An ABL procedure (.p) file is a block of code that contains ABL statements. The code can be simple with a single block of code or it can be complex with multiple, nested blocks. A procedure can define data variables and also utilize input and output parameters. A procedure is compiled and executes in the ABL Virtual Machine (AVM). The compiled procedure is called an r-code (.r) file.

An ABL procedure (.p) file consists of a number of elements, including statements and blocks. It is known as an external procedure and may accept parameters or return a value.

Figure 1. ABL Programming Elements

An external procedure can directly contain code or the code can be organized into separate named entry points known as internal procedures and user-defined functions.

See also

An ABL procedure consists of statements

PROCEDURE statement

FUNCTION statement