Release 10.1A: OpenEdge Development:
Progress Dynamics Getting Started

Standard, reusable application components

Progress Dynamics supports a variety of application components with standard features that require no programming to implement. For example, you can use the predefined Progress Dynamics menu structure and toolbars to provide table navigation and maintenance. These menus and toolbars then become available for use by any appropriate object of your application.

The user interface (UI) components all provide a consistent and predictable look and feel for any application completely built using Progress Dynamics objects. However, you can also create customized objects and layouts that you can reuse throughout your application.

Progress Dynamics provides a rich variety of static and dynamic objects to support most functions required for an application. Dynamics stores the run-time properties for dynamic objects in the Repository.

Progress Dynamics objects fall into two large categories:

Data objects — Handle transactions on data and provide a structure for including business logic.
UI objects — Visualize data and control application functionality.

Data objects

Data objects include:

OpenEdge SmartDataObject™ (SDO) — Typically handles transactions on data in a single database table. SDOs can be either static or dynamic objects.
OpenEdge SmartBusinessObject™ (SBO) — Handles transactions on data in multiple database tables and serves as a container for multiple SDOs. SBOs can be either static or dynamic objects.
Data Logic procedure — Provides a structure to specify business logic for the data managed by an associated SDO or SBO.

UI objects

Progress Dynamics UI objects include the following basic types:

Window Container Object — Includes static and dynamic windows and folder objects. It can contain most other objects.
Field Object — Includes OpenEdge SmartDataFields™, DataFields, and calculated fields.
Dynamic Lookup — Presents a list of valid choices for a field value in the form of a browse window.
Dynamic Combo — Presents a list of valid choices for a field value in the form of a combo box.
OpenEdge SmartDataViewer™ (SDV) — Visualizes and accepts user changes of data in a single record or view. SDVs can be either static or dynamic objects.
OpenEdge SmartDataBrowser™ (SDB) — Visualizes and accepts user changes of data in multiple records or views. SDBs can be either static or dynamic objects.