INNOV-14: A Look Inside the OpenEdge® UI Research Lab Bruce Gruenbaum Principal Software Engineer Shelley Chase Architect

© 2006 Progress Software Corporation2 INNOV-14: A Look in the OpenEdge UI Research Lab Purpose of this Talk  UI is a critical component of a successful business application Provides sizzle for functionality Differentiator during a sale  Recent focus has been SOA components  Expanding our focus on UI Share our research efforts with you Get your feedback (today, , PSDN) You can influence future UI direction!

© 2006 Progress Software Corporation3 INNOV-14: A Look in the OpenEdge UI Research Lab 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 we are 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

© 2006 Progress Software Corporation4 INNOV-14: A Look in the OpenEdge UI Research Lab Agenda  What’s available today in OpenEdge  Future UI Industry Trends  A look inside the OpenEdge Research Lab  Next steps - discussion

© 2006 Progress Software Corporation5 INNOV-14: A Look in the OpenEdge UI Research Lab OpenEdge GUI Options Today OpenEdge GUI Comparison ProductsBenefitsLimitationsFuture OpenEdge GUI WebClient™ Built-in widgets plus ActiveX controls Supported by OpenEdge frameworks Rich client requires ActiveX for modern UI Built-in controls tied to Win32 API ActiveX has limited lifecycle Vista doesn’t use Win32 API WebSpeed® Zero footprint – no install Runs anywhere Browser security limitations Moving towards rich client (AJAX) Open Client Supports de- facto standard Leverages host environment Requires expertise in.NET™ / Java™ Requires expertise in.NET / Java

© 2006 Progress Software Corporation6 INNOV-14: A Look in the OpenEdge UI Research Lab OpenEdge UI Product Landscape  Support for thin to rich clients Rich UI Thin UI WebSpeed OpenEdge GUI Open Client WebClient

© 2006 Progress Software Corporation7 INNOV-14: A Look in the OpenEdge UI Research Lab Modern UI “Today” – Outlook Look and Feel Microsoft Office 2003 – de-facto standard Listbar control Toolbar control Main panel Dockable Panels

© 2006 Progress Software Corporation8 INNOV-14: A Look in the OpenEdge UI Research Lab OpenEdge UI - In Summary  OpenEdge developers can build state-of-the- art UI today using…. Third party controls (ActiveX) –Built-in GUI widgets are limited –Frameworks (ADM2, Progress Dynamics®) are based on built-in widgets Open Client (Java,.NET) –Need to use Java /.NET development environment for client

© 2006 Progress Software Corporation9 INNOV-14: A Look in the OpenEdge UI Research Lab OpenEdge UI - In Summary  OpenEdge developers can build state-of-the- art UI today using…. Third party controls (ActiveX) –Built-in GUI widgets are limited –Frameworks (ADM2, Dynamics) are based on built-in widgets Open Client (Java,.NET) –Need to use Java /.NET development environment for client MOVE–5: Improving the Look and Feel of Your Application

© 2006 Progress Software Corporation10 INNOV-14: A Look in the OpenEdge UI Research Lab Agenda  What’s available today in OpenEdge  Future UI Industry Trends  A look inside the OpenEdge Research Lab  Next steps - discussion

© 2006 Progress Software Corporation11 INNOV-14: A Look in the OpenEdge UI Research Lab Industry UI Landscape  Exciting UI work within the industry Support for full range from thin to rich Rich UI Thin UI WebSpeed AJAX WebClient Flex/Flash OpenEdge GUI Open Client MS.NET / Vista Java / SWT

© 2006 Progress Software Corporation12 INNOV-14: A Look in the OpenEdge UI Research Lab Industry UI Landscape  Exciting UI work within the industry Support for full range from thin to rich Rich UI Thin UI WebSpeed AJAX WebClient Flex/Flash OpenEdge GUI Open Client MS.NET / Vista Java / SWT INNOV–16: Rich User Interface for the Web? AJAX to the Rescue

© 2006 Progress Software Corporation13 INNOV-14: A Look in the OpenEdge UI Research Lab  VISTA (formerly “Longhorn”) New operating system with extended graphics capabilities Supports WinFX programming model –Replacement for Win32 APIs –Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) formerly “Avalon” –Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) formerly “Indigo” Promotes Vista User Experience Guidelines (UX) Future Microsoft Technologies

© 2006 Progress Software Corporation14 INNOV-14: A Look in the OpenEdge UI Research Lab  WPF and XAML WPF: Framework classes and engine –Will ship for XP as well as Vista XAML: Declarative language for UI layout –Separates UI design from UI logic code –UI roles: designer and developer Future Microsoft UI Technologies  Aero Authentic, Energetic, Reflective, Open New user experience

© 2006 Progress Software Corporation15 INNOV-14: A Look in the OpenEdge UI Research Lab Windows Vista – Sample Explorer Window INNOV–8: Demystifying Windows Vista

© 2006 Progress Software Corporation16 INNOV-14: A Look in the OpenEdge UI Research Lab  Office 2007 – Enhance Productivity Controls used to simplify common use cases –Ribbons, Quick Launch Toolbar –Not based on WPF, uses some Aero concepts Shorter Term - Microsoft Office 2007 Microsoft Office continues as the de-facto standard

© 2006 Progress Software Corporation17 INNOV-14: A Look in the OpenEdge UI Research Lab Future UI Trends - In Summary  The industry is investing heavily in rich client user interfaces Microsoft is the leader –Short term: Office 2007 look and feel –Long term:Vista, WPF, XAML, Aero

© 2006 Progress Software Corporation18 INNOV-14: A Look in the OpenEdge UI Research Lab Agenda  What’s available today in OpenEdge  Future UI Industry Trends  A look inside the OpenEdge Research Lab  Next steps - discussion

© 2006 Progress Software Corporation19 INNOV-14: A Look in the OpenEdge UI Research Lab Back in Bedford… After looking at the industry…  Focus on Microsoft’s UI direction Look and feel of Office 2007 is our first target Vista / WPF is longer term strategy –Analysts say: Vista’s UI impact is not an immediate driver for business applications  Combine MS and OpenEdge technologies Full.NET UI support (Future: Vista support)

© 2006 Progress Software Corporation20 INNOV-14: A Look in the OpenEdge UI Research Lab  Build UI applications fully in ABL and OpenEdge tools Extend ABL to support modern UI natively –Development done using ABL exclusively UI Design done using OpenEdge Architect –Integrate with T4BL, Catalog, DB NAV, etc. Leverage work in industry, use standards Goals of a New UI

© 2006 Progress Software Corporation21 INNOV-14: A Look in the OpenEdge UI Research Lab OpenEdge New UI Runtime Architecture OpenEdge and.NET CLR communicate through a bridge ABL Program w = NEW Form( ). WAIT-FOR CLOSE OF w. EventHdlr1( ) … EventHdlr2( ) … Window OpenEdge Runtime Microsoft CLR OpenEdge UI (Controller).NET UI (View) Bridge

© 2006 Progress Software Corporation22 INNOV-14: A Look in the OpenEdge UI Research Lab Closer Look at Possible ABL – Create Form DEFINE VAR w AS System.Windows.Forms.Form. DEFINE VAR b AS System.Windows.Forms.Button. DEFINE VAR e AS System.Windows.Forms.Edit. w = NEW System.Windows.Forms.Form( ). b = NEW System.Windows.Forms.Button( ). e = NEW System.Windows.Forms.Edit( ).... /* Add controls to form */ w:Controls:Add(b). w:Controls:Add(e). Leverage Object-oriented extensions in OpenEdge 10.1A

© 2006 Progress Software Corporation23 INNOV-14: A Look in the OpenEdge UI Research Lab Closer Look at Possible ABL - Events /*Subscribe handler to event */ SUBSCRIBE THIS-OBJECT:BtnClick TO CLASS-EVENT b:Click.... /* WAIT for form to be closed */ WAIT-FOR w:Show(). /* Handler to run when event published */ METHOD PUBLIC VOID BtnClick(Object o, Object arg): b:Text = “I’ve been clicked”. END. Leverage Object-oriented extensions in OpenEdge 10.1A

© 2006 Progress Software Corporation24 INNOV-14: A Look in the OpenEdge UI Research Lab OpenEdge Architect – Prototype support Eclipse (foundation platform) Tools for Business Logic Meta Catalog DB Navigator Debugger ABL Editor Future: New Plug-ins OpenEdge Runtime Data Administration OpenEdge Studio AppBuilder Pro*Tools, ProxyGen WebSpeed Workshop OpenEdge Database OpenEdge Development Server Application Server WebSpeed Transaction Server Client Networking OpenEdge Runtime / Microsoft CLR New Visual Designer

© 2006 Progress Software Corporation25 INNOV-14: A Look in the OpenEdge UI Research Lab New UI Demos  Demo 1 OpenEdge ABL –Modern UI Look and Feel  Demo 2 Build using OpenEdge Architect –Reduce hand coding required for Demo 1

© 2006 Progress Software Corporation26 INNOV-14: A Look in the OpenEdge UI Research Lab OpenEdge New UI Goals – In Summary  OpenEdge developers need to build a state-of- the-art UI where: ABL natively supports state-of-the-art GUI Built using OpenEdge Architect Customization available at design time and runtime  Developers can focus on building business applications

© 2006 Progress Software Corporation27 INNOV-14: A Look in the OpenEdge UI Research Lab Agenda  What’s available today in OpenEdge  Future UI Industry Trends  A look inside the OpenEdge Research Lab  Next steps - discussion

© 2006 Progress Software Corporation28 INNOV-14: A Look in the OpenEdge UI Research Lab Frequently Asked Questions  I love it, when can I have it? No specified release / commitment  I hate it, are you open to changing direction? Let us know your needs/requirements. Contact Salvador Vinals at  Will.NET forms and existing GUI windows be allowed in a single application? Of course  What should I do now? Move to OpenEdge 10, learn OO, follow MVC model

© 2006 Progress Software Corporation29 INNOV-14: A Look in the OpenEdge UI Research Lab Questions for You?  What do you think of this direction?  Did we miss something?  Was this sharing of information useful?  Open Q & A

© 2006 Progress Software Corporation30 INNOV-14: A Look in the OpenEdge UI Research Lab In Summary  OpenEdge development is researching a UI solution that is: Build entirely in the ABL using OpenEdge tools State-of-the-art Positioned for the future

© 2006 Progress Software Corporation31 INNOV-14: A Look in the OpenEdge UI Research Lab Thank you for your time

© 2006 Progress Software Corporation32 INNOV-14: A Look in the OpenEdge UI Research Lab