dev-6: introduction to the openedge ® advanced gui jim lundy principal product manager

DEV-6: Introduction to the OpenEdge® Advanced GUI

Jim LundyPrincipal Product Manager

© 2008 Progress Software Corporation2 DEV-6: Introduction to the OpenEdge Advanced GUI

Agenda

What is the New UI Advanced GUI Overview Architectural Overview Visual Designer Demo Q & A


D I S C L A I M E R

Under Development

This talk includes information about potential future products and/or product enhancements.

What I am going to say reflects our current thinking, but the information contained herein is preliminary and subject to change. Any future products we ultimately deliver may be materially different from what is described here.

D I S C L A I M E R


A Microsoft® .NET™ based Windows graphical user

interface that can replace or be integrated into an existing

OpenEdge GUI Client

What is the New UI?

The New UI is…


Why an OpenEdge GUI for .NET?

Microsoft Windows is the market leader for desktop applications• De-facto standard• Competitive• Start-of-the-art user interfaces

Microsoft .NET Windows Forms is purposed for line of business applications• Model-View-Presenter (MVP) pattern • Data-centric UI controls• ADO.NET maps well to a ProDataSet™


.NET UI Components

Wealth of .NET controls• Microsoft and Infragistics®

• Other 3rd party controls

.NET Extender providers• Cross-control functionality

(Tooltips, Errors)

.NET User Controls• User-defined custom

controls


What is it Called?

New UI• Project name: “OpenEdge Advanced GUI”• Not a product…• A feature of OpenEdge • Develop using OpenEdge Architect or ABL development

products

New control set• Project name: “OpenEdge Advanced UI Controls”• Will be a product… optional add-on• Add-on to OpenEdge development products• Bundle of controls from Infragistics that extends the .NET UI

development capability


Who is the target audience?

ABL Developers using OpenEdge Architect…

Seeking to build extremely modern and appealing .NET graphical user interface…

Through the ease of ABL


Target audience characteristics

Customers using OpenEdge Architect…• For customers on OpenEdge

• Comfortable with Object Oriented concepts

Seeking to build extremely modern and appealing .NET graphical user interface…• Windows oriented for development and user client

Through the ease of ABL• Desires an OpenEdge-centric development environment


Development Methodology• Early POC and Usability input from customers• Structured “Technology Preview” approach; Beta; GA

Expected dates• Technology Previews released during 2007• Beta test target Q3 2008• General Availability target 2H 2008

Interested?• Beta signup will be open at Exchange!• www.progress.com/openedge/beta

When will it be available?


What reviewers are saying…

Tony Vertenten, Intris

“OpenEdge 10.2A offers a superior interface that not only streamlines developer productivity but also allows us to enhance the look-and-feel of our applications for our end-users”


Leverages the ABL• Single language; No need to learn C#, VB.NET• Data binding between ABL data sources and UI controls • Event binding between ABL methods and UI events

Single design center: OpenEdge Architect• No need to purchase, learn or use non-OpenEdge products

(Visual Studio®)

Benefits: Benefits: • Shorter ramp-upShorter ramp-up Higher productivity Higher productivity• Built-in data binding Built-in data binding Purposed for business Purposed for business

applicationsapplications• Built on OpenEdge: Deployment and data source flexibilityBuilt on OpenEdge: Deployment and data source flexibility

Primary Features and Benefits


Integrates with existing GUI (at container level)

Independent of deployment topology (C/S or n-tier)

Extensible with 3rd party controls and custom controls

Adaptable to future UI enhancements or other emerging UIs

BenefitsBenefits: : • Adopt at your own paceAdopt at your own pace• Contemporary Windows look and feel without compromiseContemporary Windows look and feel without compromise• Architected for investment protectionArchitected for investment protection

Primary Features and Benefits


How does it compare to other OpenEdge UI Technologies?

OpenEdge Advanced GUI

Build modern state-of- the-art .NET™ GUIs in ABL

OpenEdge Architect 10.2A or above

UI Technology Primary Use

Progress® GUI

WebClient™

OpenClient

WebSpeed®

Character

Build Windows 95 user interface look and feel

Build thick client GUI with thin client deployment characteristics

Provides the capability to add alternate UIs (.NET & Java™) to OpenEdge Apps

Build Web-browser based apps with zero client footprint

Build traditional green-screen user interfaces

Progress Dynamics®

OpenEdge StudioOpenEdge Architect

OpenEdge StudioOpenEdge Architect

OpenClient Toolkit

WebSpeed Workshop

OpenEdge Architect OpenEdge Studio4GL Development System

Tools to Use


Zero Client Footprint

Thin Client Footprint

2-Tier Computing

OpenEdge Advanced GUI

WebSpeed

Progress GUI

Progress Character

OpenClient.NET & Java™

n-Tier Distributed Computing

How does it compare to other OpenEdge UIs?


OpenEdge GUI Architecture (“Classic”)

OpenEdge GUI ( Windows, Frames )OpenEdge GUI ( Windows, Frames )

DataSets, Temp-tablesDataSets, Temp-tables

Data AccessData Access

Data SourcesData Sources

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Advanced GUI Architecture (“New”)

OpenEdge GUI ( Windows, Frames )OpenEdge GUI ( Windows, Frames )

DataSets, Temp-tablesDataSets, Temp-tables

Data AccessData Access

Data SourcesData Sources

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Infrastru

cture

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Infrastru

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.NET GUI.NET GUIC

LR

CL

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UI Logic ( events, data binding )UI Logic ( events, data binding ) BridgeBridge

BridgeBridge

• GUI components• Data access• I/O blocking• Event handlers

• GUI Visualization• User interaction and events


ABL Extensions

Progress.Windows.Form• ABL forms inherit from this class • InitializeComponent method (generated)

Progress.Data.BindingSource• New ABL object to access Progress data sources • Extends .NET BindingSource class• Binds .NET control to ABL data source (query)

Event Subscription• Subscribe method added to every .NET event• Takes an ABL method / procedure name


A Closer Look into the Advanced GUIPresentation Layer

.NET GUI.NET GUI

OpenEdge RuntimeOpenEdge Runtime

BridgeBridge

.NET CLR.NET CLR

BridgeBridge

frm = NEW Form( ).frm:Closing:Subscribe( EventHdlr1 ).WAIT-FOR Application.Run( frm ).

EventHdlr1( ) …

frm = NEW Form( ).frm:Closing:Subscribe( EventHdlr1 ).WAIT-FOR Application.Run( frm ).

EventHdlr1( ) …

One Process for OpenEdge Runtime and .NET CLR

ABL LogicABL Logic


A Closer Look into the Advanced GUI Presentation Layer

.NET GUI.NET GUI

OpenEdge RuntimeOpenEdge Runtime .NET CLR.NET CLR

3

DEF VAR frm AS Form.frm = NEW Form( ).

frm:Closing:Subscribe( FrmClose ).

WAIT-FOR Application.Run( frm ).

Method VOID FrmClose( ) MESSAGE “BYE” VIEW-AS ALERT-BOX.END.

ABL LogicABL Logic BridgeBridgeBridgeBridge

1

2

4

6

57


Advanced GUI ABL Language

Window

• Create form and controls• Event subscription & handler methods (default)• Binding to ABL data

Form.cls

Startup.p

• Entry point to run GUI• NEW’s Form.cls• Performs WAIT-FOR

Form / Data.p / .i’s

• Alternate location for event handlers• Data source definition and query


Advanced GUI Tools Architecture

OpenEdge Architect

ABL Editor

Visual Designer

OpenEdge Client

Eclipse, OpenEdge and .NET CLR work together

OpenEdge

AVM

Microsoft

CLR

Eclipse (foundation platform)


WYSIWYG Form creation and editing• Define Form• Add .NET controls• Set properties of controls and

components• Define data binding objects• Add event subscriptions

Class Browser• Displays class member information

about ABL and .NET classes

Visual Designer

Built as an Eclipse plug-in for OpenEdge Architect


Visual Designer Perspective

ToolboxProperties

view

Selectedproperty

Form

VisualDesigner

Control


Generated code for a form


Advanced GUI Demo


Visual Designer Perspective

ToolboxProperties

view

Selectedproperty

Form

VisualDesigner

Control


Advanced GUI Prerequisites

ABL Programming• Object-oriented ABL

• .NET Windows Form Framework Classes

• .NET Infragistics Windows Form Classes

OpenEdge Architect• WYSIWYG Visual Designer

– Properties view and Control Toolbox

• Object-oriented Class Browser


Preparing for Advanced GUI

Move to OpenEdge 10… Ideally 10.1C

Move UI logic to methods

Consider UI Design

Get familiar with OOABL constructs and syntax • Create and access UI objects

• Call methods, access properties

• Subscribe to UI events

Beta signup

Steps You Can Take Now…

…Catch the Wave!


Exchange Content OpenEdge Advanced GUI

DEV-16 Leveraging the Power of the Advanced GUI• Tony Vertenten, Intris • Erwin in ‘t Veld, CCS • Roland de Pijper, Eric Debeij, Progress

DEV-29 Deep Dive into Developing with Advanced GUI• Shelley Chase, Product Architect, Progress

DEV-32 Using the Advanced GUI, Structured Error Handling and SonicMQ to build a Semi-Disconnected Point of Sale• Brian Preece and Romin Sanai, BCP Software

DEV-40 Using SmartObjects with Advanced GUI• Mike Fechner, ConsultingWerk

DEV-43 OpenEdge Tools and User Interface Info Exchange• Jim Lundy, Principal Product Manager, Progress


Questions?


Thank You

dev-6: introduction to the openedge ® advanced gui jim lundy principal product manager

Documents

progress software corporation

openedge architectseeking

net ui development capability

openedge advanced guinot

ui eventssingle

producta feature of

ui controls event binding

user controlsuser