Progress ABL for Notepad++

Syntax highlighting and functions listing for Progress ABL files in Notepad++.

Description

This is NOT a plugin ; only configuration for use with Notepad++. There are 2 Notepad++ customized features in this repository:

A ready-to-import XML file that gives syntax highlighting/coloring for .p .w .i and .cls files and brings ability to fold code structure. A recent version of Notepad++ is required (one of those supporting the User Defined Language).

An XML delta-file to make Notepad++ able to detect Progress ABL functions, procedures, external procedures, event triggers and even AppBuilder sections.

Syntax highlighter features

• keywords (many ABL keywords are recognized and classified in statements and methods/properties)
• comments
• nested comments (yes, Progress can do this)
• strings
• numbers
• preprocessor directives
• outlining of blocks like DO, PROCEDURE, FUNCTION

Functions list features

• detection of internal procedures
• detection of external procedures (such as functions in .so or .dll)
• detection of functions and function forwards
• detection of triggers
• detection of definition sections
• detection of main block sections
• detection of procedure settings sections

How to use the syntax highlighter

• download the udl-progressabl-classic.xml file
• open Notepad++
• go to Language -> Define your language..., click on Import... and select the udl-progressabl-classic.xml file you've downloaded
• close and restart Notepad++
• finished :)

How to use the syntax highlighter with theme

• download the udl-progressabl-solarized.xml file
• open Notepad++ and import this user defined language
• enable "Solarized" theme (via menu Settings --> Style configurator)
• manually select the language "Progress ABL (solarized)"
• finished :)

How to use the function-list configuration

• download the functionlist-delta.xml file
• close all instances of Notepad++
• go to settings directory of Notepad++ (can be either %APPDATA% or installation directory, according to the presence of doLocalConf.xml)
• open functionlist.xml and manually merge functionlist-delta.xml in it (sorry, I don't know any other way to do this) - don't use Notepad++ to do this or you might lose your changes
• delete functionlist-delta.xml as it is no longer necessary
• finished :)

Notes

• the color scheme is built for the default theme (white background)
• some keywords are missing and are planed to be added on the fly

Previews

Syntax highlighter

Functions List

If you want more

Give a try to the excellent "Progress Programmers Pal" (a.k.a. "3P") plugin.

And now...

Enjoy!