Discover the magic of ABL: three reasons to love it

2023 05 03 · 2 min read

Tired of programming languages that are difficult to learn and use? Then, look no further than OpenEdge Advanced Business Language (ABL)!   

From its enchanting performance when working with databases to its extensive compatibility, ABL is truly a magical tool that every developer should consider. And our Progress team can definitely prove that.  

In this blog, our colleague Justas Poliakas explores why Progress OpenEdge ABL is so user-friendly and why it is worth incorporating into your programming repertoire. 

What is OpenEdge ABL? 

ABL is a programming language that developers use to write code, wherefore, Progress OpenEdge is a development platform that provides tools to build applications written in ABL. 

In contrast to other programming languages, Advanced Business Language (ABL) provides developers with the flexibility to handle relational data in a manner that is most suitable for their business requirements. This feature substantially increases efficiency.   

Furthermore, ABL provides crucial instruments for building applications, granting effortless accessibility to all application resources, such as its own Integrated Development Environment (IDE), Application compiler, Debugger, Data Dictionary, and Data administration. 

Why is OpenEdge ABL so good? 

ABL equips you with the necessary resources for application development, allowing seamless access to all your application tools and features. 

The intuitive, English-language syntax of ABL replaced the slow and cumbersome processes of FORTRAN. Moreover, with the database connectivity of ABL, developers can improve their workflow and increase efficiency while working with Progress OpenEdge. However, among the many reasons why you can fall in love with ABL, we want to highlight three core ones: 

Effortless and convenient usability 

The simplicity of ABL is one of its greatest benefits, as even non-programmers can quickly grasp the language. With a syntax closely resembling English, ABL is highly intuitive, making learning easy. Therefore, developers can acquire proficiency in a matter of days without needing extensive programming knowledge. Also, as many developers use ABL, it is easy to ask questions and get needed answers on various forums and user groups. 

Comprehensive compatibility 

OpenEdge ABL has been around for four decades, and it just works. One of the things that makes it easier is the built-in backwards compatibility. If you have old code from an older version of OpenEdge, you can compile it into a newer version – even the latest Progress OpenEdge 12.6. You do not need to rewrite anything. Progress has always supported this compatibility, even as it evolved from a procedural to an object-oriented language, so you get the best of both worlds. It is also platform-independent, so you can use it anywhere – the language behaves the same. 

Productivity-driven database performance 

Compared to modern non-database languages like Java, the ABL is designed to work very closely with its relational database, allowing it to run CRUD operations (create, read, update, delete), which makes it highly compatible and efficient. As a result, when working with the database, you will need to perform far less maintenance, resulting in a substantial productivity boost. 

Why should you consider Progress OpenEdge Development? 

The Progress OpenEdge platform is highly scalable and cost-effective. It can be used to develop applications for a wide range of industries. From mobility to business rules to analytics, OpenEdge has you covered.  

The benefits of Progress OpenEdge Development are many and include:  

• Improved application development efficiency;  
• Significant cost savings compared to other development platforms;  
• Better scalability and flexibility for your applications;  
• A strong community of users for support and advice;  
• An accessible and easy-to-learn programming language. 

If you are an IT professional or technician looking for a powerful, flexible development platform that can help you deliver high-quality software solutions quickly and efficiently, then Progress OpenEdge services are definitely worth a closer look. With its rich set of features and capabilities and support for modern technologies and protocols, OpenEdge has everything you need to take your software development to the next level.  

If you are already a fan (or fan-to-be) of Progress OpenEdge and want to learn more about possible development or modernisation opportunities, our Progress team is here to guide you through.  

Whether you have just a thought or a full picture of your Progress project, we will consult you for free!