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ABL Reference
ABL Syntax Reference : Widget phrase
 

Widget phrase

References a widget in a statement. The Widget phrase is used in the APPLY, ON, and WAIT-FOR statements.
Note: Does not apply to SpeedScript programming.

Syntax

{ FRAME frame
| [ FIELD ] field [ IN FRAME frame ]
| column [ IN BROWSE browse ]
| { MENU | SUB-MENU } menu
| MENU-ITEM menu-item [ IN MENU menu ]
| handle
| system-handle
}
FRAME frame
Specifies a frame widget. The frame parameter must be the name of an existing frame.
[ FIELD ] field [ IN FRAME frame ]
Specifies a field. The FIELD keyword is optional. The field parameter must be the name of an existing field-level widget: a fill-in, editor, text, slider, toggle box, radio set, selection list, combo box, button, image, rectangle, or browse. Use the IN FRAME option to qualify the widget, if necessary.
column [ IN BROWSE browse ]
Specifies a column or cell in a browse widget. Use the IN BROWSE option to qualify the widget, if necessary. For more information on when you can reference browse columns and cells, see the DEFINE BROWSE statement reference entry.
{ MENU | SUB-MENU } menu
Specifies a menu or submenu. The menu parameter must be the name of an existing menu. The menu can be a pop-up menu, pull-down menu, or menu bar. Within the widget phrase, ABL does not distinguish between MENU and SUB-MENU.
MENU-ITEM menu-item [ IN MENU menu ]
Specifies an menu item within a menu. The menu item parameter must be the name of an existing menu item. Use the IN MENU option to qualify the menu item, if necessary.
handle
Variable or field that specifies a valid widget, procedure, or system handle.
system-handle
Specifies a built-in system handle. The system handle parameter must be one of the built-in system handles listed in the following table.
Table 65. System handles
System handle
Description
ACTIVE-WINDOW
A handle to the ABL window that has most recently received input focus during the session.
CLIPBOARD
A handle to the system clipboard.
COLOR-TABLE
A handle to information on the current color table.
COMPILER
A handle to information on the most recently executed COMPILE statement.
CURRENT-WINDOW
A settable handle to the default window for the ABL session.1, 2
DEBUGGER
A handle to the Application Debugger.
DEFAULT-WINDOW
A handle to the static window created by the AVM for the session. Every session has one static window.3
ERROR-STATUS
A handle to information on the last statement executed with the NO-ERROR option.
FILE-INFO
A handle to information on an operating system file.
FOCUS
A handle to the field-level widget that currently has keyboard focus (that is, the current field).
FONT-TABLE
A handle to information on the current font table.
LAST-EVENT
A handle to the last event received by the program.
RCODE-INFO
A handle to information on an ABL r-code file.
SELF
A handle for the widget associated with the currently executing user-interface trigger.
SESSION
A handle to information on the current ABL session.
SOURCE-PROCEDURE
A handle to the procedure file that contains the original invocation (RUN statement or function invocation) of the current internal procedure or user-defined function.
TARGET-PROCEDURE
From within an internal procedure: A handle to the procedure file mentioned, explicitly or implicitly, by the original RUN statement that invoked (perhaps through a chain of super procedures) the current internal procedure.From within a user-defined function: A handle to the procedure file mentioned, explicitly or implicitly, by the original function invocation that invoked (perhaps through a chain of super versions of functions) the current user-defined function.
THIS-PROCEDURE
A handle to the executing external procedure in which the handle is referenced.
1 The initial setting of the CURRENT-WINDOW handle is the ABL static window. CURRENT-WINDOW can also be set to the handle of any dynamic window.

2 If the THIS-PROCEDURE:CURRENT-WINDOW attribute is set to the handle of a valid window, this window becomes the default window for the executing procedure (overriding the setting of the CURRENT-WINDOW handle). The setting of THIS-PROCEDURE:CURRENT-WINDOW changes the default window only for the current external procedure block.

3 The initial setting of the CURRENT-WINDOW handle is the ABL static window. CURRENT-WINDOW can also be set to the handle of any dynamic window.

Notes

For information on how to access widget attributes and methods, see the Accessing handle attributes and methods.