Your building blocks for fast andfuture-proof development

Koen VerbeeckSenior R&D Engineer koen.verbeeck@binteq.com

Evy De BlockR&D Engineer evy.deblock@binteq.com

• Located in Puurs, Belgium

• Unique team of Progress OpenEdge Developers– Each member having +15 years Progress OpenEdge

experience

• Focus on:– Development Frameworks (Desktop, Mobile, Web)– Migration Strategies– Enterprise ERP Solutions

• Serving World-wide customer base– Each having unique requirements

About BinteQ

• Grown up using Progress OpenEdge

• Made the switch of:– “Framework user” (Financial applications) – “Framework Developer” (technical scope)

• Internal Nick-name is “Sherlock”– Because of her unique “in depth” research & debugging

techniques

• Worked with Progress OpenEdge on:– Windows,– Unix,– …

About Evy De Block

• Long history with Progress Development– Since 1987– Progress version 4.2 (first release using “overlay frames”…

)

• Worked with Progress OpenEdge on any possible platform– Windows, Unix, VAX/VMS, OS/400, Motif, …

• Specialized in Development Frameworks for Progress:– Windows Desktop Applications– Mobile Apps– Web Development

About Koen Verbeeck

① Progress Evolution & Partner Reality② Principles③ Classic ABL vs OO ABL④ Our goals & approach⑤ Demo’s⑥ Summary⑦ Q&A

Agenda

1. Progress (R)EvolutionSince OpenEdge 10.x (and continued in OpenEdge 11.x):

• Object Oriented Programming (OO ABL)• Support for Modern .Net Controls (GUI for .Net)• Visual Designer• ProDataSets• Structured error handling• 32/64 bit support• IPv6• New SOAP parser• …

Progress OpenEdge Partner Reality• Existing Progress applications since Progress v4,

v5, v6, v7, …• Mature and Rich applications• Decades of man-years of work• Huge investment for full-rebuild (not feasible)• Technology: Client Server applications, extensive

use of:• Full procedural code• Includes• Shared Variables• ActiveX Controls to spice up UI• …. Does this sound familiar ? How to deal with this ?

Why Modernize ?

Business reasons:• Safeguard Competitive Market Position• Safeguard application value

Technical reasons:• (R)Evolution won’t stop• Need to motivate young talented developers

o Require Modern Development Studioo Object Orientation is a must, procedural is “weird”

• Interface with modern external systems• Support new OS’s• …

• Make Legacy Applications OpenEdge 11 ready– Use Visual Designer– Use OO ABL, DotNet Controls, …– Modern Look & Feel

• Foundation for New Applications using New Technology

• Improve performance• Migration for existing applications:

– Re-use Application Layouts– Replace ActiveX Controls with DotNet Controls– Code level compatibility for current applications

Our Goals

• Manufacturing Principles• Learn and explore new OO ABL• Design & write new Components• Redesign & rewrite framework (1 time effort, done

now)• Design & optimize Conversion Tool• Convert application(s)

Our approach

• Design process– Raw materials– Design

• Manufacturing process– Components– Standards– Quality Control

• Distribution / Deployment• Customer Care

2. Manufacturing Principles

Is software development any different ?

• Requirements• Predictable Time• Predictable Quality• Predictable Cost

Software Development

This is what Fly2Pro is all about !

• Application Developers (focus on what to build, not how to build it)

• Framework Developers (R&D, search how things work)

Different Type of Software Engineers

Classic ABL OO ABL / GUI for DotNet

• Programs (.w & .p) • Classes (.cls)

• Procedures & Functions • Methods, Events, Properties

• Windows• Frames

• Widgets• Control Frames

• OCX Controls

• DotNet Forms• DotNet Controls (Infragistics &

MS)

• App Builder • Visual Designer

• … • …

3. Classic ABL vs OO ABL (Different Worlds)

• ABL Windows & Frames cannot “contain” DotNet Controls

only DotNet Forms can host DotNet Controls

• DotNet controls cannot simply “replace” OCX Controls

OCX controls reside in the widget chain: ABL Window

Control Frame

OCX ControlDotNet Controls reside in the DotNet object chain

DotNet Form DotNet Control

What is NOT possible

• Use object-oriented ABL to access .NET objects • Data binding between ABL data sources and .NET

controls • Write ABL event handlers for .NET controls• Embed “ABL Windows” into DotNet

“WindowContainer”

Concrete:– Classic ABL (.w & .p) can access Methods in OO ABL

Classes (.cls)– Classic ABL procedures can “subscribe” to DotNet Events– Embedding explained

Integration Possibilities

Re-use Layouts: Window Embedding

ABL Window

OCX Control

ABL Frame & Widgets

DotNet Form

WindowContainer

• ResultsBoth ABL Program .w as well as DotNet Form .cls are

active in memoryABL Window is no longer visible, only frame(s) + widgetsABL Window still exists (hidden / view still has effect)ABL Window is embedded into WindowContainer Control

on .Net Form

Window Embedding

ABL .w DotNet Form

Correct “destroy / dispose” order of both is essential !!!

Embed native DotNet Controls in ABL User Controls

– To be used in “new” DotNet framework– UI only, no data access– Full OO ABL using Visual Designer– Standerdize 1.000’s of properties– Hide Control complexity for Application Developer– Open for future change

• Infragistics Ultra Controls• Telerik RAD Controls• Other…

Design New User Controls

Essential Controls:• Grid Control• Command Bar / Ribbon Bar• Tabstrip Control

Modern & More advanced Controls:• Scheduler / Calendar Control• Docking Pane Manager Control• Property Grid Control• Charting Controls• ….

ABL User Controls

• Re-design framework– Split UI & Logic– Migrate Logic to OO classes– Invoke new DotNet User Controls– Slim down legacy framework

• Keys to success– New controls don’t overlay existing controls– No double UI code to execute

Integrate Old & New World

Faster application performance !!!

Co-existence of Classic ABL & OO ABL (New Code)

• Controllers– Data Access for UI Components, pass results in Temp-

tables– OO ABL– Can execute Local or on AppServer

• Proxies– Instantiation of Controller (local or AppServer)

• Examples– CommandBarController (data access to build

Menubar/Toolbar)– SecurityController (data access for security

etc)– MenuShellController (data access for Menu Shell)– MenuShellProxy– SecurityProxy

New framework objects (besides User Controls)

Clean integration using Published Events

ClassicABL .w

DotNet Form

Embedwd ABL Window

DotNet Control

WAIT-FOR System.Windows.Forms.Application:Run(mainForm).

FireEvent

sSubscribe

GridCtrl

Publish Event

Time to show something

5. Real Life example

Ribbon Bar

Grid Controls

Docking Panes

ButtonBar Controls

TabStrip Controls Split Container Legacy ABL

Frames

More examples: Scheduler / Calendar

Ribbon Bar

MultiView Calendar Control Docking Panes

Legacy ABL Frames

• First impression of your “new application”– Showcase for new DotNet UI

• Completely new UI Code– Visual Designer– OO ABL

• Modern interface: – MDI Interface: fast switching, organized desktop– TileView– Round buttons– Dockable Favorites-, Recently Used-, All Programs panes– Locate programs using Search

Menu Shell

Menu Shell Showtime

Tile Menu Shell

Automated Migration• ConvOE11 Tool can be customized / extended• ConvOE11 Tool can handle most (+90%) of the programs• Progress Browsers automatically converted to DotNet

Grids• Some “special programs” will require manual attention

Real Life statistics• Migrated Enterprise class ERP application (now Intl.

deployed)• + 4.000 programs, +2.000 forms• about 3 months• Migrated several partner applications as well in very

short time

Short Term Migration

Thanks to Fly2Pro, R&D has been done !!!

• Compatibility• as far as it can go

• New modern technology• OO ABL• DotNet• OE11• Future proof for new platforms

• Modern UI• Modern Grids• Ribbon Bar (or any other commandbar)• Open for any .Net control (e.g. advanced planning boards)

• Short Term Migration• ConvOE11: Manual labor can’t beat automated processes

6. Summary Fly2Pro

• Short Term Migration• ConvOE11: Manual labor can’t beat automated

processes

• Create New applications faster• With consistent quality thanks to the well designed

components

• Soft learning curve for developers• Designed to let ABL developers make the OO step

“easy”

• Improved application performance• We’ve seen the difference

• Predictable time, cost and quality• We’ve learned from the manufacturing principles

6. Benefits Fly2Pro

7. Any Questions ?