Release 10.1A: OpenEdge Development:
ADM Reference

Preface

This Preface contains the following sections:

Purpose
Audience
Organization
Using this manual
Typographical conventions
Examples of syntax descriptions
OpenEdge messages

Purpose

This manual is an API reference manual for the OpenEdge™® Application Development Model ADM2). It describes the procedures and functions that define the default behavior of Progress® SmartObjects™.

Audience

This book is for OpenEdge ADM2 application developers. Developers who use the ADM2 need a strong understanding of the underlying Progress 4GL language and ProVision®.

Organization

Chapter 1 "ADM2 SmartObject API Reference"

Provides a brief discussion of the ADM architecture, illustration of the class hierarchy tree, each of the current SmartObjects and the files that define them, the two syntaxes for property reads and writes, and tables showing properties defined in each of the class files

Chapter 2 "SmartObjects and Their Methods and Properties"

Lists and describes the methods (internal procedures and functions) and properties used for the base ADM2 SmartObjects.

Chapter 3 "Visual Objects and Their Methods and Properties"

Lists and describes the methods (internal procedures and functions) and properties used for visualization SmartObjects.

Chapter 4 "Container Objects and Their Methods and Properties"

Lists and describes the methods (internal procedures and functions) and properties used for container SmartObjects.

Chapter 5 "Query Objects and Their Methods and Properties"

Lists and describes the methods (internal procedures and functions) and properties used for query SmartObjects.

Chapter 6 "Toolbar Objects and Their Methods and Properties"

Lists and describes the methods (internal procedures and functions) and properties used for toolbar SmartObjects.

Chapter 7 "Field Objects and Their Methods and Properties"

Lists and describes the methods (internal procedures and functions) and properties used for field SmartObjects.

Chapter 8 "Messaging Objects and Their Methods and Properties"

Lists and describes the methods (internal procedures and functions) and properties used for messaging SmartObjects.

Chapter 9 "Alphabetical Listing of WebSpeed-specific API Routines"

Provides a description, including calling sequence, of each of the routines in the WebSpeed® super-procedure files.

Appendix A, "Progress Dynamics Call Wrapper"

This appendix provides information about the Progress Dynamics™ Call Wrapper. The Progress Dynamics Call Wrapper provides an efficient way to dynamically invoke code with parameter lists that are defined at run time.

Using this manual

This manual is organized based on SmartObject type and each chapter lists and describes the methods and properties relevant to the specific SmartObjects type. Depending on the object type you want to create, refer to the chapter that covers that specific type of object.

For each chapter that describes properties that you can retrieve and set, the chapter provides a description of the get and set functions and identifies which properties can be read and which can be set.

For objects that use column or actions properties, these properties are listed in a table format and the chapter provides information about how to assign values for a property and identifies which properties can be read and which can be set.

Typographical conventions

This manual uses the following typographical conventions:

Convention	Description
Bold	Bold typeface indicates commands or characters the user types, or the names of user interface elements.
Italic	Italic typeface indicates the title of a document, provides emphasis, or signifies new terms.
SMALL, BOLD CAPITAL LETTERS	Small, bold capital letters indicate OpenEdge™ key functions and generic keyboard keys; for example, GET and CTRL.
KEY1-KEY2	A hyphen between key names indicates a simultaneous key sequence: you press and hold down the first key while pressing the second key. For example, CTRL-X.
KEY1 KEY2	A space between key names indicates a sequential key sequence: you press and release the first key, then press another key. For example, ESCAPE H.
Syntax:
Fixed width	A fixed-width font is used in syntax statements, code examples, and for system output and filenames.
Fixed-width italics	Fixed-width italics indicate variables in syntax statements.
Fixed-width bold	Fixed-width bold indicates variables with special emphasis.
UPPERCASE fixed width	Uppercase words are Progress® 4GL language keywords. Although these always are shown in uppercase, you can type them in either uppercase or lowercase in a procedure.
Period (.) or colon (:)	All statements except DO, FOR, FUNCTION, PROCEDURE, and REPEAT end with a period. DO, FOR, FUNCTION, PROCEDURE, and REPEAT statements can end with either a period or a colon.
[ ]	Large brackets indicate the items within them are optional.
[ ]	Small brackets are part of the Progress 4GL language.
{ }	Large braces indicate the items within them are required. They are used to simplify complex syntax diagrams.
{ }	Small braces are part of the Progress 4GL language. For example, a called external procedure must use braces when referencing arguments passed by a calling procedure.
|	A vertical bar indicates a choice.
...	Ellipses indicate repetition: you can choose one or more of the preceding items.

Examples of syntax descriptions

In this example, ACCUM is a keyword, and aggregate and expression are variables:

ACCUM aggregate expression

FOR is one of the statements that can end with either a period or a colon, as in this example:

FOR EACH Customer:   DISPLAY Name. END.

In this example, STREAM stream, UNLESS-HIDDEN, and NO-ERROR are optional:

DISPLAY [ STREAM stream ] [ UNLESS-HIDDEN ] [ NO-ERROR ]

In this example, the outer (small) brackets are part of the language, and the inner (large) brackets denote an optional item:

INITIAL [ constant [ , constant ] ]

A called external procedure must use braces when referencing compile-time arguments passed by a calling procedure, as shown in this example:

{ &argument-name }

In this example, EACH, FIRST, and LAST are optional, but you can choose only one of them:

PRESELECT [ EACH | FIRST | LAST ] record-phrase

In this example, you must include two expressions, and optionally you can include more. Multiple expressions are separated by commas:

MAXIMUM ( expression , expression [ , expression ] ... )

In this example, you must specify MESSAGE and at least one expression or SKIP [ (n) ], and any number of additional expression or SKIP [ ( n ) ] is allowed:

MESSAGE { expression | SKIP [ ( n ) ] } ...

In this example, you must specify {include-file, then optionally any number of argument or &argument-name = "argument-value", and then terminate with }:

{ include-file [ argument | &argument-name = "argument-value" ] ... }

Long syntax descriptions split across lines

Some syntax descriptions are too long to fit on one line. When syntax descriptions are split across multiple lines, groups of optional and groups of required items are kept together in the required order.

In this example, WITH is followed by six optional items:

Syntax

WITH [ ACCUM max-length ] [ expression DOWN ] [ CENTERED ] [ n COLUMNS ] [ SIDE-LABELS ] [ STREAM-IO ]

Complex syntax descriptions with both required and optional elements

Some syntax descriptions are too complex to distinguish required and optional elements by bracketing only the optional elements. For such syntax, the descriptions include both braces (for required elements) and brackets (for optional elements).

In this example, ASSIGN requires either one or more field entries or one record. Options available with field or record are grouped with braces and brackets:

Syntax

ASSIGN { { [ FRAME frame ] { field [ = expression ] } [ WHEN expression ] } ... | { record [ EXCEPT field ... ] } }

OpenEdge messages

OpenEdge displays several types of messages to inform you of routine and unusual occurrences:

Execution messages inform you of errors encountered while OpenEdge is running a procedure; for example, if OpenEdge cannot find a record with a specified index field value.
Compile messages inform you of errors found while OpenEdge is reading and analyzing a procedure before running it; for example, if a procedure references a table name that is not defined in the database.
Startup messages inform you of unusual conditions detected while OpenEdge is getting ready to execute; for example, if you entered an invalid startup parameter.

After displaying a message, OpenEdge proceeds in one of several ways:

Continues execution, subject to the error-processing actions that you specify or that are assumed as part of the procedure. This is the most common action taken after execution messages.
Returns to the OpenEdge Procedure Editor, so you can correct an error in a procedure. This is the usual action taken after compiler messages.
Halts processing of a procedure and returns immediately to the Procedure Editor. This does not happen often.
Terminates the current session.

OpenEdge messages end with a message number in parentheses. In this example, the message number is 200:

** Unknown table name table. (200)

If you encounter an error that terminates OpenEdge, note the message number before restarting.

Obtaining more information about OpenEdge messages

On Windows platforms, use OpenEdge online help to obtain more information about OpenEdge messages. Many OpenEdge tools include the following Help menu options to provide information about messages:

Choose Help Recent Messages to display detailed descriptions of the most recent OpenEdge message and all other messages returned in the current session.
Choose Help Messages and then enter the message number to display a description of a specific OpenEdge message.
In the Procedure Editor, press the HELP key or the F1 key.