Is there a way to execute some SQL92 from within an ABL routine?
That depends on what exactly you mean. Can you use ABL to automate a SQL client? Yes, but it's much less efficient than either writing the same query in native ABL or executing the same query in SQL using a SQL client, without ABL. Can you write SQL-92 statements in-line with ABL code and have it all understood and executed by the ABL compiler? No.
You can't execute SQL statements directly in ABL. The best you can do is use ABL to create a SQL script, then programmatically invoke SQL Explorer with that script as an input file (and, if you wish, consume the output via ABL). It's a kludge.
As with many tasks in programming, the fact that you
can do something doesn't mean you
should. If you want to write a chat client, you could start by writing your own TCP/IP stack in assembler. But you'd be foolish if you did.
If you are really keen to re-use your SQL knowledge with a Progress database, use a SQL client; don't use ABL, you'll just be making work for yourself.
If you are going to be doing meaningful work in a Progress database then sooner or later you will want to learn ABL. That is, unless someone else is going to be looking after the database and you're just going to be doing queries; in that case use your ODBC/JDBC/eSQL client of choice.
Only you know how you'll be using the database. I know of people who happily work on Progress databases in SQL all day and don't touch ABL. Use whatever tool or language suits your business need. But don't try to fit a square peg in a round hole. Don't write SQL code in an ABL editor (which is SQL-89 run by the 4GL query engine, not SQL-92 run by the SQL engine; also, it's deprecated and will never be enhanced), and don't try to use ABL to automate SQL. You won't be efficient. It's not what experienced Progress professionals do, whether they are SQL veterans or not.