Typically classified as a fourth-generation programming language, it utilizes an English-like syntax to simplify software development.

At that time, business applications were often written in COBOL (for machines like corporate IBM mainframes) and sometimes in C (for departmental minicomputers running the UNIX operating system).

Simple programs run without a graphical user interface, but there is syntax to create one programmatically, or programmers can use the provided tools to build one.

The most basic "Hello, World" program is: The SQL statement: (along with your chosen language connection and display procedures) can be expressed in Progress / ABL as: The SQL statement: (again, along with your chosen language connection and display procedures) can be expressed in Progress / ABL as: .. (Some assumptions have been made about indexing, locking and transaction scoping in order to keep this example simple.)

Record-based processing provides a clean and reliable locking mechanism which allows the developer to EXECUTIVE-LOCK, SHARE-LOCK or NO-LOCK a record when accessed by the application.