This book has introduced you to the essentials of ABL. Its purpose is to give you the skills you need to start to build (or support) successful business applications using the OpenEdge platform. Even in a book of this scope, it is not possible to discuss all the elements of ABL. Language statements that support interfaces to other programming environments, such as socket support, support for generating and consuming XML documents or JSON files, and others, are left to other documentation. Also, language statements used in constructing ABL-based reports and statements directly in support of the database and application server are discussed elsewhere. In addition, the many new features of OpenEdge covered in other documentation.

In any case, the language statements alone are never sufficient to build a complex enterprise application. It is very important that you adopt an overall architecture for your application to give you the consistency and flexibility you need to complete your application and to maintain and extend it in a fast-changing world. OpenEdge provides components, such as ABL SmartObjects, to give you a basis for creating powerful and sophisticated applications quickly. Other OpenEdge documentation also provides guidelines and principles for an overall application architecture. Whether you use OpenEdge-provided components or develop your own framework, you should plan the structure of your application carefully before you begin writing large numbers of ABL procedures. A thorough up-front design will save you tremendous effort in the long run and give you a basis for an application that will ensure your success long into the future.