Introduction to Jargon Writer

What is Jargon Writer?
Starting and Ending Jargon Writer
Working with XML Procedures
Windows Used in Jargon Writer

Using the Design Window

Overview of the Design Window
Menubar
Toolbar
Component Tree Panel
Design Layout Panel
Properties Panel
Borders Editor
Status Panel
Error Console

Using the Script Editor Window

Overview of the Script Editor Window
App Listbox
Target Tree
Method Listbox
Text Editor
Status Panel

Functions, Methods and Events

Object-Oriented Concepts and Terms
Packages and Classes
Methods
Events and Functions

Writing Scripts

What is a Scripting Language?
ECMAScript Overview
Functions
Variables
Comments
Control Statements
Operators
Standard Methods

Completing Your Application

Generating 4GL Source Code
Host Communications Parameters
Writing Stored Procedures in Oracle PL/SQL
Writing Host Procedures in the Progress 4GL
Testing and Deploying Your Application

What is Jargon Writer?

Jargon Writer employs an easy-to-use point-and-click visual design environment in which GUI (Graphical User Interface) components can be arranged and configured with a high level of detail control while UI (User Interface) events are visually defined and associated with local or host-based actions. Integrated technology allows the developer to create and maintain the host procedures that drive host processing requirements. Client-side procedures are designed in the comprehensive Task Editor.

Jargon Software’s powerful XML-based architecture:

• Manages visual components (windows, buttons, checkboxes, labels, text fields, combo boxes, and many others).
• Executes user interface events by dispatching client or host actions with conditional (if/then/else) data-dependent logic.
• Provides efficient, two-way exchange of data and instruction objects with host systems.

Starting and Ending Jargon Writer

When you start Jargon Writer, you will see a "splash screen" which displays the Jargon Software logo and a "progress bar" that shows the status of the startup load procedure. When startup is completed, the splash screen is hidden and the primary Jargon Writer Design Window is displayed.

To end Jargon Writer, first be sure to "save" any work you have been doing, then select File-->Exit from the menubar, or click the standard Windows "X" close button in the upper righthand corner of the Design Window.

Technical Note: The program being started is the Java Runtime Environment program "javaw.exe". It then loads the Jargon Writer class files from a "jar" file, reads an XML file which specifies the current set of components and properties used in this version, instantiates a number of objects, and finally displays the primary Design Window. When you exit Jargon Writer, a Java "system exit" is invoked which also exits the javaw program.

Working with XML Procedures

Client application procedures ("apps") created with Jargon Writer are saved as disk files with a suffix of ".xml". These XML files contain all of the instructions that are needed by Jargon Reader to run a client app. An XML "app" file contains both layout instructions for visual elements like panels, buttons and text fields, and processing instructions for running script functions when specified events occur.

To begin developing a new app, select File-->New from the menubar, or click the leftmost (New) button in the toolbar.

To load an existing app that was previously created and saved, select File-->Open from the menubar, or click the second (Open) button in the toolbar.

To save a new or existing app, select File-->Save from the menubar, or click the third (Save) button in the toolbar.

To save an app under a new name, select File-->Save As from the menubar (there is no toolbar button for this).

IMPORTANT: When "Save As" is used, both the external file name AND all internal appname references are changed to the new name. This is important if other client apps or host programs refer to this app, since they must also be changed to refer to this app's new name if you are permanently renaming it. If you are only using "Save As" to create backup copies, be sure that you first Save as the original name, then Save As the new name and close the newly named app, then finally re-open the app under its original name before doing any more development on it.

To close all open apps, select File-->Close All from the menubar (there is no toolbar button for this).

To close and then reopen an app, select File-->Reopen App  from the menubar (there is no toolbar button for this).

To render (view) a frame, highlight the frame node in the component tree, then select Run-->Render from the menubar, or click the fourth (Render) button in the toolbar.

To generate the Progress 4GL top-level source program that will be run on the host system to work with this app, select Run-->Generate Host Procedure from the menubar, or click the fifth (.P) button in the toolbar.

To execute (run) an app, select Run-->Execute from the menubar, or click the sixth (EXE) button in the toolbar.
 

User Tip: Like most Windows programs, menu choices can be selected by using the mouse, or by holding down the "ALT" key and pressing the key for the underlined letter in the menu choice (ex: ALT-F for the File menu). When you do this, a pulldown menu is displayed for that menu choice, and you can then drag the mouse cursor down to that choice and release it, or press the key for the underlined letter (no ALT is needed for this step).

User Tip: All buttons in the toolbar have "tool tips" (sometimes also called "flyover help"), which are small windows containing short one-line help messages. They are normally used for "what is this?" help. These tool tips are displayed when the cursor is moved onto an object and then left stationary for a second or two, and are displayed for a few seconds before being hidden again. While a tool tip is displayed, if the cursor is moved over nearby objects, their tool tips will display immediately. If a tool tip hides before you finish reading it, simply move the cursor a tiny bit and then leave it motionless again, and the tool tip will redisplay. With a little practice, you can quickly get the knack for displaying these useful help tips. All visual objects created with Jargon Writer can also have such tool tip help associated with them in the apps that you develop for your end users.

Technical Note: The XML app files are normal text files which can be edited with a text editor if necessary. They contain a set of elements and attributes as defined by the "system/jargonapp.dtd" file. These elements are used by the component factories and other high-level classes in Jargon Reader to control the visual presentation and user interface logic on the client.
 

The primary window used in Jargon Writer is called the "Design Window" in these help documents. It is the first window displayed when startup is completed, and is normally always visible on the screen. It contains a menubar, a toolbar, and three side-by-side design panels, plus a status panel at the bottom. The Design Window is where all visual elements (such as panels and buttons) are created, arranged and modified, and where tasklists are linked to events (such as mouse clicks) associated with these visual elements.

A second important window is the Script Editor Window, which is displayed by selecting View-->Script Editor from the menubar. The Script Editor Window is where all client (local) and host (remote) functions are defined.

Another window used in Jargon Writer is the Error Console window. The Error Console shows the text of a current error message or the complete log of all error messages (selectable by a radio button).