Advantages of using portable r-code

ABL r-code is the intermediate binary code that OpenEdge generates when it compiles ABL source files. This is the code that is actually run when a procedure is executed. ABL r-code is portable between two dissimilar platforms if all of the following apply:

• The source code is not dependent on the user interface
• The source code is not dependent on DataServer connections
• The platforms are compatible between 32-bit and 64-bit architectures
  Note: You can run r-code that was compiled by OpenEdge running on a 32-bit platform in a PAS for OpenEdge instance, but PAS for OpenEdge only installs and runs on a 64-bit platform.

For more information, see the sections on portable r-code in Manage ABL Applications.

Using portable r-code, you can perform PAS for OpenEdge development on a platform that is different from your PAS for OpenEdge deployment platform. For example, you can compile r-code that is destined to run on a UNIX 64-bit PAS for OpenEdge session on a Windows ABL client. Further, this means that by compiling on the Windows ABL client, a compiler license for the UNIX platform is not required.

Note the following cautions if you intend to use portable r-code:

• Examine your code for platform-specific code blocks. The presence of these code blocks can limit your ability to make your r-code portable.
• Ensure that your ABL code addresses all target r-code platforms on which you want your code to run.

The following examples compare platform-specific preprocessor directives that will be resolved at compile time with a comparable ABL code that is resolved at run time.

Preprocessor directive resolved at compile time:

&IF &OPSYS = "WIN32" &THEN
  ...
&ELSE
  &IF &OPSYS = "UNIX" &THEN
  ...
  &ELSE
  ...

Non-preprocessor ABL code resolved at run time:

IF OPSYS = "WIN32" THEN
  ...
ELSE
  IF OPSYS = "UNIX" THEN
  ...
  ELSE
  ...