Release 10.1A: OpenEdge Getting Started:
WebSpeed Essentials

Preface

This Preface contains the following sections:

Purpose
Audience
Organization
Using this manual
Typographical conventions
OpenEdge messages

Purpose

This manual introduces you to the WebSpeed® environment for developing Web browser-based business applications that support real-time database access and management. It explains the structure of a WebSpeed environment and how transactions are processed. The manual discusses configuring WebSpeed environments and the development tools to which you have access. Finally, the manual gives basic information on deploying WebSpeed applications and securing your WebSpeed enviroment.

Audience

This manual is for anyone interested in learning how to create applications with the WebSpeed development environment. Knowledge of WebSpeed or SpeedScript® programming is not required. However, you should also have a working understanding of the Internet and of the World Wide Web, and some experience creating and editing HTML pages.

Organization

Chapter 1 "Introducing WebSpeed"

Introduces the WebSpeed architecture, including general information on the WebSpeed round trip process, Web programming, and the Progress® OpenEdge® platform.

Chapter 2 "Configuring WebSpeed"

Provides information about configuring WebSpeed environments. The chapter also includes basic information about configuring your Web server.

Chapter 3 "Tools and Progress 4GL Support"

Describes the tools and utilities used in WebSpeed application development.

Chapter 4 "Running and Deploying WebSpeed Applications"

Provides information on launching WebSpeed in various environments, starting information on securing your WebSpeed environment, and how to access the WebSpeed sample applications.

Appendix A, "WebSpeed Configuration and Management Utilities"

Describes the syntax for commands and utilities documented in this manual. If this manual provides the primary documentation for a command or utility, the syntax for that command or utility appears in this appendix.

Using this manual

Use the information in this guide to familiarize yourself with the architecture, environment, and development practices used to create Web-based applications with WebSpeed. This guide contains brief sample applications to facilitate your WebSpeed development experience.

Typographical conventions

This manual uses the following typographical conventions:

Convention	Description
Bold	Bold typeface indicates commands or characters the user types, provides emphasis, or the names of user interface elements.
Italic	Italic typeface indicates the title of a document 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.

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 Progress 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 Progress 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

In Windows, 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 Progress Procedure Editor, press the HELP key or F1.