Term Loan and Line of Credit (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
Feb. 28, 2015	Dec. 02, 2014
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Unamortized debt issuance costs		$ 300,000us-gaap_UnamortizedDebtIssuanceExpense
Letter of credit [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of credit facility outstanding amount		700,000
Credit Agreement [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Term loan		150,000,000
Unsecured credit facility		150,000,000
Additional borrowing capacity available		75,000,000
Interest rate during period (as a percent)	1.94%
Principal payments for years one and two	1,900,000
Principal payments for years three and four	3,800,000
Principal payments for years five and thereafter	5,600,000
Percent of domestic subsidiary capital stock guaranteeing debt	100.00%
Percent of foreign subsidiary capital stock guaranteeing debt	65.00%
Credit Agreement [Member] \| Letter of credit [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Unsecured credit facility		25,000,000
Credit Agreement [Member] \| Swing line loans [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Unsecured credit facility		$ 25,000,000
Minimum [Member] \| Credit Agreement [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Commitment fee percentage	0.25%
Minimum [Member] \| Eurodollar [Member] \| Credit Agreement [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate	1.50%
Minimum [Member] \| Base Rate [Member] \| Credit Agreement [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate	0.50%
Maximum [Member] \| Credit Agreement [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Commitment fee percentage	0.40%
Maximum [Member] \| Eurodollar [Member] \| Credit Agreement [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate	2.25%
Maximum [Member] \| Base Rate [Member] \| Credit Agreement [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate	1.25%

Debt Instrument, Domestic Subsidiary Capital Stock Guarantee, Percent

No definition available.

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Namespace Prefix:	prgs_
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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Debt Instrument, Foreign Subsidiary Capital Stock Guarantee, Percent

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	prgs_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line of Credit Facility, Additional Borrowing Capacity

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	prgs_LineofCreditFacilityAdditionalBorrowingCapacity
Namespace Prefix:	prgs_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayment of Principal in Year Five and Thereafter

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	prgs_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayment of Principal in Years One and Two

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	prgs_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayment of Principal in Years Three and Four

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	prgs_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Percentage points added to the reference rate to compute the variable rate on the debt instrument.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentBasisSpreadOnVariableRate1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Face (par) amount of debt instrument at time of issuance.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 835

-SubTopic 30

-Section 45

-Paragraph 2

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6451184&loc=d3e28551-108399

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 835

-SubTopic 30

-Section 55

-Paragraph 8

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=34725769&loc=d3e28878-108400

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the current and noncurrent portions of long-term obligations drawn from a line of credit, which is a bank's commitment to make loans up to a specific amount. Examples of items that might be included in the application of this element may consist of letters of credit, standby letters of credit, and revolving credit arrangements, under which borrowings can be made up to a maximum amount as of any point in time conditional on satisfaction of specified terms before, as of and after the date of drawdowns on the line. Includes short-term obligations that would normally be classified as current liabilities but for which (a) postbalance sheet date issuance of a long term obligation to refinance the short term obligation on a long term basis, or (b) the enterprise has entered into a financing agreement that clearly permits the enterprise to refinance the short-term obligation on a long term basis and the following conditions are met (1) the agreement does not expire within 1 year and is not cancelable by the lender except for violation of an objectively determinable provision, (2) no violation exists at the BS date, and (3) the lender has entered into the financing agreement is expected to be financially capable of honoring the agreement.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 942

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.16)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

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

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 19, 20, 22

-Article 5

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.16)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCredit
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The fee, expressed as a percentage of the line of credit facility, for the line of credit facility regardless of whether the facility has been used.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The effective interest rate during the reporting period.

+ 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 210.5-02.19(b),22(b))

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

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

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 19, 22

-Article 5

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityLineItems
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Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Maximum borrowing capacity under the credit facility without consideration of any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed or the amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

+ References

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The remaining balance of debt issuance expenses that were capitalized and are being amortized against income over the lives of the respective bond issues. This does not include the amounts capitalized as part of the cost of the utility plant or asset.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
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Balance Type:
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- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=prgs_CreditAgreementMember
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- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MaximumMember
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- Details

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