The primary tool to use for .NET application development is Progress Developer Studio for OpenEdge, an Eclipse-based Integrated Development Environment (IDE) that includes a number of plug-ins, for example the OpenEdge Visual Designer, the OpenEdge Editor, and the OpenEdge Class Browser:

  • OpenEdge Visual Designer — The Visual Designer is a WYSIWYG tool that supports visual building of complex GUIs in ABL based on .NET objects. You create user interfaces with Visual Designer by dragging and dropping .NET controls onto a Design Canvas. The Visual Designer generates ABL code written as classes that encapsulates the creation of the WYSIWYG design code. You can get some hands-on experience working with the Visual Designer in OpenEdge Getting Started: Introducing the Progress Developer Studio for OpenEdge Visual Designer.
  • OpenEdge Editor — The Editor is a full-featured, color-coded editor for working with UI class files. For example, you run the Editor when you want to add methods that implement event handlers. Complementary to the OpenEdge Visual Designer.
  • OpenEdge Class Browser — The Class Browser is an Eclipse view that lists the members of either an ABL or a .NET class, showing the signature for each member in ABL syntax.