Progress 4GL / OpenEdge

Progress OpenEdge (formerly Progress 4GL) is an application development platform and database management system widely used for mission-critical business applications.

What You Can Upload

• .db database files
• .d data files / data extents
• .st structure files
• ZIP archive with complete database files

What You Get Out

DataMeans extracts your data into multiple modern formats:

How to Export / Obtain Files

1. Stop the Progress database or create a backup
2. Locate the .db and associated data extent files
3. Include .st structure file if available
4. Create a ZIP with all database files
5. Upload the ZIP to DataMeans

Alternative: Use proutil to dump data to .d files:

proutil dbname -C dump tablename tablename.d

Supported Features

• Full schema extraction (tables, indexes, constraints)
• Progress data type conversion
• Sequence mapping
• Relationship preservation
• Multiple data extents

Known Limitations

• Triggers and stored procedures documented but not converted
• Application-level logic requires manual migration
• Very large databases may need chunked exports

Troubleshooting

Last updated: January 2026

Overview

Progress 4GL (now OpenEdge ABL) is a fourth-generation programming language and database platform developed by Progress Software Corporation. It combines a relational database with an English-like programming language for rapid business application development. The database uses a proprietary format optimized for transactional processing and complex business logic.

History and Background

• 1981: Progress Software founded as Data Language Corporation (DLC) by MIT graduates including Joseph Alsop, Clyde Kessel, and Chip Ziering.
• 1984: First commercial version of Progress ships for Unix.
• 1987: Company renamed Progress Software, after its flagship product.
• 1993: Progress Version 7 adds GUI development for Windows and Motif.
• 1995: Progress Version 8 introduces component-based visual development.
• 1998: Progress Version 9 introduces Type I storage areas.
• 2003: OpenEdge 10 released, the first OpenEdge-branded version, introducing Type II storage areas.
• 2005: OpenEdge 10.1 adds object-oriented language extensions.
• 2006: Progress 4GL renamed OpenEdge ABL (Advanced Business Language).
• 2009: OpenEdge 10.2 released; release 10.2B adds Transparent Data Encryption for data at rest.
• 2011: OpenEdge 11 introduces multi-tenant database tables.
• 2014: OpenEdge 11.5 introduces the Pacific Application Server for OpenEdge (PASOE).
• 2017: OpenEdge 11.7, a long-term support release, introduces Change Data Capture.
• 2019: OpenEdge 12 adds a multi-threaded database server.
• 2022: OpenEdge 12.5 adds an ABL API for Apache Kafka messaging.
• 2024: OpenEdge 12.8 adds Dynamic Data Masking and OpenTelemetry-based application observability.
• 2026: OpenEdge 13.0 released, resolving the year-2038 problem by widening on-disk time values from 32 to 64 bits.

File Format Specifications

Database Files:

• .db: Database control area, a binary table of contents listing every area and extent
• .d1, .d2, etc.: Data extents holding table data, indexes, and LOBs
• .b1, .b2, etc.: Before-image extents used to undo incomplete transactions
• .a1, .a2, etc.: After-image extents for roll-forward recovery
• .lg: Text log file recording significant database events
• .lk: Lock file created at session startup, recording whether the database is open in single-user or multi-user mode
• .st: Structure description file, a text file defining the database's areas and extents
• .tn: Transaction log extents (fixed-length only) listing committed two-phase commit transactions

Storage Architecture:

• Block-based storage with configurable block sizes (1KB, 2KB, 4KB, or 8KB)
• B-tree indexes for fast lookups
• Record-level locking for concurrency
• Default block size of 4KB on Windows and Linux, 8KB on UNIX
• Databases divided into storage areas composed of one or more extents
• Up to 32,000 storage areas per database, of which 31,994 can hold application data
• Up to 1,024 extents per area and 1TB per extent; Type II areas can reach about 1PB with large files enabled
• Records per block configurable in powers of two from 1 to 256, defaulting to 64 for 8KB blocks and 32 for other block sizes

File Structure:

• Schema stored within the database's schema area
• Compiled ABL code in .r files (r-code)
• Data dictionary for metadata management
• Audit trails and security settings
• Replication and high-availability configurations
• Limits of 32,767 table definitions and 32,767 indexes per database
• Up to 1,000 fields per table through ABL, or 500 through the SQL engine
• Index entries of at most 16 fields each

Data Types and Structures

Database Objects:

• Tables: Primary data containers
• Indexes: B-tree structures for performance
• Sequences: Auto-incrementing number generators (32-bit and 64-bit)
• Triggers: ABL schema triggers and Java-based SQL triggers
• Stored Procedures: Java routines executed by the SQL engine
• Views: Virtual tables defined through the SQL engine

Version Differences

Compatibility Notes:

• Databases can be upgraded but not downgraded; reverting requires a restore from backup
• The database format changes between major releases; PROUTIL conversion utilities (CONV89, CONV910, CONV1011, CONV1112) upgrade databases in place
• Minor releases share a format; a database created under any Release 11.x can be opened by any other 11.x release without conversion
• Some data types require minimum versions; INT64 fields require OpenEdge 10.1B or later
• Single-volume Version 8 databases must be converted to multi-volume structure before upgrading to Version 9
• Migration utilities are provided for major-version upgrades

Technical References

• Progress Documentation
• Wikipedia: Progress Software
• Wikipedia: OpenEdge Advanced Business Language
• OpenEdge Database Essentials: Database File Structure
• OpenEdge Life Cycle

To learn how to use this format with DataMeans, see the User Guide.