You can use Dialogue Manager to control the execution of procedures. Among other things, Dialogue Manager commands:

• Display forms.
• Set and test variables.
• Execute procedures.
• Execute operating system commands.
• Read and write disk files.

Dialogue Manager commands are stored in procedures. Their execution can be triggered by actions on a form, such as clicking a button. Procedures containing Dialogue Manager commands can be reused by other procedures in a project.

The ability of Dialogue Manager commands to display forms and the ability of a form's objects to call Dialogue Manager commands are two of the most important aspects of application development. The most powerful applications are a combination of graphical and command-driven components.

For related information, see Managing Flow of Control in an Application in the Developing Reporting Applications manual.