A Deep Dive into OpenEdge GUI for .NET™
Peter JudgeOpenEdge Principal Software Engineer
© 2008 Progress Software Corporation2 A Deep Dive into GUI for .NET
Get Ready… We’re Going Under
Attended OpenEdge GUI for .NET intro session
Understand OO concepts• Classes, Inheritance, Methods
Comfortable with OpenEdge Architect
Can hold your breath for a really long time…
© 2008 Progress Software Corporation3 A Deep Dive into GUI for .NET
Demo: OpenEdge GUI for .NET in AutoEdge
Update an existing application to use OpenEdge GUI for .NET
• New:
–Main container
–Customer maintenance form
–Test drive scheduling form
• Existing:
–Everything else…
Note: application followed OERA
© 2008 Progress Software Corporation4 A Deep Dive into GUI for .NET
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
© 2008 Progress Software Corporation5 A Deep Dive into GUI for .NET
Agenda
ABL for OpenEdge GUI for .NET• GUI for .NET Architecture
• ABL Forms & Controls
• ABL Data Binding
• ABL Event Handlers
• Mix and Match Support
Using GUI for .NET in AutoEdge
© 2008 Progress Software Corporation6 A Deep Dive into GUI for .NET
OpenEdge GUI for .NET Architecture
Single Process for OpenEdge Runtime and .NET Common Language Runtime (CLR)
OpenEdge RuntimeOpenEdge Runtime .NET CLR.NET CLR
.NET GUI.NET GUIfrm = 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( ) …
ABL LogicABL Logic
OpenEdge UI (Presenter)
.NET UI (View)BridgeBridgeBridgeBridge
© 2008 Progress Software Corporation7 A Deep Dive into GUI for .NET
OpenEdge GUI for .NET Architecture
Single Process for OpenEdge Runtime and .NET Common Language Runtime (CLR)
OpenEdge RuntimeOpenEdge Runtime .NET CLR.NET CLR
.NET GUI.NET GUIfrm = 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( ) …
ABL LogicABL Logic
OpenEdge UI (Presenter)
.NET UI (View)BridgeBridgeBridgeBridge
4
12
6
7 3 5
© 2008 Progress Software Corporation8 A Deep Dive into GUI for .NET
.NET Inheritance Stack
UI components inheritance stack includes .NET root class: System.Object
…
CustEntryForm (ABL)
System… Form
Progress. Windows.Form
System… Control
Infragistics… UltraButton
…
…
Progress.Lang.Object
System.Object
All .NET Classes ABL Forms .NET Controls
.NET Classes = GreenABL Classes = Blue
© 2008 Progress Software Corporation9 A Deep Dive into GUI for .NET
.NET I/O Blocking Model (Event Loop)
Application with a single main form
WAIT-FOR Application:Run( form )• Used for dashboard and MDI applications• Other forms are “children” of the main form• Closing the main form automatically terminates WAIT-FOR
Application with several equal forms
WAIT-FOR Application:Run( )• Forms shown at the same time or separately• An event handler needs to terminate WAIT-FOR using
call to Application:Exit( )
© 2008 Progress Software Corporation10 A Deep Dive into GUI for .NET
ABL Forms in OpenEdge GUI for .NET
ABL Forms are containers for .NET UI Controls
.NET UI Controls• Microsoft® .NET WinForms controls• OpenEdge Ultra Controls for .NET (Infragistics®
NetAdvantage)• 3rd party .NET WinForms controls
ABL .NET UI controls• User controls• Inherited controls
CLASS CustForm INHERITS Progress.Windows.Form:
© 2008 Progress Software Corporation11 A Deep Dive into GUI for .NET
ABL .NET Controls - User Control
Custom ABL control container for existing controls to provide complex behavior
Examples of user controls• Label and editor
• Address block
• Grid and viewer
CLASS AddrViewer INHERITS Progress…UserControl:
© 2008 Progress Software Corporation12 A Deep Dive into GUI for .NET
ABL .NET Controls – Inherited Control
Customizes behavior of an existing .NET UI control using inheritance
Examples of inherited controls• Buttons: Ok, Cancel, Help
• Drop-downs: States, Post codes, Countries
CLASS OkButton INHERITS Infragistics…UltraButton:
© 2008 Progress Software Corporation13 A Deep Dive into GUI for .NET
Demo: ABL Forms
Create a login dialog
© 2008 Progress Software Corporation14 A Deep Dive into GUI for .NET
.NET Event Model
Controls define events they publish• Strongly-typed events
• Support a list of handlers (callbacks)
Controls fire an event when an action occurs• All subscribed handlers get called
• Event specific arguments passed in from .NETSystem.EventArgs
Subscribe ABL event handlers to events
CustForm:FormClosing:Subscribe( FormClosingHdlr ).
© 2008 Progress Software Corporation15 A Deep Dive into GUI for .NET
Demo: Event Handler
Validate user on OK button click
© 2008 Progress Software Corporation16 A Deep Dive into GUI for .NET
.NET Data Binding Model
Progress.Data.BindingSource• Provides data for .NET UI Controls
– How: Provides required APIs to .NET Controls (IList)– Why: OpenEdge data provided as .NET needs– What: Any ABL Query, Buffer or ProDataSet™
OpenEdge RuntimeOpenEdge Runtime .NET CLR.NET CLR
Progress.Data. BindingSource
ProDataSetCustomer
Lift Line SkiingUrpon FrisbeeHoops Croquet
Order
1 53 01/01/932 81 01/04/933 66 01/04/93
Query
12
3
© 2008 Progress Software Corporation17 A Deep Dive into GUI for .NET
Power of Progress.Data.BindingSource
Brings ABL data-centric behavior to .NET–Automatic data synchronization
–Automatic updating
–Automatic batching
–Automatic currency
Properties– Updating: AllowEdit, AllowNew, AllowRemove– Current row state: NewRow, RowModified– Typed screen value: InputValue, ChildInputValue– General Information: Position, Count
© 2008 Progress Software Corporation18 A Deep Dive into GUI for .NET
Data Binding Examples
Simple .NET control ( UltraEdit )
.NET browse-like control ( UltraGrid )
.NET list control ( UltraListView )
editBox:DataBindings:Add ( “Text”, pBS, “OrderNum” ).
list:DataSource = pBS.list:DataTextField = “State”.list:DataValueField = “State-Name”.
grid:DataSource = pBS.
© 2008 Progress Software Corporation19 A Deep Dive into GUI for .NET
Demo: Data binding
Bind a list of client types to the login dialog
© 2008 Progress Software Corporation20 A Deep Dive into GUI for .NET
ABL Mix and Match UI for Migration
.NET forms and OpenEdge GUI windows can co-exist in same session• One can parent the other• All functionality maintained independently
OpenEdge GUI windows can be embedded in a .NET forms• Client area managed in ABL• Other functionality managed in .NET• Progress.Windows.MDIChildForm• Progress.Windows.WindowContainer
© 2008 Progress Software Corporation21 A Deep Dive into GUI for .NET
Agenda
ABL for the OpenEdge GUI for .NET• GUI for .NET Architecture
• ABL Forms & Controls
• ABL Data Binding
• ABL Event Handlers
• Mix and Match Support
Using the GUI for .NET in AutoEdge
© 2008 Progress Software Corporation22 A Deep Dive into GUI for .NET
Outlook-style Container for AutoEdge
OpenEdge GUI for .NET main form• Dashboard / Container
• Dynamic menu and toolbar– Hook up events
• Re-use existing architecture– OERA and MVP
Run using WAIT-FOR Application:Run ( ).
© 2008 Progress Software Corporation23 A Deep Dive into GUI for .NET
Demo
AutoEdge main container form
© 2008 Progress Software Corporation24 A Deep Dive into GUI for .NET
In Summary
Modern, competitive UI in ABL• Uses .NET objects
– Object-oriented ABL– .NET object features (methods, properties, events)– WYSIWYG Visual Designer– Unlimited controls available
• Leverages what you know– ABL (events, business logic, data constructs)– Event-driven programming (WAIT-FOR)– OpenEdge Architect
© 2008 Progress Software Corporation25 A Deep Dive into GUI for .NETDEV-7 What’s New in the Object-Oriented ABL
Additional Materials
PSDN Live Boston 2008 Sessions DEV-2: Making OpenEdge Architect Work for You DEV-3: Introduction to the OpenEdge GUI for .NET DEV-17: Using SmartDataObjects with the Advanced GUI
(GUI for .NET) DEV-19: OpenEdge ABL Info Exchange
Exchange 2008 Sessions DEV-16: Leveraging the Power of Advanced GUI DEV-20: Sex and Sizzle – Developing with .NET and
OpenEdge 10 DEV-32: Using the Advanced GUI, Structured Error Handling
and SonicMQ to build a Semi-Disconnected Point of Sales
© 2008 Progress Software Corporation26 A Deep Dive into GUI for .NET
Questions?
© 2008 Progress Software Corporation27 A Deep Dive into GUI for .NET
Thank You
© 2008 Progress Software Corporation28 A Deep Dive into GUI for .NET
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