter fields, using Apply, Blank, and Reset radio buttons as needed. For more information, see:
- SmartToolbar — This is a new SmartObject that provides a toolbar and/or menu interface to application commands that perform various actions; for example, running other windows or procedures or performing navigation and transaction actions in the current object. The SmartToolbar™ makes it possible to provide toolbar-type functionality directly rather than by using a Navigation SmartPanel™ and an Update SmartPanel, collectively, as a sort of toolbar, as in Progress Version 9.0. For more information see:
- SmartSelect — This new SmartObject is a special type of SmartDataField that performs a lookup on an associated SmartDataObject field; that is, it retrieves and displays a predefined set of values from which an application user can choose a single value. Inherited SmartDataField behavior ensures that the SmartSelect automatically displays the current field values and that modified SmartSelect values are passed back to the associated SmartDataObject field. Like the basic SmartDataField, the SmartSelect is intended for inclusion only in a SmartDataViewer. For more information, see:
- Extending the ADM — Version 9.1 provides two new tools for developing extensions to the ADM; that is, for extending the ADM class hierarchy with new or customized classes. (In Version 9.0, you do this by copying and modifying existing class files.) The two new tools are:
- Custom class files. The ADM provides a set of these files for each ADM class. You use them as the basis for a customized ADM class that is modeled on an existing class.
- The New ADM Class tool. This AppBuilder tool creates a set of of ADM class files (standard and custom) according to your specifications. You use the standard class files that the tool creates as the basis for a new ADM class.
While each of these new ADM features provides a set of class files for a customized or new class, these class files do not completely define the class and cannot be used as is. You must modify them with the application logic that drives the class: properties, super procedures, and so forth.
For more information, see:
AppBuilder
The AppBuilder now has the following new or enhanced features:
- Advanced Editing Features — If your Progress installation runs under a development license, AppBuilder editors include the following advanced editing features:
- Color coding
- Embedded color coding
- Syntax expansion
- Alias expansion
- Syntax indenting
NOTE: The advanced editing features are enabled by default. However, the Progress advanced editing features do not support bidirectional typing on Hebrew and Arabic Windows operating systems. You can turn the advanced editing features on or off to meet your needs.- SmartPaste
- Section Editor — You now have the option to associate a separate window with each open workspace. You can also continue to use a single window that shifts context according to which workspace has focus.
- The Section Editor — Now allows you to leave open the windows from which you paste certain tokens into your source code.
- The File menu — Now includes the following:
- A Save All option that you use to save structured procedures. Structured procedures are those procedures being maintained by AppBuilder.
- A Most Recently Used file list option. You can enable or disable this option. If you enable this option, you can use the File drop-down menu in the AppBuilder menu bar to select and open a file from a list of most recently used files. You use the Options
Preferences option on the AppBuilder menu to specify the number of files you want to appear in this list.
- A Print option that allows you to print either the section that is current in the Section Editor, or the entire current procedure. Qualities such as page length and immediate versus prompted printing are Preference items.
- The Tools menu — Includes an item (ADM) that, when selected, opens a dialog box to begin the process of creating a new ADM class.
- The Objects Palette — Now has several additional tools:
- SmartFolder, implements the popular tabbed-file-folder metaphor
- Dynamic SmartDataBrowser, offers easier configuration (right-click on the SmartDataBrowser tool)
- SmartDataField, brings ADM sophistication down to the field level
- SmartSelect, a data-driven list (right-click the SmartDataField tool)
- SmartFilter, a query-by-form object addressed to end users of your applications
- SmartToolbar, offers SmartPanel functionality in a more integrated way
- SmartContainer, allows you to conveniently create parent/child relationships between two organizer objects that would normally be independent
- The SmartDataObject instance properties — Now include a checkbox for forcing state-aware (persistent-connection) operation. The default mode is stateless (connectionless) unless the AppServer is configured to run with bound connections.
- Database Field property sheet — This property sheet now displays the label and format information when you add a Database field to a window. The label and format information is provided using the Data Dictionary. If you want to edit these values, you can use the Database Field button in the property sheet.
- Supported graphic-file formats — In addition to the previously supported .ICO and .BMP graphic-file formats, AppBuilder now supports these graphic-file formats: .CAL, .CUT, .DCX, .DIB, .EPS, .GIF, .ICA, .IFF, .IMG, .JPG, .LV, .MAC, .MSP, .PCD, .PCT, .PCX, .PSD, .RAS, .TGA, .TIF, .WMF, .WPG, .XBM, .XPM.
For more information, see:
Application Debugger
When you run the Application Debugger, you can now use the SESSION handle during a debugging session to include a Help button in alert boxes. The Help button provides access to a Stack Trace dialog box that displays 4GL stack trace information for the currently executing Progress session. For more information, see:
Procedure Editor
The Procedure Editor has the following new or enhanced features:
- Advanced Editing Features — If your Progress installation runs under a development license, the Procedure Editor includes the following Advanced Editing Features:
- Color coding
- Embedded color coding
- Syntax expansion
- Alias expansion
- Syntax indenting
NOTE: The advanced editing features are enabled by default. However, the Progress advanced editing features do not support bidirectional typing on Hebrew and Arabic Windows operating systems. You can turn the advanced editing features on or off to meet your needs.- SmartPaste
- Most Recently Used File list — The Procedure Editor File menu now has a Most Recently Used File list option. You can enable or disable this option. If you enable this option, you can use the File drop-down menu in the Procedure Editor menu bar to select and open a file from a list of most recently used files. You use the Options
Preferences option on the AppBuilder menu to specify the number of files you want to appear in this list.
For more information, see:
Pro*Tools
The PRO*Tools palette includes the following new or enhanced applets:
- PRO*Spy for Version 9 — A new applet for debugging applications containing ADM2 SmartObjects. For more information, see the following documentation:
- The AppServer Session Information PRO*Tool — A new applet that provides information about a running AppServer session defined with the AppServer Partition Deployment PRO*Tool. For more information, see:
- The Procedure Object Viewer — Now lists any persistent super procedures associated with a selected persistent procedure. For more information, see the following documentation:
- The Database Connections PRO*Tool — Is now modal and displays enhanced schema information, including table, field, and index details. For more information, see the following documentation:
Windows Help
Progress Windows help for Version 9.1 is modular. All installed Windows help systems appear in a combined table of contents, index, and full text search. Windows help systems that are not installed on a user’s computer do not appear in the combined table of contents, index, or full text search. For more information, see the following documentation:
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