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OpenEdge® 10.2A Beta Program Overview

Progress OpenEdge is a complete platform for developing, deploying, integrating and managing business applications. OpenEdge is designed to accommodate current applications while enabling them to transform to a more flexible service-oriented architecture – all on the same platform, all within the same application.

The focal point of OpenEdge 10.2A is commercialization of the OpenEdge Advanced GUI. The Advanced GUI provides OpenEdge developers with native access to a robust set of development tools and runtime features that enables them to build sophisticated, competitive user interfaces for their applications. The basis for these user interfaces is .NET WinForm technology.

OpenEdge 10.2A includes support for the Advanced GUI through a new add-on product in addition to enhancements both to ABL and the OpenEdge Architect.

ABL enhancements to support the Advanced GUI include:

  • Ability to instantiate and access .NET objects
  • Support for detecting and processing of .NET events, including ABL event handlers for .NET events
  • The association of data objects such as temp-tables and ProDatasets with Advanced GUI controls
  • The ability to extend .NET controls in ABL
  • Enhancements to array support, including support for subscripts on a data member reference, arrays of object references, CAST of an unsubscripted object reference, assignments involving unsubscripted arrays, and subscripted references within a chain (such as x:y[3]:z)
  • Support for embedding OpenEdge windows in .NET forms
  • Enhancements to ProDatasets, including the ability for the WRITE-XML method to omit Temp-table fields containing an unknown or empty default value, a new WRITE-XML attribute “FOREIGN-KEY-HIDDEN” to allow programmers to specify when redundant information should not be written out, and the ability for the READ-XML method to automatically populate the foreign key fields in the nested XML with values from the parent record in the XML
  • Support for Garbage Collection, i.e., automatic cleanup by OpenEdge runtime of user-defined and .NET objects no longer needed by the executing ABL client
  • Certification of Microsoft .NET Framework Versions 3.0 and 3.5
  • Conditional loading of the .NET runtime

OpenEdge 10.2A introduces a new add-on product, OpenEdge Advanced GUI Controls, for programmers who wish to use controls beyond the “in the box” set of basic Microsoft .NET controls. These controls can be manipulated directly through ABL or used within the OpenEdge Architect environment.

OpenEdge Architect enhancements to support the Advanced GUI include:

  • The Advanced GUI Visual Designer, a WYSIWYG editor for building applications providing drag-and-drop support for .NET controls onto a design canvas as well as a property grid for associating events and controlling properties
  • Support for the OpenEdge Advanced GUI Controls
  • Support for ABL inheritance from .NET classes
  • Support for custom User Controls
  • Support for Garbage Collection, i.e., automatic cleanup of user-defined and .NET objects no longer needed

OpenEdge 10.2A includes the following enhancement to OpenEdge DataServers:

  • Support for the Date-time datatype in the DataServers for Oracle and MS SQL Server

Features to enhance OpenEdge’s interoperability with SonicMQ are also included:

  • New API calls for the Adapter for SonicMQ to allow access to the Sonic “connect ID” that is used by the SonicMQ client when connecting to the SonicMQ broker
  • Support for the drag-and-drop of ABL code onto the Sonic ESBP Editor canvas
  • Support for Sonic XML Tools in OpenEdge Architect

Additionally, OpenEdge 10.2A will include support for Windows 64-bit in the database, WebSpeed, AppServer, batch clients, and character clients.

Program Goals

Participants in the OpenEdge 10.2A Beta are asked to test and provide feedback as follows:

  • Using a non-production customer environment, report any defects in software functionality, usability, and compatibility
  • Verify the completeness and stability of the new features provided in 10.2A, while assuring that they have not introduced any issues with previous functionality
  • Verify the accuracy and usability of documentation
  • Verify that the product is ready for commercial release

Participant Qualifications

OpenEdge is looking for sites that are committed to using the software to achieve the specific program goals and who will provide timely feedback. Note that a lack of ongoing feedback from Beta participants may result in their removal from the current program or exclusion from future programs.

Participants must agree to a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) that includes a stipulation that they will test the software in their own test environment and will not distribute it to their customers.

Program Duration

The OpenEdge 10.2A Beta program is scheduled to run from July 21, 2008, through December 1, 2008. The Beta software will expire on December 1, 2008. Technical Support will not be provided for Beta software after the program ends.

Registration

Registration for the OpenEdge 10.2A Beta closed on September 15, 2008. The program is no longer accepting new participants.

Please check back with the main OpenEdge Beta page periodically for announcements of future Beta programs.