Language Concepts

The following topics introduce the essential components of Encore RPG, an object-oriented programming language. After creating the interface for your application using forms and controls, you will need to write the code that defines the application’s behavior. As with any modern programming language, Encore RPG supports a number of common programming constructs and language elements.

If you’ve programmed in other languages, much of the material covered in this section may seem familiar. While most of the constructs are similar to other languages, the event-driven nature of Encore RPG introduces some subtle differences.

If you’re new to programming, the material in this section serves as an introduction to the basic building blocks for writing code. Once you understand the basics, you can create powerful applications using Encore RPG.

In This Section

Arrays

Discusses making your code more compact and powerful by declaring and using arrays.

Assemblies

Describes the role of Encore RPG in the .NET Framework.

Control Flow

Shows how to regulate the flow of your program’s execution.

Data Types

Describes programming elements that refer to what kind of data can be held and how that data is stored.

Declared Elements

Covers variables, constants, enumerations, structures, properties, methods, procedures, procedure arguments, function returns, events, delegates, interfaces, and classes.

Expressions

Shows how to combine elements with operators to yield new values.

Objects

Provides an overview of objects and classes; how they are used; their relationships to each other; and the properties, methods, and events they expose.

Operation Codes

Provides an overview of the two basic units of instruction in Encore RPG: declaration statements and executable statements.

Operators

Describes the code units that manipulate value-returning elements and how use them efficiently.

Strings

Covers declaring and manipulating variables that contain a series characters.

Variables

Discusses how to declare variables and use them to refer to objects.

See Also

Encore RPG Language Reference

Provides a complete reference for the Encore RPG language and its run-time elements.