🚀 Working with Global Objects in Uniface 10.4: A Simple Guide

⚠️ Note: This blog post was created with AI assistance to help explain Uniface 10.4 concepts in simple terms.

📚 What Are Global Objects?

Global objects in Uniface are reusable pieces of code and resources that you can use across your entire application. Think of them as shared tools in a toolbox that any part of your application can access. The most common types are:

• 🔧 Global ProcScripts - Reusable code functions
• 💬 Messages - Text strings for user interfaces
• 🎨 Glyphs - Icons and images
• 🌐 Translation Tables - Language translations

Instead of writing the same code multiple times, you create it once as a global object and reference it wherever needed. This makes your application easier to maintain and update! ✨

🏗️ Creating Global Objects: Step by Step

Step 1: Open the Right Editor 🖱️

In the Uniface IDE, navigate to More Editors and select the type of global object you want to create. You'll find these options under the Library heading.

Step 2: Choose Your Library 📁

When the Open Library dialog appears, you have two choices:

• Create a new library if you're starting fresh
• Select an existing library if you want to add to what's already there

Pro tip: Keep related objects together in the same library for better organization! 📂

Step 3: Create or Edit Your Object ✏️

Now you're ready to work:

• Click New to create a brand new object
• Select an existing object from the list to update it

Step 4: Set Properties ⚙️

Configure your object's properties according to your needs. Each object type has different properties you can set.

Quick help: Press F1 at any time to see detailed information about the available properties!

Step 5: Compile (If Needed) 🔨

Some objects need compilation before they can be used. If you see a compile icon, click it or go to File > Compile.

Step 6: Save Your Work 💾

You have two saving options:

• Choose File > Save to save and continue working
• Click OK to compile, save, and close the editor in one step

💡 Practical Example: Creating a Global Message

Let's say you want to create a welcome message that appears in multiple places in your application:

1. Open More Editors > Messages
2. Select or create a library called "AppMessages"
3. Click New
4. Set the message ID to "WELCOME_MSG"
5. Set the text to "Welcome to our application!"
6. Click OK to save

Now you can reference "WELCOME_MSG" anywhere in your code, and if you need to change the welcome text later, you only update it in one place! 🎯

🗑️ Deleting Global Objects

Need to remove an object? It's simple:

1. Select the object you want to delete
2. Click the Delete button, or
3. Choose Edit > Delete from the menu

⚠️ Warning: Make sure no other parts of your application are using this object before you delete it!

🌟 Best Practices

• 📝 Use descriptive names - Make object IDs clear and meaningful
• 🗂️ Organize by category - Group related objects in the same library
• 📖 Document your objects - Add comments to explain what each object does
• 🔄 Reuse before recreating - Check if a similar object already exists
• 🧪 Test after changes - Always test your application after modifying global objects

🎯 Key Takeaways

Global objects are a powerful feature in Uniface 10.4 that help you:

• ✅ Write code once, use it everywhere
• ✅ Keep your application organized and maintainable
• ✅ Make updates quickly and efficiently
• ✅ Reduce code duplication

By mastering global objects, you'll make your Uniface development workflow much more efficient! 🚀

Happy coding! 💻✨