Progress
Language Tutorial
for Windows
Summary
Before you finish this chapter, take a moment to review your progress on these topics.
Starting Progress:
- To start Progress on Windows NT 3.51, double-click the Progress Desktop icon to display the ADE Desktop. Then, to start the Procedure Editor, double-click on the Procedure Editor tool button.
- To start Progress on Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0, click the Start button on the taskbar and choose Programs
Progress
Desktop. Click on the Progress Desktop program to display the ADE Desktop. Then, to start the Procedure Editor, double-click on the Procedure Editor tool button.
The Procedure Editor and interface basics:
- The Procedure Editor is a text text editor that you can use to create, compile, and run Progress procedures. A procedure is a series of Progress language statements that performs a desired data processing task.
- A key function is an event in Progress that describes a behavior that occurs when you use a particular keystroke or key combination. Some common key functions are HELP, ENTER
-
MENUBAR, and GO. However, the keyboard mappings for specific keys may vary depending on the console you are using and the platform on which Progress is running.- Many functions of the Procedure Editor are accessible from the menus and menu commands on the Procedure Editor menu bar.
- The computer displays that enable a user to accomplish tasks are called the user interface. In Progress, interfaces are made up of objects, called widgets, that can be controls, representations of data, decorations, or containers. Widgets also serve as receptors for user input and application output.
Text entry and text manipulation in the Procedure Editor:
Edit buffers and procedure files:
- An edit buffer is a temporary area in computer memory maintained by the Procedure Editor where you can create and edit Progress procedures. You can use the Procedure Editor to save buffers to procedure files.
- A procedure file is a text file that contains one or more Progress procedures. By convention, procedure files have a .p file extension.
- The Procedure Editor provides menu commands that allow you to edit and manage multiple edit buffers and open and save procedure files.
Basic 4GL constructs and conventions:
- A keyword is a word that instructs Progress to do something.
- A statement is one complete instruction to Progress. Statements normally begin with a Progress keyword (verb), and end with a period or colon.
- Phrases and options consist of keywords and values and alter the way Progress executes a statement.
- A block is a group of Progress language statements.
Progress’s help system:
Accessing Language Tutorial Sample Procedures:
Leaving the Procedure Editor:
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