You can use Unicode throughout your graphical application. When -cpinternal is set to UTF-8, the development and runtime environments for the ABL graphical client is fully Unicode-enabled.

Note: For the GUI client (prowin32.exe), text widgets such as editors and fill-ins are Unicode-enabled. If you enter characters into these widgets that are not supported by the font in use or are not available in the -cpinternal codepage, the widget value might contain a question mark (?).

The following rules apply when using Unicode with the OpenEdge graphical client:

  • A graphical client may start up in the UTF-8 code page. If not, you must ensure the graphical client accesses only records in a compatible code page.
  • You must follow guidelines for multi-byte programming, such as distinguishing characters, bytes, and columns.
  • Specify which Unicode-enabled editor you want to use by setting the UseSourceEditor option in progress.ini. Set this option to NO to use RichEdit (which is fully Unicode-enabled) or YES to use the Source Editor with advanced editing features (the default). This setting applies to the Procedure Editor and the AppBuilder Section Editor; it does not apply to the ABL Editor widget.
  • Use a Unicode font to display and print Unicode data. Specify a Unicode font by setting font options (such as DefaultFont and PrinterFont) in progress.ini.
Note: On Windows, you might also need to specify Unicode fonts on the Appearance tab in the Display Properties dialog box (accessed through the Windows Control Panel).