Advanced Business Language (ABL) is the development language used in OpenEdge. The language, typically classified as a fourth-generation programming language, uses an English-like syntax to simplify software development especially in the area of databases and business logic. Unlike other languages, ABL empowers developers to manage relational data in a way that best matches their business needs, significantly boosting productivity. An OpenEdge developer can create APIs for .NET, JavaScript, Java clients, Java messaging and even map database schema to XML formats, while still leveraging the efficiency of ABL.

ABL supports two programming models, procedural and object-oriented. Both models can be used independently or together.

ABL code is compiled into machine independent byte code known as r-code. This byte code can run on multiple operating systems using the ABL Virtual Machine (AVM).

This guide focuses on the basics of ABL and is applicable to both procedural and object-oriented programming. The guide assumes that you already have knowledge and experience of programming in another high-level language. It introduces the basics of ABL and provides references to other documentation where you can find more information.

For more information, see Introduction to ABL.