Use the parameters listed in the following table to modify ABL behavior.

Syntax Parameter Purpose
-assemblies assemblies-path Assemblies Specifies the path to the directory containing the Assembly References File (assemblies.xml) and any third-party assemblies.
-autoReconnect Auto Reconnect If specified, the AVM attempts to reestablish connections to any disconnected databases (including shared-memory connections) that were specified through startup parameters.
-b Batch Initiates a batch process with no terminal interaction.
-baseADE ADE R-code Location Specifies the ADE r-code directory to the client so the client can add this directory and all libraries contained in the directory to the PROPATH.
-browcoltype Browse Column Type Overrides the TYPE attribute for browse columns, and always returns "BROWSE-COLUMN" regardless of the actual column type.
-catchStop n Catch STOP Specifies whether the AVM activates stop object behavior when a STOP condition is raised.
-checkwidth n Check Width Specifies whether ABL compares CHARACTER, DECIMAL, and RAW field data against the metaschema _width field value before updating a database record.
-clearlog Clear Log File Deletes any file that matches the name of the specified client log file identified by the -clientlog parameter.
-clientlog Client Logging Allows an application to automatically write all error and warning messages to the specified log file.
-combofont Combo-box Font Changes the default font of DECIMAL values displayed in combo-boxes with LIST-ITEMS or LIST-ITEM-PAIRS.
-cwl filename Compile Warning List Flags instances of statements listed in filename during compilation.
-D n Directory Size Changes the number (soft limit) of compiled procedure directory entries.
-debug Debugger Starts a session by running the Debugger in stand-alone mode.
-debugalert Debug Alert Makes ABL stack trace and .NET stack trace information available during a session, either in an Alert dialog box or a log file. 
-debugReady { 0 | port-number }
 Enable Attachable Debugging Enables an OpenEdge process (that is, an ABL client) to attach to the attachable Debugger.
-defaultscrolling Default Scrolling Makes scrolling the default behavior for all statically defined queries.
-defuntrans Default Untranslatable Mark all character string literals without string attributes as untranslatable.
-dictexps Dictionary Expressions Directs ABL to use dictionary and help validation for all fields in all frames when compiling.
-disabledeltrig Disable Delete Trigger Disables the delete trigger when ALLOW-REPLICATION is enabled for the DISABLE TRIGGERS statement or the DISABLE-LOAD-TRIGGER() buffer method.
-errorstack Error Stack Allows error objects to save the ABL call stack in the CallStack property of an error object at the time the AVM generates the error object.
-expandbrow Expand Browse Sets the EXPANDABLE and FIT-LAST-COLUMN option to on for all browsers created in the current session.
-filterocxevents Filtering Asynchronous COM Events Controls the conditions under which you want asynchronous COM events handled.
-fldisable Field List Disable Directs ABL to ignore field lists in the r-code and fetch complete records.
-h n Number of Databases Specifies the maximum number of databases that can be connected.
-icfparam Dynamics Parameter Specifies a character string that can be accessed from ABL procedures within the Dynamics framework.
-inp n Input Characters Expands the available buffer space for a single statement.
-k filename Keyword Forget List Disables the keywords listed in filename.
-literalquestion Literal Question Changes the default value of the LITERAL-QUESTION attribute to TRUE.
-lkwtmo seconds Lock Timeout Specifies a different "lock wait timeout".
-logentrytypes string Log Entry Types Specifies one or more types of log entries to write to the log file.
-logginglevel n Logging Level Specifies the level at which log entries are written to the log file.
-logthreshold n Log Threshold Specifies the file size threshold of log files.
-nb n Nested Blocks Sets the maximum number (soft limit) of nested procedure blocks.
-NL No Lock Makes all record retrieval statements default to NO-LOCK record access.
-noautoreslist No Auto Result-list Avoids building result-lists for static non-scrolling queries.
-nochkttnames No Check Temp-table Names Suppresses the limited checking of temp-table column names when passing temp-tables as parameters to procedures.
-noclr No CLR (PAS for OpenEdge only) Disable the Common Language Runtime (CLR) component, which manages the execution of .NET programs.
-nogc No Garbage Collection Disables automatic garbage collection of class-based objects.
-noinactiveidx No Inactive Indexes Excludes inactive indexes from the compilation of WHERE clauses, as well as LIKE clauses in DEFINE TEMP-TABLE statements.
-noincrwarn No Auto-Increment Warnings Suppresses messages (5407) through (5410).
-noint64 No INT64 Changes the data type of long integer constants to be DECIMAL as opposed to INT64. Does not affect references to variables, fields, or expressions if they are declared as INT64.
-noroutineinwhere No ROUTINE in WHERE Clause Restricts the invocation of the following from WHERE clauses:
  • Class method
  • User-defined function
  • Class property, which implements the GET method using ABL statements
-noudfinwhere No UDF in WHERE Clause Restricts the invocation of user-defined functions and methods from WHERE clauses.
-nozgrouping No Z-order Grouping Disables the grouping of ABL windows at startup.
-numlogfiles n Number of Log Files to Keep Specifies the number of rolled over log files to keep on disk at any one time.
-o printername Printer Identifies the printer to use when processing OUTPUT TO PRINTER statements.
-ojmode Outer-join Mode Specifies the mode in which mixed inner and left outer joins, in queries of three or more joined tables, are processed.
-ossilentfix OS-COMMAND SILENT fix Restores the terminal settings after a process called from ABL using OS-COMMAND SILENT exits.
-otelconfig filename OpenTelemetry configuration Enables OpenTelemetry tracing in the ABL client.
-p filename Startup Procedure Specifies a procedure that executes when OpenEdge starts.
-param string Parameter Supplies information in a character string or comma-separated list of files to open in Procedure Editor buffers.
-preloadCLR Preload CLR Loads the .NET Common Language Runtime (CLR) into the ABL session at startup.
-profile Profiler Enables data collection of program execution times to identify potential application performance issues.
-profileMemory Profile Memory Enables memory profiling for an ABL application.
-proxyhost Proxy Host Specifies the name of the host or the IP address of the host at which the HTTP-based proxy server is located.
-proxyPassword Proxy Password Authenticates the application server client to the HTTP-based proxy server.
-proxyport Proxy Port Specifies the port on which the HTTP-based proxy server is listening
-proxyUserid Proxy Userid Authenticates an application server client to the HTTP-based proxy server.
-rand n Alternate Random Number Generator Specifies a different random number generator. Use the value 1 for the old generator or the value 2 for a new one.
-rereadfields Reread Fields Re-fetches all the fields of the record when an ABL statement tries to reference a field not included in a FIELDS list.
-rereadnolock Reread Nolock Directs the AVM to re-read a record from the database, if the record is already in a buffer.
-reusableObjects Re-usable Objects Cache Specifies the number of deleted class objects that the AVM stores for later re-initialization.
-scrvalmode Screen-value Mode Specifies the behavior of empty and blank items in combo-box item lists.
-showppuerr Show PPU Error Has no effect. It is supported only for backward compatibility. In earlier releases, it restores the warning for message 4132 ("Invalid character unit value <N>. Changed to 320.").
-swl Suppress Warnings list Allows ABL programmer to suppress any list of warnings using SESSION attribute or startup parameter.
-ttmarshal n Temp-table Schema Marshall Specifies the amount of schema information to marshal for temp-table parameters during an OpenEdge client session.
-tok n Token Specifies the maximum number of tokens allowed in an ABL statement.
-undothrow n UNDO, THROW Error Handling Changes default error handling to be UNDO, THROW. Use the value 1 to change the default for routine-level blocks. Use the value 2 to change the default for routine-level and other blocks that have default error handling.
-usewidgetid Use Widget ID Enables application-defined widget IDs for ABL widgets in OpenEdge GUI applications.
-v6colon Version 6 Colon Directs the AVM to use colon alignment of unlabeled fields (as in Version 6).
-v6q Version 6 Query Directs the OpenEdge database server to use only a single index to resolve FOR EACH statements (as in Version 6).