Progress
Application Development
Environment — Getting Started
SmartObjects Used In the Order Tracking System
In "Working With the Sample Application" and "Assembling the Order Tracking System," you work with the SportsPro sample application to better understand the SmartObject technology and how to design and create an application. Figure 4–1 shows the main window of the SportsPro Order Tracking System as it appears when you run it. For information on running the sample application, see the "Running the Sample Application" section in Working With the Sample Application."
Figure 4–1 shows the main window of the sample application and identifies some of the SmartObjects in this window.
Figure 4–1: SmartObjects In the Order Tracking System
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Some SmartObjects used in the Order Tracking System above include:
- SmartDataObjects — Sources for Data SmartLinks that target SmartDataViewers and other SmartDataobjects
- SmartFolder — Source for a Page SmartLink that is targeted to a SmartWindow to control paging in that window
- SmartDataLinks — Establish a communication link from SmartDataObjects to SmartDataBrowsers and SmartDataViewers
- SmartDataViewer — Displays data from SmartDataObjects
- SmartDataBrowser — Displays data from SmartDataObjects and allows a user to scroll through the data
- SmartPanel — Contains buttons that control navigation as a source of a Navigation SmartLink through a SmartDataObject’s query
- Navigation SmartLink — Establishes a navigation SmartLink from a SmartPanel to a SmartDataObject
In addition to the objects listed above, the main window uses a SmartContainer. A SmartContainer is a special kind of SmartObject designed to contain other SmartObjects (including possibly other SmartContainers). Progress supplies three types of SmartContainers:
Each SmartContainer type keeps track of all of the information required to create running instances of the SmartObjects it contains. This information includes the positions of the SmartObjects and how they are linked.
The SmartObjects in the main window illustrate different types of SmartObjects. How a SmartObject functions in an application depends on the type of SmartObject and the SmartLinks defined for the SmartObject. SmartLinks are pathways used to send messages among SmartObjects.
When you assemble the main window of the sample application in "Assembling the Order Tracking System," you used the Progress Advisor to create SmartLinks for the SmartObjects you added.
Figure 4–2 shows the different types of SmartObjects used in the main window of the sample application, identifies the file, and shows SmartLinks for these SmartObjects. For more information about files, see the "Naming Conventions" section in this chapter.
.
Figure 4–2: SmartObject Types and SmartLinks![]()
A SmartObject does not know how it relates to other SmartObjects until you create the links. You determine the relationship by using a particular SmartLink type and by specifying which end of the link each object is on (Source or Target). For all SmartLink types, a Source initiates some action or passes some data to one or more Targets. In general, a Source can have numerous Targets simultaneously, but a Target has only one Source at a time. For more information about SmartLinks, see the Progress AppBuilder Developer’s Guide .
SmartLinks provide direct communication pathways between pairs of SmartObjects. A single SmartObject relates to other SmartObjects in a variety of ways. For example, a SmartDataObject relates to a SmartDataViewer differently than it relates to a Navigation SmartPanel. Most SmartObjects support a variety of SmartLink types. Some, like the Navigation SmartPanel, only support one SmartLink type (Navigation).
SmartLinks are directional in nature. Each SmartLink is directed from a source SmartObject to a target SmartObject. There are several types of SmartLinks. For example, a Data SmartLink sends the contents of a database record, while a Navigation SmartLink sends navigation instructions.
The following figures group the SmartObjects shown in Figure 4–2 based on their SmartLinks. The figures describe the types of SmartLinks and the different types of SmartObjects.
Figure 4–3 shows that the SmartFolder, folder, is the source for a Page SmartLink targeted to the SmartWindow,
worder
. The Page SmartLink tells the main window which logical page to display.Figure 4–3: SmartFolder and Page SmartLink
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Figure 4–4 shows that the SmartDataObject,
dcust
, is the source for two Data SmartLinks targeted to the SmartDataViewer,vcust
, and the SmartDataObject,dorder
.Figure 4–4: SmartLinks For dcust SDO
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Figure 4–5 shows that the SmartDataObject,
dorder
, is the source for two Data SmartLinks targeted to the SmartDataViewer,vorder
, and the SmartDataObject,dordlne
.Figure 4–5: SmartLinks For dorder SDO
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Figure 4–6 shows that the SmartDataObject,
dordlne
, is the source for two Data SmartLinks targeted to the SmartDataBrowser,bordlne2
, and the SmartDataViewer,vordlne
. The SmartPanel,pnavico
, is the source for a Navigation SmartLink to the SmartDataObject,dordlne
.Figure 4–6: SmartLinks For dordlne SDO
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