Chained handle references

Syntax

widget-reference : attribute-or-method-reference 
  [ : attribute-or-method-reference  ] ...

A chained handle reference allows you to reference multiple object handles in a series that terminates with a final handle attribute or method. The widget-reference specifies a handle-based object (see Handle-based references). The attribute-or-method-reference can be any appropriate attribute or method of the referenced handle-based object immediately preceding it. When you use this syntax, the middle handle attributes and methods must return a data type of HANDLE in order to allow an additional handle reference in the chain, until the final handle attribute or method is accessed, which can return any ABL data type.

The following example shows a chained handle reference (see also Widget phrase, HANDLE function):

DEFINE VARIABLE hBuff AS HANDLE NO-UNDO.

CREATE BUFFER hBuff FOR TABLE "Customer".
MESSAGE hBuff:BUFFER-FIELD(3):NAME.