Creates an instance of a class (object) using the NEW function and assigns its object reference to an appropriately defined ABL data element. Once assigned, you can use the object reference to access this class instance and its PUBLIC data members, properties, and methods. For more information on object references, see the reference entry for a Class-based object reference:

Syntax

object-reference = new-function [ NO-ERROR ]
object-reference
The name of an ABL data element to which you want to assign the object reference of a new instance of the class specified by new-function. This data element must be defined as a compatible class or interface type and can be one of the following:

To be compatible, the object type of object-reference must be:

  • The same class type as the class instantiated by new-function
  • A super class of the class instantiated by new-function
  • An interface that is implemented by the class instantiated by new-function
new-function
An invocation of the NEW function, which creates an instance of a specified class and returns an object reference to that instance. This is the syntax for the NEW function, where object-type-name must specify a class type consistent with the object type of object-reference:
NEW object-type-name ( [ parameter[ , parameter ]...] )

object-type-name is restricted to alphanumeric characters plus the symbols #, $, %, -, and _.

The parameter list specifies the class constructor that is used to instantiate the class. For more information on the syntax and operation of the NEW function, see the NEW function (classes) reference entry.

NO-ERROR
The NO-ERROR option is used to prevent the statement from raising ERROR and displaying error messages.

For the NEW statement with NO-ERROR, if ERROR is raised, then the object-reference remains unchanged.

Example

The following code fragment shows the definition of a variable that is assigned to the object reference for a new class instance:

DEFINE VARIABLE myCustObj AS CLASS acme.myObjs.CustObj NO-UNDO.

myCustObj = NEW acme.myObjs.CustObj ( ).

Notes

  • After the assignment, object-reference contains a copy of the object reference value returned by new-function, which points to the same object instance, not a copy of the object created by new-function.
  • Although you can assign an object reference to a temp-table field defined as a Progress.Lang.Object class type, you cannot assign an object reference to a field in a database table. For more information, see Develop Object-oriented ABL Applications.
  • This statement can raise errors during the execution of constructors for the class being instantiated by new-function, or for any class in its inherited class hierarchy. For example:
    • A constructor in the class hierarchy executes the RETURN statement with the ERROR option or the UNDO statement with the THROW or RETURN ERROR options.
    • The class definition file for the class, a super class, or an interface could not be found.
    • The run-time parameters of the constructor for the class, or a constructor for a class in the inherited class hierarchy, are not compatible.

    When the AVM encounters one of these errors, and the constructor cannot create the class instance or its inherited class hierarchy, the AVM automatically invokes the destructor for any class that has already been constructed while building the class hierarchy for the object.

    For more information on errors raised by instantiating classes, see Develop Object-oriented ABL Applications.

  • The ABL Virtual Machine (AVM) automatically deletes (garbage collects) any class instance that you create with the NEW statement some time after no reference to that object exists in the ABL session. However, you can force any class instance to be deleted immediately by using the DELETE OBJECT statement. For more information on garbage collection for class instances, see the DELETE OBJECT statement reference entry.

See also

Assignment (=) statement, CAST function, Class-based object reference, CLASS statement, DYNAMIC-NEW statement, NEW function (classes), New( ) method, NO-ERROR option, Parameter passing syntax , VAR statement