A working directory is the default operating
system directory where an ABL session reads or writes most data
files (such as text and XML files) that are specified with a relative
pathname. An ABL session can have one active working directory at
a time that is the current working directory. In OpenEdge,
the current working directory can be one of the following:
- When
you run an ABL session that is started directly from a shortcut
in the OpenEdge program group in Windows, such as the OpenEdge Desktop,
the current working directory is the working directory that you
specified during OpenEdge installation (C:\OpenEdge\WRK by
default).
- When you run an ABL session (OpenEdge AVM) from within Progress
Developer Studio for OpenEdge, the current working directory is
the working directory you specified for the project you are currently
working in.
- When you start an ABL client directly from the command line,
for example, by running the OpenEdge pro or mpro command
in the OpenEdge Proenv command window, the current working directory
is the active working directory at the point you run the command.
Notes
- The
current working directory is distinct and different from PROPATH. PROPATH is
an environment variable that specifies one or more directories that
an ABL session searches in order to locate and execute ABL code
in any procedure file, include file, class definition file, or r-code
file that you specify with a relative pathname.
- The ABL session does not search the current working directory
for data files that you access in order to load the contents of
an editor widget. Instead, if you pass a relative pathname to the INSERT-FILE( ) method or
the READ-FILE( ) method,
the ABL session searches PROPATH to locate and
read the file into the associated editor widget. This is an exception
to how ABL generally handles access to data files specified with
a relative pathname.
