The scope of 4GL procedures and variables depends on how and where they are created. 4GL procedures and variables created in OpenROAD are globally accessible to other application components. Likewise, all components in an application are available to other applications that include it.

However, 4GL procedures and variables declared and defined in a 4GL script are local in scope. Field variables, declared automatically when you create a field on a form, are also local to the frame.

Local variables are declared in the DECLARE section of the initialize block of a frame, field, or 4GL procedure, as are forward references to local procedures. Variables declared within the parentheses of a frame's or procedure's initialize block are parameters, visible outside the current frame or procedure. Local procedures are defined at the end of a script, after all event blocks or method definitions.

For more information about the syntax for variable and procedure declaration, see the Programming Guide.

The following table describes the scope and lifetime of local variables and procedures: