LOAD statement

(Windows only)

Creates application defaults, involving colors, fonts, environment variables, etc., or loads existing defaults, to a graphical or character application.

Specifically, the LOAD statement:

• Creates registry keys and initialization file entries
• Creates new initialization files
• Loads entries from the registry or from an existing initialization file

For more information on application defaults, see the chapter on colors and fonts in OpenEdge Development: Programming Interfaces.

Syntax

LOAD environment
  [ DIR directory ]
  [ APPLICATION ]
  [ NEW ]
  [ BASE-KEY { key-name | "INI" } ]
  [ NO-ERROR ]

environment

A CHARACTER expression that evaluates to one of the following:

• The name of a registry key to create
• The name of an initialization file to create
• The name of an existing registry key
• The name of an existing initialization file

DIR directory

A CHARACTER expression that evaluates to the directory path of one of the following:

• An existing initialization file
• An initialization file to create

If you omit this option, LOAD looks for an existing initialization file, or creates a new initialization file, in the working directory. The pathname can contain Unicode characters. See OpenEdge Development: Internationalizing Applications for more information about Unicode.

APPLICATION

Has no effect; supported only for backward compatibility.

NEW

Creates a new registry key or a new initialization file. If the key or file already exists, LOAD overwrites its data.

BASE-KEY key-name| "INI"

Bypasses the standard search rules.

If you specify BASE-KEY key-name, LOAD looks for or creates the environment in the registry only under base key key-name.

If you specify BASE-KEY "INI" (the quotes are required), LOAD looks for or creates only the initialization file environment.

NO-ERROR

The NO-ERROR option is used to prevent the statement from raising ERROR and displaying error messages.

Example

See the USE statement reference entry for an example.

Notes

• If you specify LOAD environment, LOAD searches for a registry key and for an existing initialization file, and tries to load one or the other. The search logic, which assumes that environment has the format path\rootname.extension (where path and extension are optional) and that version is the current OpenEdge version, is as follows:
  • Search the registry under HKEY_CURRENT_USER for path\rootname.extension.

    If found, load it.

  • Else search the registry under HKEY_CURRENT_USER for SOFTWARE\PSC\PROGRESS\version\path\rootname.extension.

    If found, load it.

  • Else search the registry under HKEY_CURRENT_USER for SOFTWARE\path\rootname.extension.

    If found, load it.

  • Else search the registry under HKEY_CURRENT_USER for rootname.

    If found, load it.

  • Else search the registry under HKEY_CURRENT_USER for SOFTWARE\PSC\PROGRESS\version\rootname.

    If found, load it.

  • Else search the registry under HKEY_CURRENT_USER for SOFTWARE\rootname.

    If found, load it.

  • Else search the registry under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE for path\rootname.extension.

    If found, load it.

  • Else search the registry under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE for SOFTWARE\PSC\PROGRESS\version\path\rootname.extension.

    If found, load it.

  • Else search the registry under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE for SOFTWARE\path\rootname.extension.

    If found, load it.

  • Else search the registry under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE for rootname.

    If found, load it.

  • Else search the registry under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE for SOFTWARE\PSC\PROGRESS\version\rootname.

    If found, load it.

  • Else search the registry under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE for SOFTWARE\rootname.

    If found, load it.

  • Else search for the initialization file path\rootname.extension.

    If found, load it.

  • Else, error.
• If you specify LOAD environment BASE-KEY key-name, where key-name is the name of a registry base key, LOAD loads the registry key key-name\environment.

  Registry base keys are as follows:

  • HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
  • HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG (Win95 and NT 4.0)
  • HKEY_CURRENT_USER
  • HKEY_DYN_DATA (Win95 and NT 4.0)
  • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
  • HKEY_USERS
• If you specify LOAD environment BASE-KEY "INI", LOAD loads the initialization file environment.
• If you specify LOAD environment NEW, LOAD creates a new key in the registry under HKEY_CURRENT_USER and names the new key environment.
• If you specify LOAD environment NEW BASE-KEY key-name, LOAD creates a new key in the registry under key-name and names the new key environment.
• If you specify LOAD environment NEW BASE-KEY "INI", LOAD creates a new initialization file and names it environment.ini.
• To change the application environment, load defaults using the LOAD statement, make them current using the USE statement, then access them using the GET-KEY-VALUE and PUT-KEY-VALUE statements.

See also

GET-KEY-VALUE statement, LOAD statement, NO-ERROR option, PUT-KEY-VALUE statement, UNLOAD statement, USE statement