Release 10.1A: OpenEdge Development:
Progress 4GL Reference

Widget attribute references

To reference an attribute, use the following syntax:

{ widget-name-reference | handle } :attribute-name [ IN container-widget-name ]

A widget-name-reference is a name reference to a static widget. A handle is a widget handle, procedure handle, or system handle reference. A container-widget-name is a name reference to a static container widget for widget-name-reference or to a browse widget. You need it only if widget-name-reference is ambiguous. For more information on attribute references, see the chapter on widgets and handles in OpenEdge Development: Progress 4GL Handbook .

The attributes in this section are listed alphabetically by name. Each attribute entry defines the data type of the attribute and provides information about read/write status of the attribute.

To read an attribute value, assign the attribute reference to a field or variable of a compatible data type or include the attribute reference in an expression. To write an attribute value, assign the value to an attribute reference.

The following example repositions a selection list (Select-1) to another row in its frame (SelectFrame):

Select-1:ROW IN FRAME SelectFrame = Select-1:ROW + 2.

Chained widget attributes

The Chained widget attribute lets you supply multiple attributes for a widget. When you use this syntax, the middle attributes and methods must have a data type of HANDLE. The widget-name-reference specifies a widget object. For example, SELF, CURRENT-WINDOW, BUFFER customer:HANDLE, or Query q:handle. The handle can be any variable of type HANDLE, and the attribute-name can be any attribute for the widget or handle immediately preceding it.

The Chained widget attribute has the following syntax:

{widget-name-reference | handle}: <attribute-name> [:attribute-name]...

The following shows an example of Chained widget attributes:

DEFINE VARIABLE hBuff as HANDLE. CREATE BUFFER hBuff FOR TABLE "customer". MESSAGE hBuff:BUFFER-FIELD(3):NAME.

See also Widget phrase, WIDGET-HANDLE function.