AdvPL GuideUnderstand what AdvPL is, how it fits into Protheus, and progress through organized lessons — from your first source file to more complete architectures.
View the complete learning path →AdvPL — Advanced Protheus Language — is a language developed for the Protheus ecosystem. Its origins are connected to the xBase standard and the need to preserve and evolve business applications built by Microsiga.
The language supports procedural, object-oriented and event-driven programming. Sources are compiled into the application repository and executed by AppServer. In current development, Visual Studio Code with the TOTVS Developer Studio extension is one of the available tools.
Learning a language is more than memorizing syntax. It means understanding the problems it solves, the environment where it lives, how source code becomes execution and which ideas it can express. In AdvPL, these questions are closely tied to Protheus.
AdvPL was created to develop and customize business applications in the Protheus ecosystem. It is used for business rules, processing, data access, reports, interfaces, entry points and integrations. Learning AdvPL also means understanding Protheus architecture and contracts.
The language combines procedural, object-oriented and event-driven programming. A solution may be organized as functions, use classes and methods, or react to interface actions. The right paradigm depends on the framework, routine responsibility and environment version.
Its xBase heritage appears in reserved words, expressions, commands and conventions. A source file may contain includes, user functions, variables, conditions, loops, calls and returns. Syntax is the form; what matters is how these elements express flow and business rules.
Characters, numbers, dates, logical values, arrays, code blocks and objects are common. AdvPL supports dynamic typing and type declarations. Local, Static, Private and Public scopes determine visibility and lifetime; understanding them prevents side effects and silent errors.
Source code is not run directly like a script. It is compiled with compatible includes, incorporated into the repository and executed by AppServer. Configuration, release, RPO, libraries and permissions are part of the path from writing to running code.
Not everything called by an AdvPL program belongs to the language core. There are language keywords and operators, platform functions, Framework classes and module APIs. Distinguishing these layers helps identify documentation, includes, dependencies and compatibility.
Many routines operate on aliases, tables, dictionaries, parameters, transactions and Protheus sessions. Others build interfaces or consume services. Behavior may depend on context, company and branch, user, module and release.
AdvPL provides deep ERP integration and historical continuity. Legacy code, dynamic scopes, version dependencies and specific APIs require discipline. Explicit declarations, work-area preservation, return validation, error handling and tests on the supported release are essential.
The official path now brings together 52 lessons, organized from foundation to advanced level, with progress, exercises, targeted reviews, and projects.
A simple routine already shows important elements: an include, a user function, a local variable, a function call and a return.
When the function is run in the appropriate environment, the user receives a message. The example uses an English variable name, following the page language.
#Include "TOTVS.ch"\n\nUser Function HelloAdvPL()\n Local cMessage := "Hello, AdvPL!"\n\n MsgInfo(cMessage, "First program")\nReturnThe source file is written and compiled against includes compatible with the environment. The result is stored in the repository and executed by AppServer. Resources, permissions, libraries and behavior depend on the Protheus version in use.
Sources record different milestones: Silva (2004, p. 11) places the beginning of the language evolution in 1994, while Stal (2010, p. 136) records 1999 as the ADVPL launch. These may represent different stages of the same process.
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