architect preferences and...

White Paper Version 1.0

Architect Preferences and Properties OpenEdge 10.2A

2 Architect Preferences and Properties – 10.2A Copyright © 2009 PSC

Architect Preferences and Properties

© 2009 Progress Software Corporation. All rights reserved.

These materials and all Progress® software products are copyrighted and all rights are reserved by Progress Software Corporation. The information in these materials is subject to change without notice, and Progress Software Corporation assumes no responsibility for any errors that may appear therein. The references in these materials to specific platforms supported are subject to change.

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Version 1.0

Author: James Willis

Architect Basics - 10.2A 3 Copyright © 2009 PSC

Table of Contents

Introduction to Preferences and Properties ..................................................................................... 5 Preferences and Properties.......................................................................................................... 6

Preferences...................................................................................................................................... 8 Accessing Preferences ................................................................................................................ 9 Workspace Preferences............................................................................................................. 11

General Workspace and Build Preferences........................................................................... 12 ABL Specific Build Preferences........................................................................................... 16 Project Handling Preferences................................................................................................ 20 Project Build Preferences...................................................................................................... 22

Resource Preferences ................................................................................................................ 24 Linked Resources.................................................................................................................. 26

File Associations....................................................................................................................... 28 Editor Preferences..................................................................................................................... 32

General Editor Preferences ................................................................................................... 34 Annotation Preferences......................................................................................................... 36 Hyperlinking Preferences...................................................................................................... 38 ABL Editor Preferences........................................................................................................ 40 ABL Assistance Preferences................................................................................................. 44 ABL Editor Macros............................................................................................................... 50 Editor Color and Font Preferences........................................................................................ 58 Text Compare Preferences.................................................................................................... 64 Quick Diff Color Preferences ............................................................................................... 66 SQL and XML Editor Preferences........................................................................................ 68

Perspective and View Preferences ............................................................................................ 70 Perspective and View Coloring and Font Preferences.......................................................... 74 OpenEdge Specific View Preferences .................................................................................. 76

Keyboard Shortcut Preferences................................................................................................. 78 Database Preferences ................................................................................................................ 82

Connection Profiles............................................................................................................... 84 OpenEdge Schema Editing Preferences................................................................................ 86 DB Navigator Preferences .................................................................................................... 88

Performance and Diagnostic Preferences ................................................................................. 91 General Performance and Diagnostic Preferences................................................................ 92 Startup Performance Preferences.......................................................................................... 94 AVM Startup Performance Preferences................................................................................ 96 Caching Preferences.............................................................................................................. 98

continued on next page


Table of Contents

Properties .................................................................................................................................... 100

Accessing Properties............................................................................................................... 101 General Project Properties ...................................................................................................... 102 Project Build Properties .......................................................................................................... 105 PROPATH Properties ............................................................................................................. 107 Database Connection Properties ............................................................................................. 110 AppBuilder Properties ............................................................................................................ 112 WebSpeed Properties .............................................................................................................. 114 Project References Properties ................................................................................................. 116 Sharing Properties................................................................................................................... 118


Introduction to Preferences and Properties

Preferences and Properties



Preferences and Properties

Introduction

Architect’s preference and properties control everything from syntax coloring to keyboard shortcuts to how project builds are handled. Knowledge of these features and their settings is needed to take full advantage of Architect’s capabilities. This document will explore some of Architect’s most important preferences and properties. This document also

● Shows (using images) where each setting can be found, ● Lists the tree path that must be used to find the setting in the preference or

property tree, and ● Explains what each setting is for and details why they are important.

Note that this document does not take the place of other documentation on properties and projects, such as online documentation. It also does not cover all of the settings that are possible. Rather, it offers an introduction to the most useful settings and groups those settings into functional groups to make it easier to understand what they are used for.

Preferences vs. Properties

Although both preferences and properties are used to apply settings to the tools and resources in Architect, there is one major difference: preference settings are scoped to the workspace level while property settings are scoped to the project level. This is an important distinction when dealing with these settings because it determines the level of enforcement of the setting across Architect and how those settings are shared either within Architect or when sharing settings in a team development environment.

For instance, preference settings will apply to the entire workspace and therefore also (if applicable) apply to any projects contained in the workspace. There is no need to share those settings among the projects because it is done automatically. However, property settings are not automatically shared among projects and therefore you must either manually configure the settings for each project or share the settings through other methods, such as importing/exporting the settings.


Preferences

Accessing Preferences

How to access Preferences

Architect’s Preferences dialog can be accessed by selecting Window Preferences from Architect’s main menu. Setting preferences in the dialog will apply to the workspace currently open.


Accessing Preferences

Shortcut to Editor Preferences

You can right-click on any editor and select the Preferences option to quickly access Editor Preferences.

Note: When using this shortcut, you will not be shown all the preferences that are available for the workspace, including specific ABL editor preferences. To gain access to these other preferences, you must click the Clear button ( ) to clear the filter.



Workspace Preferences

Introduction

Workspace preferences generally control how workspaces and projects are handled at startup and how the resources they contain are handled during builds. The next few pages introduce these preferences and what they do.

General Workspace and Build Preferences

General Startup and Shutdown

General Workspace




Prompt for Workspace on Startup (General Startup and Shutdown)

Checking this option will result in Architect prompting for a valid workspace path each time you open Architect. If the option is not checked, the workspace last used is opened.

Refresh Workspace on Startup (General Startup and Shutdown)

This option is used to instruct Architect to do a global refresh of its resources on startup to reconcile with any changes that may have been made directly to the file system since Architect was last run.

This option is important if you use other editors outside of Architect to work with source files or if you have some automated system that refreshes your workspace files from some central location. However, depending on the size of the workspace, setting this option can significantly degrade performance at startup.

Build Automatically (General Workspace)

Checking this option will result in Architect automatically building (compiling) resource files whenever they are saved to disk.

Refresh Automatically (General Workspace)

This option instructs Architect to monitor resource files to ensure they stay synchronized with their corresponding files on the file system.

You might use this option if you have automated processes that generate code or you frequently update resource files outside of Architect while Architect is running. However, this option can significantly impact performance if there are a large number of resources in the workspace.

Save Automatically Before Build (General Workspace)

When performing a manual build, this option instructs Architect to save all modified resource files before continuing with the build.



Save Interval (General Workspace)

This setting allows you to set the time interval that Architect will use to periodically save the state of the workspace to disk.

The performance of the save depends on the number of projects and resources contained in the workspace. When changing this interval, keep in mind that an interval too large exposes the risk of losing data in case of an unplanned shutdown and an interval too small decreases performance.


Notes

ABL Specific Build Preferences

OpenEdge Architect Editor Build



Introduction

In addition to the general build options associated with a workspace, there are specific settings that apply to ABL applications. This section introduces those preferences.

Extensions (OpenEdge Architect Editor Build)

The Extension Preferences assist the build process in determining how to handle files during compilation and other associated processes. If you use extensions for source code files other than the standard ABL extensions, you will want to add them to these comma delimited lists.

Preference Description Compilable file extensions Comma-separated list of all the file extensions for files that

are compilable AppBuilder file extensions Comma-separated list of file extensions for files that should

be edited through the AppBuilder. Include file extensions Comma-separated list of file extensions for files that should

be handled as ABL include files. SpeedScript extensions Comma-separated list of file extensions for files that should

be handled as WebSpeed SpeedScript files. Static files filter Comma-separated list of file extensions for files that are

considered static files and should not be copied to the static destination directory during builds. See the Project Build Properties section for more information on the static destination directory.

Note: If you are using non-standard file extensions, you will also want to associate the different file extensions to the ABL Editor. See the File Associations section of this document for more details.

Compile on save if required (OpenEdge Architect Editor Build)

If checked, this setting instructs Architect to compile an ABL source file each time it is saved. This setting only applies if you have disabled automatic builds for the workspace (General Workspace); otherwise, the setting is ignored.




Syntax Check (OpenEdge Architect Editor Build)

The following are the Syntax Check preferences:

Preference Description Automatically check syntax If checked, Architect will continuously check the syntax of a

file while you edit it in the ABL Editor and update related messages (such as error messages) as needed. Note that this option can be a performance issue depending on your setup.

Show all syntax check message summaries

Instead of displaying only the first syntax check message, this option instructs the Check Syntax dialog to display all syntax check messages along with links for each message that takes you to the applicable line of code.

Show help message detail with syntax check message summaries

An additional option to the Show all syntax check message summaries option that instruct the Check Syntax dialog to also automatically include help text with each message listed.

Maximum number of errors reported per build (OpenEdge Architect Editor Build)

This setting determines the number of build errors allowed during a build process before the process is terminated. If you would like the build to complete without regard to the number of errors, set the value to 0.


Notes

Project Handling Preferences

General Workspace


Project Handling Preferences

Open Referenced Projects (General Workspace)

In Architect, you can specify that a project be associated with another project. For example, you may have a project that contains source code that is shared among one or more other projects, such as a collection of include files (.i) , class files (.cls), or interface files. In this case, you may want to reference that project whenever it has such dependencies.

With this setting, you can specify how a referenced project is handled if one of its associated projects is opened—either to always open, never open, or prompt before opening any referenced projects when an associated project is opened.

Note: You use a project property to define referenced projects. This property is discussed in the Project References Properties section of this document.


Project Build Preferences

General Workspace Build Order


Project Build Preferences

Build Order (General Workspace Build Order)

If you need to control the order in which projects are built (compiled), you can uncheck the Use Default Build Order ( ) option (checked by default) and use the Positioning buttons ( ) to change the build order of the projects ( ). You can also add and remove projects ( ) from this list.

Note: Removing a project from this list does not prevent the project from being built. It is still built after all other projects in the list are built.

Max Iterations When Building with Cycles (General Workspace Build Order)

Build problems can result if you create a cyclical referenced project (each project referencing the other). This setting determines the number of iterations on the cycle Architect will attempt to try to resolve any issues before stopping the build.

Note: Creating a cyclical relationship among referenced projects in an OpenEdge application would be unusual. You should reconsider the structure of your projects if you run into this issue.


Resource Preferences

General

General Appearance Label Decorations


Resource Preferences

Open Mode (General)

These set of options allow you to control how resources are opened when clicked on. These options are honored when working with the Resources view, but other views may also use these settings.

Label Decorations (General Appearance Label Decorations)

You will find these options useful if you would like to turn off icon alerts in the Resources view when a file has a compilation error or casing. You can simply check which icon decorations you want activated and deselect those that you do not want activated.


Linked Resources

General Workspace Linked Resources


Linked Resources

What are linked resources?

In Architect, you can link individual files or entire folders outside the project’s path to a project as linked resources. The most important use of this feature is to link to resources that may not exist on the local file system, but are kept on an accessible network drive.

You define a linked resource while creating a new folder or file. As shown below, while defining the folder you can access the link resource options through the Advanced button.

While defining a linked resource, you have the option of using path variables, which makes managing linked resources easier by allowing variable names to represent a destination path. You then can use these variables whenever defining a linked resource. If at a later date the path of the resource changes, you only have to edit the path variable’s destination path and you will not have to revisit each linked resource.

Path Variables (General Workspace Linked Resources)

You can maintain all of the path variables for a workspace through the Linked Resources preferences page. You can also disable all linked resources ( ) using this page. This is a useful option if the remote locations of the linked resources will be unavailable for a given time, since there will be performance delays while Architect tries to resolve the unavailable locations.


File Associations

General Editors File Associations


File Associations

Creating File Associations (General Editors File Associations)

File associations can be used to map a file with a certain extension to a specific editor. For instance, if you use extensions for ABL source code files that are not standard (i.e. .p, .i, .w, .cls) then you will want to create file associations to link your file extensions to the ABL Editor.

Using the File Associations page you can add new file types ( ) and associate them with editors ( ). You can also set one of the associated editors as the default editor ( ).

Using External Programs

When adding an editor association, you have the option of selecting from a list of built-in editors ( ) or selecting an external program for editing ( ). You can specify an external program by either selecting from the available external program list or using the Browse button ( ) to find an executable file for the editor. Once associated, any file opened in Architect using the specified file extension will be opened using the external program.

For example, if you wanted to keep all your application’s image files in a project, you could associate these files with your preferred image editor and launch that editor directly from Architect to edit the images.



File Associations

What about Content Types?

Content Types (General Content Types) are a more advanced way of associating files with editors that goes beyond simple file extensions. For instance, content types allow you to send two files with the same file extensions to separate editors. This advanced topic is out of the scope of this white paper because it usually entails creating plug-ins to handle the different files types. If you need to distinguish between files with the same extension type, see the Eclipse online resources for more information.


Notes

Editor Preferences

General Editors



Editor Preferences

Introduction

While there are many editor settings among the preference categories, only some of these preferences apply to all editors. Other preferences apply to specific editors—such as the ABL editor. The following sections will cover many of these settings and how you can use them to tailor your code writing experience.

Editor Handling (General Editors)

The first set of preferences deal with how all editors are handled. Below is a list of these preferences and their purpose:

Preference Description Size of recently opened files list Used to control the number of recently opened files

listed at the bottom of the File menu option. Show multiple editor tabs If checked, multiple editor tabs will be shown in the

editor area. If not checked, one tab will be shown and all others can be found listed under the chevron button to the right of the tab.

Allow in-place system editors If checked, files associated with certain system editors, like Word and Excel, will open inside Eclipse. If not checked, the editors are opened as stand-alone editors outside of Architect.

Restore editor state on startup If you close Architect with editors open, this option instructs Architect to reopen the files at startup and restore their state.

Prompt to save on close even if still open elsewhere

Architect allows you to open the same file in multiple editors, an important option for making it easier to copy text from one area of a file to another. If this option is used and any one of the open editors is closed, Architect will prompt to save the file.

Close editors automatically Architect has the ability to reuse the editor area if files are open but have not been edited. This option allows Architect to close files if they have no changes and if new files are opened. Other options in this area include a setting for the threshold number of open editors Architect will use before recycling the editor area, and what to do if all the editors are currently pinned or have code that has been edited.

General Editor Preferences

General Editors Text Editors



General Editor Preferences

General Editor Preferences (General Editors Text Editors)

The preferences on this page apply globally to all the text editors in Architect. Some of the preferences are self explanatory, but the following are additional notes on some of the preferences available on this page.

Preference Description Undo history size This value controls the size of the undo stack. Displayed tab width The value used here determines the number of spaces

the editor will show to visually represent a tab. Insert spaces for tabs If used, this option will turn all tabs into spaces.

Note that the ABL editor has its own preference setting for this option that overrides this preference.

Highlight current line The setting can be used to toggle on and off the highlight line that is placed on the line where the cursor is currently located.

Show print margin and column width

If you check this option, a thin grey line is shown through the editor at the column specified by the column setting. This option is important if you often print your syntax because it helps you format the code so that it will fit on a printed page.

Show range indicator A range indicator is activated when a section of code or element is selected in the outline view. The range indicator is shown in the vertical ruler (marker) bar as a grayed bar that spans the entire block of code. This option turns on and off the range indicator.

Smart caret positioning at line start and end

If checked, Architect will reposition the cursor to the beginning or end of the typed line when the Home or End keys are pressed. If unchecked, the keys will reposition the cursor to the very beginning or end of the line—meaning that it will include tab or spaces when determining the beginning or ending of the line.

Annotation Preferences

General Editors Text Editors Annotations



Annotation Preferences

Annotation Preferences (General Editors Text Editors Annotations)

Annotations ( ) are the coding aids shown in the vertical ruler bar to the left of the editor. These preferences allow you to control if the annotations appear in the vertical ruler bar or the overview bar (the bar to the right of the editor) ( ), how the text associated with the annotation will be highlighted (or underlined) ( ), and what color ( ) to use for both the text highlighting and the bar in the overview bar.

Hyperlinking Preferences

General Editors Text Editors Hyperlinking


Hyperlinking Preferences

Hyperlinking (General Editors Text Editors Hyperlinking)

Hyperlinking allows a developer to quickly access other referenced files in their code (such as include files or other programs), by clicking on the file name in their code. The hyperlinking preferences allow you to toggle the availability of this feature ( ) and also set the modifier key ( ) that is used to activate the hyperlinks.

Note: The modifier key is the key you must press before the available hyperlinks appear. Architect implements hyperlinks in this way so that it remains easy to edit the file names in the code. If you leave the modifier key blank, the hyperlinks will appear any time the mouse is moved.


ABL Editor Preferences

OpenEdge Architect Editor



Introduction

Specific settings for the ABL Editor are found in the OpenEdge Architect section of the Preferences window. These specific settings extend upon the general editor settings found in other places.

Tab Preferences (OpenEdge Architect Editor)

This option allows you to control how tabs are handled—either as a tab or converted to spaces. The following optional modifier options apply in the Insert Spaces mode:

Preference Description Replace content when tab is pressed in overwrite mode

Determines if typed characters will be replaced with spaces if a tab is used in overwrite mode; otherwise, the spaces will be inserted.

Number of spaces that represent a tab

Determines the number of spaces used to convert a tab to spaces when the tab key is pressed.

Note: Some of these options override tab preferences in the General Editor Preferences section, but not all: for example the display options for visually representing a tab are still used.

Indentation Preferences (OpenEdge Architect Editor)

The following are indentation preferences for the ABL editor:

Preference Description Enable smart indent of new lines This option instructs Architect to intelligently auto

indent new lines of code, such as keeping the code inside a block properly indented.

Enable auto indent on paste This option applies intelligent auto indention to code that is pasted.

Enable tabular formatting This option enables tabular formatting for ASSIGN and some DEFINE statements. Note that you still have to manually force the editor to perform the tabular formatting; this option just enables the ability.




Case Preference (OpenEdge Architect Editor)

This option defines how casing is handled (either no action, upper, or lower case) based on whether you decide to automatically apply casing through other options, such as the on-exit or while typing options.

As You Type Automatic Formatting Preferences (OpenEdge Architect Editor)

The following two options apply to text formatting as you type:

Preference Description Expand keywords Checking this option will instruct Architect to

automatically expand partially typed keywords that it recognizes. As Architect finds a keyword match while typing, the color of the letters being typed will change color. With this option checked, you then can press the spacebar and Architect will complete the keyword.

Case keywords If this option is checked, Architect will automatically case keywords based on the case preference setting ( ).



Other ABL Editor Settings (OpenEdge Architect Editor)

Other ABL Editor specific settings include:

Preference Description Apply keyword casing on save Instructs Architect to apply the case preference

setting ( ) to the entire file on save. Expand database tables and

fields Similar to the Expand Keywords setting ( ), this setting instructs Architect to expand database table names and field names if there is a match and after pressing the spacebar.

Automatically prefix fields and tables with database name

Instructs Architect to prefix database table and field names with their associated database name. In cases where there are multiple aliases for a database connection, the first alias in the list is used.

Enable smart home and end keys This option overrides the default behavior found in the General Editor Preferences section. If checked, pressing the HOME key will move the cursor to the first non-white space character on the current line. Pressing the key again will move the cursor to the very beginning of the line. Likewise, pressing the END key will move the cursor to the last non-white space character on the current line. Pressing it again will move the cursor to the last character of the line.

ABL Assistance Preferences

OpenEdge Architect Editor Assistance



General Assistance Preferences (OpenEdge Architect Editor Assistance)

These options allow you to turn on and off the assistance features of the ABL Editor.

Preference Description Auto Bracketing

With this option checked, Architect will automatically add the closing element to any symbols that are normally used in pairs, such as parenthesis, brackets, and quotation marks.

Context Assistance

This option enables syntax structure help while you are typing.

Show help on schema hover

This option enables schema description help while the cursor is over a schema element.



General Assistance Preferences (OpenEdge Architect Editor Assistance)

Preference Description Show help on keyword hover

This option enables ABL keyword description help while the cursor is over a keyword element.

Highlight matching elements in code

This option enables a marker that shows the position of a paired code element (such as parenthesis or ABL DO and END statements) when the cursor is at the other paired element.



Code Completion Assistance (OpenEdge Architect Editor Assistance)

The following options control the code completion features of the ABL Editor:

Preference Description Milliseconds allowed for re-parsing

Architect must constantly analyze code and schema information while you are working to offer options for code completion lists. This setting allows you to set the maximum amount of time that Architect will spend analyzing code before building a code completion list. The default is usually fine except in cases where you are editing source code files that contain thousands of lines of code or you are working with remote databases. In those cases the code completion lists may not be accurate and you may want to increase this setting. However, keep in mind that you can not enter text during this pause and setting this value to high may cause noticeable delays while typing.

Auto-completion activation on “.” and “:”.

This option instructs Architect to offer a code completion list whenever a period (.) or colon (:) is typed. If this option is not checked, you can still request a code completion list by typing CTRL+SPACE.



Code Completion Assistance (OpenEdge Architect Editor Assistance)

Preference Description Show description when proposing schema elements

This option activates a field description help box when an option from a schema code completion list is selected. You may want to disable this option when working with remote databases if you find that performance is degrading while waiting for this information to populate.



Notes

ABL Editor Macros

OpenEdge Architect Editor Templates(Macros)


ABL Editor Macros

Introduction

Editor macros are often called code templates in Architect. This document will refer to them as macros so they are not confused with file templates, which are usually associated with file creation wizards. Editor macros are powerful coding aids that allow you to quickly enter many lines of code by simply typing in the name of the macro and pressing the spacebar. This section discusses the options you have for handling and formatting ABL Editor Macros.

Maintaining Macros (OpenEdge Architect Editor Templates(Macros))

There are many preset macros available by default after installing Architect. They can be found in the Macro list ( ) on the Template Preferences page. A preview of the template is shown below the list in the Preview area ( ). From this page you can create new or edit existing ( ) macros. You can also delete ( ) macros from the list; alternatively, you can disable a macro by deselecting the checkbox ( ) next to its name in the Macro list without having to completely remove the macro. Options also exist for restoring shipped macros that were removed ( ) and reverting a selected macro to its default (shipped) state ( ).

Note: You can create multiple macros with the same name. If you have macros with the same name, the first matching template from the list will be used upon pressing the spacebar. However, you can press the CTRL-SPACE keys to request a code assist list to pick one of the alternative macros with the same name from the list.

Importing and Exporting Macros

There is a common need to share macros across workspaces so that the macro preferences do not have to be manually entered for each workspace. To solve this problem Architect allows you to export macros to an XML file and then import them into any workspace where you would like the preferences duplicated.


ABL Editor Macros

Use Code Formatter Option

This option allows you to specify that as macros are entered, they should follow the formatting guidelines you have specified in other preference settings, such as the tab formatting and auto-indent settings. Note that this setting applies to all macros collectively and cannot be set for individual macros.

Note: If you use this option, then you should write your macros to mirror your formatting settings. For instance, if you will be using tab formatting, use tabs while defining your macros. If you will be turning tabs into spaces, use spaces while defining your macros; otherwise, you may find that your macro will not format properly.



Notes

ABL Editor Macros


ABL Editor Macros

Creating and Editing Macros

While creating and editing macros, you are asked to give the macro a name ( ). This name also becomes the trigger for activating the macro. You can also enter a description ( ) for the macro, which is very important for differentiating between multiple macros with the same name.

The code for the macro is entered in the Pattern area ( ). Variables can also be used for the pattern in addition to text.

Note: The Context and Automatically Insert settings ( ) should be left to their default settings as they offer no functionality when used with the ABL Editor.

Variables

Using variables in a macro offer a powerful and flexible means for quickly creating blocks of code. You can create a variable by wrapping the variable name with ${variableName}.

After invoking the template, the code will enter into an edit mode, and you can use the tab key to move among the variables to enter their values. Note that multiple instances of the same variable can be used in the macro pattern. During the edit mode the first instance of the variable will receive focus for editing. After entering a value, the other instances will assume the entered value.



ABL Editor Macros

Preset Variables

There are a variety of preset variables that have special functionality for macros. You can access these variables by selecting the Variables button ( ). The list also appears while typing new variables, if there is a match. The following list describes some of these preset variables:

Variables Description ${date} Will automatically be replaced by the current date. ${dollar} or $$ Used to represent the dollar mark ($). ${time} Will automatically be replaced by the current time. ${year} Will automatically be replaced by the current year. ${user} Will automatically be replaced by the current user name. ${line_selection} This tag instructs Architect to take the current selected line and insert it

into the macro code at the point where this tag is placed. This option is used when invoking the macro through a code completion list, the Source Surround With right-click menu option in the ABL Editor, and the ALT+SHIFT+Z keyboard shortcut.

${word_selection} This tag instructs Architect to take the current selected word and insert it into the macro code at the point where this tag is placed. This option is used when invoking the macro through a code completion list, the Source Surround With right-click menu option in the ABL Editor, and the ALT+SHIFT+Z keyboard shortcut.

${cursor} Indicates where the cursor should be positioned after finishing the edit mode (after all variables values have been entered and the tab key is pressed). If no variables exist, the cursor is automatically positioned to the place where this tag exists in the inserted macro code.


Notes

Editor Color and Font Preferences

OpenEdge Architect Editor Colors




Introduction to Color Preferences

Setting color preferences in Architect can be a confusing task because there are so many options spread across multiple levels of the product. The best approach for ABL programmers for configuring color settings is to start with ABL-specific color settings, then move on to the general settings for all text editors and then on to the general settings for the entire product. This hierarchical approach allows you to control most of the color choices from the outset and then work your way down the line of settings to change any other minor color settings.

ABL Editor Color Preferences (OpenEdge Architect Editor Colors)

These color preferences directly control colors for the ABL Editor. Most of the color settings that affect the ABL Editor can be found here. To change a color, select the button that shows the current color and select a new color from the palette. The Bold check-box allows you to specify that the text associated with the color category be shown in bold. For information on changing the actual font for the text, see the Editor Color and Font Preferences section.

Preference Description Default Applies to all text not covered by any other category. Note that this setting

does not control operators and other special characters; those are controlled by the Foreground color setting found in the general text settings for all editors.

Keyword Applies to ABL keywords. Schema Applies to schema elements, such as database tables and fields. Datatype Applies to datatypes. Preprocessor Applies to preprocessors. Comment Applies to commented text. Include Applies to include file names. Note that if you activate the hyperlink, the

hyperlink color settings in the general settings for text editors override this setting.

Literal Applies to literal values.


General Editors Text Editors




General Color settings for all Text Editors (General Editors Text Editors)

Most of the color settings for the ABL Editor are covered in the previous section. However, there are a few general settings for all text editors that you may find useful. The most important of these settings are for the background color of the editor and the foreground color. The foreground color is important because it affects the coloring for operators and other special characters such as quotation marks and periods.

To change a color ( ), select the color button ( ) and select a new color from the palette. You can use the System Default setting ( ) to use the default color setting from the OS that matches the currently selected color option. Note that if you select the System Default setting, the color shown on the color button may not represent the color that is actually used. You can reset the colors to the default (shipped) setting using the Restore Defaults button ( ). Note that this may also affect other setting on this preferences page.

Preference Description Line number foreground Applies to foreground color of the line numbers located next

to the vertical bar. Current line highlight Applies to the current line highlight for the editor (if

activated). Print margin Applies to the print margin line if activated. Find scope Applies to any selected (highlighted) text that is to be used for

a Find scope while searching code. Selection foreground color

Applies to the foreground color on any selected (highlighted) text.

Selection background color

Applies to the background color of any selected (highlighted) text.

Background color Applies to the background color of the editor. Foreground color Applies generally to colors not associated with any other

category, such as operators and special symbols. Hyperlink Applies to any code that is activated as a hyperlink.


General Appearance Colors and Fonts




General Appearance Color and Font Settings (General Appearance Colors and Fonts)

The last place you can change color settings is also the place where you can change font settings. The available settings are listed under a node in the treeview ( ). The most important of these nodes for editor settings are the Basic and Text Compare nodes. This document will not cover all of these settings since the Description area ( ) does a good job of describing each of the options. Also, most of the color settings apply to features not directly affecting syntax, such as color options for the content assist list background and foreground colors.

However, one important setting is for the Text Font (Basic Text Font). This setting controls the font for all editors. You can change the font using the Change button ( ) or select the Use System Font ( ) to use the applicable font from your OS settings. You can use the Reset button ( ) to revert to the default (shipped) setting.

Another important setting is the ABL Compare Font (Text Compare ABL Compare Editor Font) which controls the font used by the ABL Comparison Editor.

Text Compare Preferences

General Compare/Patch



Text Compare Preferences

Introduction

In addition to the text compare color setting introduced in the last section, other preference settings can be found in the General Compare/Patch preferences page. You can review all of the option in the Online Help screens, but of particular importance is the Preview area ( ), which allows you to preview the settings made here and those made on the text compare color preferences page.

Quick Diff Color Preferences

General Editors Text Editors Quick Diff


Quick Diff Color Preferences

Quick Diff Preferences (General Editors Text Editors Quick Diff)

The Quick Diff preferences allow you to turn on the Quick Diff option ( ) for the Vertical Ruler.

You can change the color settings ( ) and specify if Quick Diff color bars should also be shown in the Overview Ruler ( ).



SQL and XML Editor Preferences

Introduction

In addition to the General Editor and ABL Editor preferences, there are specific settings for the other editors that are shipped with the product, including the SQL and XML Editors. This document will not cover the particular settings for each of these editors but will highlight where the settings can be found.

For the SQL Editor preferences navigate to the Progress DB Navigator SQL Editor Preferences page.

For the XML Editor preferences navigate to the Progress XML Editors Preferences page.

You can find more information about these preferences in the online help pages.


Notes

Perspective and View Preferences

General Appearance




Introduction

Preferences that control the look and feel of Architect’s working environment as well as the functionality settings for perspectives and views are scattered throughout the preferences settings. Although this document will not cover every setting, this document will describe some of the more important settings and show where to find all of the settings. You can find information in the online help about the settings not covered here.

General Appearance Settings (General Appearance)

The General Appearance settings let you control such things as the theme and animation settings. Most important among these is the ability to override ( ) the presentation settings so that you can control the location of editor tabs ( ), view tabs ( ), and the perspective toolbar/switcher ( ). You can also specify whether labels should be shown in the perspective toolbar/switcher ( ).


General Perspectives




Opening Preferences (General Perspectives)

The Opening preferences determine how perspectives and views are opened. The preferences are as follows:

Preference Description Open a new perspective Determines if a new perspective is opened in the

same window (along with an entry in the perspective toolbar/switcher) or if the perspective will be opened in its own separate window.

Open a new view Determines whether a new view is opened as normal (within the perspective) or opened as a fast view.

Open the associated perspective when creating a new project.

Controls how Architect behaves when a new project is created. The options are to always open the associated perspective, prompt to open the associated perspective (if not already opened), or whether to never open the associated perspective and leave the currently opened perspective active.

Available Perspective Preferences (General Perspectives)

This Available Perspectives area ( ) allows you to manage perspectives shipped with the product as well as those that are user-created. You can set the default perspective ( ), which is the first perspective shown after the product launches. You can reset pre-defined (shipped) perspectives ( ) and you can delete user-defined perspectives ( ).

Perspective and View Coloring and Font Preferences

General Appearance Colors and Fonts



Perspective and View Coloring and Font Preferences

Perspective and View Coloring and Font Preferences (General Appearance Colors and Fonts)

You can find coloring and font preferences for perspectives and views in the same place you can find other coloring and font preferences. In this case, you will want to expand the View and Editor Folders node ( ) to find the settings that apply. You can find a description for each of the settings in the Description area ( ) and review any changes in the Preview area ( ).

OpenEdge Specific View Preferences

OpenEdge Architect Views



OpenEdge Specific View Preferences

OpenEdge View Settings (OpenEdge Architect Views)

This preferences page includes settings for views that have specific OpenEdge features. The settings are as follows:

Preference Description Show compile log in Console view Determines whether compile messages are displayed

in the console view during a build. Show informational messages in the Console view

Determines whether information messages (such as project database connection status messages) are displayed in the console view.

Show warning messages in the Console view

Determines whether warning messages (such as runtime failures) are displayed in the console view.

Split functions and procedures in the Outline view

Determines whether Functions and Procedures are split into separate categories in the Outline view or whether they appear as one category under the Code Sections heading.

Show procedure libraries in the Resources view

Determines whether procedure libraries are shown in the Resources view.

Show warning message when running procedures that contain errors

Determines whether a pop-up alert appears when running procedures with errors.

Keyboard Shortcut Preferences

General Keys




Introduction (General Keys)

Keyboard shortcuts in Architect are completely customizable and have an extensive level of hierarchical implementation. The Commands List ( ) shows all of the available commands that can be bound to a keyboard shortcut. The list of commands can be filtered either by name or group ( ). A description for each command is shown in the Description area ( ).

Scheme

Schemes allow you to select a default set of bindings for the commands. There are only two options: a basic default set and a set for Emacs (for those developers who prefer Emacs settings).


Binding Keys to a Command

A key sequence is when one or more keys are pressed. Architect allows you to bind commands to one or more key sequences. Although it is possible to bind a command to a single key (like the character “M”), it is not practical, so most key sequences use one or more modifier keys such as CTRL, ALT, and SHIFT. For example, the following key sequence

means that the key sequence is pressing the Alt, Shift, and Y keys at the same time. To bind a key sequence to a command, simply select the command from the list ( ), put the cursor in the Binding field ( ) and press the keys you want to use for the sequence at the same time. The key sequence will be displayed in the Binding field.

You can also bind multiple key sequences to a command. For example, the following binding

means that the key sequence ALT+SHIFT+Z should be pressed at the same time and then released, followed by pressing the C key. These types of binding are entered in the same way as you would invoke the keyboard shortcut. Press the first key sequence and then release the keys, then press the next key sequence, and so on. The Binding field will place a comma separator between the key sequences.




When Context?

The When field ( ) allows you to set up a hierarchical implementation of keyboard shortcuts. For instance, you can have the same keyboard shortcut applied to two different commands, but the context of when the shortcut is used determines how the shortcut is to be applied. For instance, the F5 key while debugging might represent the Step Into command, but the F5 key by default (In Windows) might represent the Refresh command.

By using contexts, you can prevent conflicts between shortcuts and extend the number of shortcuts that can be used.

Command Buttons

The command buttons allow you to take actions on the key bindings and commands. You can use the Copy Command button to create a copy of a command so that you can bind another set of key sequences to the same command. The Unbind Command button will remove a key binding for a command. The Restore Command button will restore the key binding for a command to its default (shipped) binding.

Conflicts

The Conflicts area ( ) makes it easy to review potential conflicts with key bindings while you are setting them. If a conflict arises while you are defining a key binding, this area will show you with which command it conflicts. You can then modify the binding or select a different When Context ( ) to rectify the conflict.

Database Preferences



Database Preferences

Introduction

It is important to understand Architect’s database connection settings to fully take advantage of Architect’s features.

First, a Connection Profile contains separate settings for ABL connections and SQL connections ( ). ABL connections are used when connecting to a database to test ABL syntax. SQL connections are used to connect to databases to retrieve schema information and for maintaining database schema through the DB Navigator. You can have a Connection Profile that only contains ABL connection information ( ), but you will not be able to view or maintain the database schema for that connected database. Likewise, you can have a Connection Profile that only contains SQL connection information ( ), but you will not be able to execute ABL code against that connection.

Second, Connection Profile information (both ABL and SQL connection information) are kept in Workspace Preferences ( ). But, each Project must specify which of these profiles they need to use for connection purposes. This “linking” information is kept in Project Properties ( ) which will be discussed in the Database Connection Properties section of this document.

Connection Profiles

OpenEdge Architect Database Connections

Progress DB Navigator Connection Profiles



Connection Profiles

Managing Connection Profiles (OpenEdge Architect Database Connections)

There are two places to create and maintain Connection Profiles. The preferences page at OpenEdge Architect Database Connections lets you create and maintain both ABL and SQL database connections. The Connections List ( ) shows all the currently defined connections and the connection parameters for the ABL connection are displayed in the Connection string ( ) area. You can create, edit, copy, and delete ( ) connection profiles from this page. You can also export connection profiles to an XML format export file and import connection profiles that have been exported ( ). This is important if you want to share database connection information across workspaces.

Creating SQL Only Connections (Progress DB Navigator Connection Profiles)

Although you can enter SQL connection information using the preferences page described in the previous section, the default page for maintaining SQL profile information is in the Progress DB Navigator Connection Profiles Preferences page ( ).

Although this is the main page for SQL connection information, it is suggested that you use the page described in the previous section to maintain most connection information as it makes it easy to link the SQL information to ABL information and you have access to Import/Export functionality. The one exception to this would be if you would like to maintain database schema through the DB Navigator and do not need an ABL connection (such as an Oracle database that does not support an ABL application), then you might want to create the connection information and maintain it in this location ( ).

For more information

This document does not cover how to create Connection Profiles. You can find step-by-step instructions for creating Connection Profiles in the OpenEdge Tutorial.

OpenEdge Schema Editing Preferences

Progress DB Navigator Databases OpenEdge Schema Editing



OpenEdge Schema Editing Preferences

OpenEdge Database Schema Editing Preferences (Progress DB Navigator Databases OpenEdge Schema Editing)

This preferences page allows you to set options that control how the DB Navigator handles schema changes to an OpenEdge Database. The options are as follows:

Preference Description Open script in editor upon

completion wizard This option instructs Architect to open a SQL Editor and display a script containing any schema changes entered through a schema change wizard. The Execute and commit schema change on completion of wizard modifier allows you to turn off the auto commit of any schema changes after completing a wizard. This option allows you to capture schema changes in scripts and apply them to the database later as needed.

Grant public SQL rights to table data upon completion of Add Table or Edit Table wizard

Provides full user access (non-DBA privileges) to table data created through schema wizards.

Default Character/Decimal Size Used to determine default sizes for new character or decimal fields.

Update format to reflect entered size value

Enabling this option and setting the Size to Format ratio will allow Architect to resize the format field by ratio to reflect the size of the character field.

Default Format List Allows you to change the default format for ABL data types that are used with the schema creation wizards.

DB Navigator Preferences

Progress DB Navigator




DB Navigator Preferences (Progress DB Navigator)

Most of the preferences found in the Progress DB Navigator node apply to functions of the SQL Editor and general schema editing functions that are not specific to an OpenEdge Database, although some of the settings do affect the ABL Editor. Below is an explanation of some of these preferences:

Preference Description Result limits and

editor separator The first set of preferences control the number of rows to limit when retrieving rows from the database for the Preview tab, the max number of result rows to limit when executing a SQL select statement, and the number of rows to batch during execution of a SQL select statement. The separator preference defines which character to recognize as the separator between multiple SQL statements.

Auto commit When checked, instructs Architect to set the Auto commit option to true by default during connection profile creations. This can be overridden during creation or changed by editing a profile at any time. Auto commit instructs Architect to immediately commit to the database any schema/database changes made through an executing SQL statement. Otherwise, you must manually commit any changes by either clicking the Commit button in the Connections View or executing a COMMIT statement.

Commit On Close If Auto commit is not selected, setting this option will automatically commit all changes when the database connection is closed.

Columns auto-complete assistance

Enables auto-completion for columns while using the SQL Editor. As with the ABL Editor settings, if you have a slow connection you should not use this option as there is a performance hit.

Save and restore last selected node in Database Structure View

Instructs Architect to restore the Database Structure View to the last selected node that was used at the time the database was last used.

Append table name to column

When copying column names from the DB Structure view, will instruct Architect to append the column names with the table name. Applies to both SQL and ABL Editors.

Enclose in quotes When copying schema elements from the DB Structure view, instructs Architect to enclose the elements with quotes. If using the SQL Editor, you will want to check this option. However, if you are copying elements to the ABL Editor you will probably want to deselect this option.



DB Navigator Preferences (Progress DB Navigator)

Preference Description Delimiter This setting determines the delimiter used when copying multiple

schema elements from the DB Structure view. If using the SQL Editor, you will probably want to set this to a comma (,). If you are using the ABL Editor you will probably want to set this option to a space (you must enter a space in the field and not just leave it blank).

Show catalog/schema If a database supports catalogs, allows you to specify that catalogs and associated structure be shown in the DB Structure view. Otherwise schema will be shown.


Performance and Diagnostic Preferences

Introduction

Some of the preferences that impact performance have already been introduced in other sections and their importance discussed. This section will introduce additional performance and diagnostic preferences that are not easily categorized.

General Performance and Diagnostic Preferences

General


General Performance and Diagnostic Preferences

Always Run in Background (General)

Although not necessarily a performance setting, this setting is a convenience when dealing with background processes. Checking this option will automatically start eligible processes in the background instead of asking you for confirmation when such processes start (as shown below). You can continue working while the process(es) finish.

Show Heap Status (General)

This option displays a bar at the lower right corner of Architect that shows the current memory in use and the total memory allocated by the JVM. Clicking the trash can next to the bar sends a request to the JVM to run garbage collection procedures.


Startup Performance Preferences

General Startup and Shutdown



Startup Performance Preferences

Plug-ins (General Startup and Shutdown)

If you find that Architect is running sluggish, you might want to check to see if you have plug-ins that are not in use. In the General page ( ) you can prevent unneeded plug-ins from starting.

AVM Startup Performance Preferences

OpenEdge Architect Advanced Launching


AVM Startup Performance Preferences

Reusing AVM Instances

A new AVM instance is started each time a launch configuration is used to either run or debug a program. An alternative is checking this option to have launch configurations use the AVM already running for the project to handle the running or debugging of the programs.

Note: You also have the option of defining this feature for each individual launch configuration.


Caching Preferences

OpenEdge Architect Advanced Class Cache



Caching Preferences

Class Caching (OpenEdge Architect Advanced Class Cache)

Because of the interdependency of class files, Architect needs to build information about the files to provide information for Architect’s coding aids and other features. However, caching this information can be a performance issue depending on the size and number of the files in your application.

Architect gives you two options for controlling which class files it will cache at startup. The Workspace option instructs Architect to scan for class files located within the workspace for caching. If you keep referenced classes and interfaces outside of the workspace, then you can use the PROPATH option to find and cache class files; but this option can make starting OpenEdge Architect slower.

Scanning Installation Directory for Caching (OpenEdge Architect Advanced Class Cache)

This additional option determines whether or not Architect will search for and cache class files located in the OpenEdge installation directories—even if these directories are specified in the PROPATH. Scanning these directories might be important if you are using some of the shipped supporting classes (such as those used for the Visual Designer and controls).


Properties

Accessing Properties

Accessing Properties

To access the properties for a project you must first select the project in the Resources view ( ) so that Architect can determine for which project you are configuring properties. Then you select the Project Properties menu option from Architect’s main menu.

Note: Alternatively, you can right-click on the project in the Resources view and select the Properties option from the context menu.


General Project Properties

OpenEdge




Introduction

The general project properties deal mostly with location for the project’s resource files and the startup parameters for the AVM.

Directory Settings

The following are the directory properties and their descriptions for a project:

Preference Description Working directory The directory in which the AVM starts when the project is

opened. The default directory is the project’s root directory. Temp directory The directory where you want temporary files stored. The

default directory is the OpenEdge working directory specified when OpenEdge is installed.


Startup Parameters

The Startup Parameters field ( ) allows you to add AVM parameters to the startup line that is used when starting an AVM for the project.

Note: Refer to OpenEdge Deployment: Startup Command and Parameter Reference for detailed information on OpenEdge AVM parameters. You can also use parameter file (-pf) references in this field and store your parameters in the .pf file.

Note: Do not add database connection parameters to the Startup Parameters field or in an associated .pf file. Database connection information should be stored in Database Profiles as described in this document. Otherwise, Architect may not function properly.

The Add Default Parameters checkbox ( ) allows you to add the workspace AVM parameter settings to the project AVM parameter settings. This workspace AVM parameter setting is stored in Preferences under the OpenEdge Architect Startup preferences page as shown below:

Use TTY for Runtime

This option instructs Architect to use a TTY session for the project’s AVM. If you use Launch Configurations that reuse the project’s AVM for running and debugging code, then this TTY session will be reused for that purpose.


Project Build Properties

OpenEdge Build



Project Build Properties

Project Build Properties (OpenEdge Build)

Projects have build settings that can be tailored to satisfy each project’s needs. The following are descriptions of the build properties for projects:

Preference Description Save r-code Instructs Architect to save compiled (.r) files during a

build. Build only when source files are

newer than r-code A performance setting that instructs Architect to only compile source files during a build if their associated compiled file (.r) is out of synch.

Build Destination The directory used to save compiled (.r) files. If left blank, compiled files are saved in the same directory as the source files.

Static file destination The destination directory for placing static files during a build.

XCODE key The key used to encrypt source code files. This key is needed only if you encrypt source code files so that the build process can process the files.

Pre-compile callback routine Can be used to specify a procedure that runs before a build. This procedure is called before each file in the build is compiled. Both source (.p) and compiled (.r) files are supported. The procedure can be used to do any action that needs to be done before compiling a program; but the program should generally have no user interaction and should not block execution.

Create cross-reference files in XML format

An option to instruct the compiler to create cross-reference files in XML format for each program being compiled.

XREF XML file destination The destination directory to place cross-reference XML files. The compiler will create a cross-reference file for each program being compiled in this directory using the <program name>.xref.xml naming convention. You can specify a single file-name, but that file will be overwritten if compiling more than one file.

PROPATH Properties

OpenEdge PROPATH



PROPATH Properties

PROPATH Settings (OpenEdge PROPATH)

The PROPATH properties page allows you to maintain the list of locations Architect uses to locate application files. The PROPATH settings configured here are used as the default settings for any Launch Configurations created for the project.

The PROPATH list ( ) shows the currently configured list of locations. The appropriate search order for the PROPATH locations can be adjusted using the Move Up and Move Down buttons ( ). Currently defined locations can also be removed or edited ( ).

A PROPATH location can either be a directory or a procedure library. This page allows you to add both internal locations (locations inside the project) and external locations (locations outside the project) ( ). The Add Standard Paths button displays a list of common locations that can be added to the existing PROPATH list.

Source Directory (OpenEdge PROPATH)

In the Source tab ( ), you can configure the directories in your project that contain source files. These settings determine which files in the project are targeted by the build process for compiling files. You can maintain each source directory ( ) using the Add, Remove, and Edit buttons ( ). Each source directory can have its own Environment setting (all, gui, tty) and build destination. The default build location is the build directory for the project.

PROPATH Properties

Configuration Variables

Configuration variables are variables that point to specific directories. While configuring PROPATH and Src settings, you can use these configuration variables to help define your location and directory paths. The valid variables and their associated values are:

Variable Value @{ROOT} The project’s root directory @{WORK} The project’s working directory @{DLC} The directory where OpenEdge is installed. @{RCODE} The Build Destination directory for the project (if specified in the

project’s properties) @{TEMP} The directory where the project’s temporary files are stored.

User Defined Configuration Variables

Architect also gives you the option of using two custom variables in your configuration settings. These two variables, @{APP} and @{DB}, can be set in the OpenEdge Custom Properties page for the project.


Database Connection Properties

OpenEdge Database Connections


Database Connection Properties

Project Database Connections (OpenEdge Database Connections)

The Database Connections Properties page allows you to select which of the workspace’s connection profiles the project should use for connecting to databases.

The Connections list ( ) shows which connection profiles are available for selection. Note that you may need to toggle the display options ( ) to see all the available profiles from the workspace preferences. The ABL connection string for each profile is displayed in the Connection String area ( ). You can use the Select All and Deselect All buttons ( ) to select or deselect all available profiles displayed in the list or you can select and deselect each profile individually by using the check box ( ) next to each profile.

You can also directly edit the ABL connection portion of a profile by selecting the Edit button ( ) or use the hyperlink ( ) to switch to the Database Connections Preferences page that allows you to maintain connection profiles.

Note: See the OpenEdge Architect Tutorial for more information on creating connection profiles and configuring project database connection properties.


AppBuilder Properties

OpenEdge AppBuilder



AppBuilder Properties

AppBuilder Properties (OpenEdge AppBuilder)

The AppBuilder properties allow you to set whether AppBuilder windows run embedded inside Architect (checked) or if the windows run outside Architect on the desktop ( ). You can also select how the AppBuilder starts when the AppBuilder perspective is opened ( ) and when .w files are opened ( ). You can also maintain Dynamics configuration information using this page ( ).

WebSpeed Properties

OpenEdge WebSpeed



WebSpeed Properties

WebSpeed Properties (OpenEdge WebSpeed)

The WebSpeed Properties page allows you to define the WebSpeed broker URL for use with your Web Server ( ). The value can be left blank if you are using the internal server included with Architect. You can also configure and maintain virtual paths ( ) using the maintenance buttons on this page ( ).

Project References Properties

Project References



Project References Properties

Configuration Project References (Project References)

As described in the Project Handling Preferences section of this document, projects can be configured to reference other projects in the workspace that they may be dependant upon. This page allows you to check other projects in the workspace ( ) that should be considered a referenced project to the current project.

Sharing Properties

OpenEdge Custom

OpenEdge



Sharing Properties

Sharing Properties (OpenEdge Custom)

Properties can be shared through importing and exporting capabilities. The Share Settings button ( ) allows you to export the current project’s properties. Once this button is selected, the properties will be exported to a project.xml file which will be placed in the project’s root directory.

If the project is then imported into another workspace, the file will be used to copy and retain the project’s settings during import. You can also use the Import Settings ( ) button to manually import project properties from a previously generated project.xml file.

Profiles

Profiles are a subset of project properties that exclude PROPATH settings, source and build folder settings, and database connection settings for a project. Profiles allow you to set up different scenario settings for a project and switch to them as needed. You can use the Save Profile button ( ) on the Custom Properties page to generate and name a new profile using the existing property settings. The Change Profile button ( ) on the OpenEdge Properties page can be used to switch to any previously saved profile.

Another common use for Profiles is to set up a generic set of properties that can be used across all projects which allows developers to cut down on the configuration time needed when creating new projects. Once the generic Profile is configured and saved, the properties can be applied to any project with only specific PROPATH and database connection settings left to configure.

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