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Introducing the ABL GUI Designer : Reference : AppBuilder perspective components
 

AppBuilder perspective components

The major components of the OpenEdge AppBuilder perspective are the Project Explorer View, Design Window, Object Palette, Progress Dynamics actions, PRO*Tools utilities, Outline View, ABL Messages View, and ABL Cue Cards View.

Project Explorer View

The Project Explorer view provides a hierarchical view of the projects and resources in your workspace. From here, you can add new AppBuilder procedure (.w) files to your OpenEdge project or open them for editing.

Design Window

Design window serves as a working area where you insert basic objects, SmartObject, and OCX (ActiveX) controls while building your application user interfaces. It provides an accurate visualization of how the window will appear at run time. You can use the mouse to size objects by dragging their border, and to position controls on the form.

Object Palette

The GUI Designer has a new dockable Palette which contains controls with which you build the UI. Use the Palette to insert basic objects, SmartObjects, and OCX (ActiveX) on the design window.
The Palette makes available all the component objects supplied with GUI Designer. Use the Palette to insert basic objects, SmartObjects, and OCX (ActiveX) to the design canvas.
Note: Only the major organizers (windows, dialogs, SmartFrame) are not on the Palette. Create them from the list in the ABL UI Design dialog (File > New > ABL UI Design).

Progress Dynamics framework

The Progress Dynamics framework is a comprehensive, repository-based environment for Progress Developer Studio for OpenEdge users who are building new applications, or who need to migrate existing applications to take advantage of new OpenEdge technologies.

PRO*Tools Utilities

The PRO*Tools are a set of utility programs that you might need while developing your applications. The PRO*Tools utilities are available from the OpenEdge menu and as toolbar buttons in your OpenEdge AppBuilder perspective.

Outline View

A list of the structural elements of the AppBuilder procedure (.w) file that is currently open in the ABL Editor or ABL UI Designer. You can use the Outline view as an alternative means of selecting, copying, deleting, and renaming widgets.

ABL Messages View

The ABL Message view enables you to look up information about the OpenEdge error messages in Progress Developer Studio for OpenEdge. This view is available with only the OpenEdge projects.

ABL Cue Cards View

The ABL Cue Card view displays help information for a specific SmartObject type. When you create a new SmartObject master, the Cue Card associated with the SmartObject type is also opened. The Cue Card provides a basic definition of the SmartObject type, along with information about how to create and use the object.