Available-for-sale Securities, Percentage of Par Value Received after Renouncing Claim

No definition available.

Name:	prgs_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesPercentageofParValueReceivedafterRenouncingClaim
Namespace Prefix:	prgs_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Available-for-sale Securities, Percentage of Par Value Received on Investment

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	prgs_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesPercentageofParValueReceivedonInvestment
Namespace Prefix:	prgs_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Available-for-sale Securities, Retention of Insurance Rights, Percentage of Par Value Received

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	prgs_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesRetentionofInsuranceRightsPercentageofParValueReceived
Namespace Prefix:	prgs_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	prgs_CashCashEquivalentsAndInvestmentsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	prgs_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Redemptions Of Auction Rate Securities Available For Sale.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	prgs_RedemptionsOfAuctionRateSecuritiesAvailableForSale
Namespace Prefix:	prgs_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount before tax of unrealized loss in accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) on investments in debt and equity securities classified as available-for-sale.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 320

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (c)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27724398&loc=d3e27161-111563

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAccumulatedGrossUnrealizedLossBeforeTax
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This item represents the difference between the gross realized gains and losses realized on the sale of debt or equity securities categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading securities. Additionally, this item would include any losses recognized for other than temporary impairments (OTTI) of the subject investments in debt and equity securities.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 320

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 9

-Subparagraph (a)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27724398&loc=d3e27357-111563

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesGrossRealizedGainLossNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The total amount of investments that are intended to be held for an extended period of time (longer than one operating cycle).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.12)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongTermInvestments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The net realized gains or losses on investments during the period, not including gains or losses on securities separately or otherwise categorized as trading, available-for-sale, or held-to-maturity.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 225

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-04.3(a))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879464&loc=d3e573970-122913

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 325

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6485959&loc=d3e22529-158502

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 04

-Paragraph 3

-Subparagraph a

-Article 7

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RealizedInvestmentGainsLosses
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	prgs_CashCashEquivalentsAndInvestmentsAxis=us-gaap_AuctionRateSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Investments (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2014	Nov. 30, 2014	Nov. 30, 2013	Nov. 30, 2012
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Investments [Line Items]
Redemptions and sales of auction rate securities - available-for-sale	$ 26,200,000	$ 26,196,000	$ 25,000	$ 8,955,000
Realized loss on sale of auction rate securities	2,600,000
Investments in auction rate securities		0us-gaap_LongTermInvestments	24,761,000us-gaap_LongTermInvestments
Auction Rate Securities [Member]
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Investments [Line Items]
Investments in auction rate securities			24,800,000
Unrealized losses			4,000,000
Percentage of par value to be received after renouncing claim		80.00%
Percentage of par to be received if insurance rights retained		65.00%
Percentage of par value received on investment		80.00%
Realized losses on investments		$ 400,000