About
DataWindow objects, controls, and components
DataWindow technology is implemented in two parts:
-
A DataWindow object
The DataWindow object defines the data source and presentation
style for the data. -
A DataWindow control or component
The control or component is a container for the DataWindow
object in the application. You write code that calls methods of the
container to manipulate the DataWindow object.
DataWindow controls and
components
The DataWindow was invented for use in PowerBuilder to provide
powerful data retrieval, manipulation, and update capabilities for
client/server applications.
You can also use DataStore objects as containers for a DataWindow
object. DataStores provide DataWindow functionality for retrieving and
manipulating data without the on-screen display. Uses for DataStores
include specifying layouts for printing and managing data in the server
component of a distributed application.
What DataWindow objects are
A DataWindow object is an object that you use to retrieve, present,
and manipulate data from a relational database or other data source (such
as an Excel worksheet or dBASE file). You can specify whether the
DataWindow object supports updating of data.
DataWindow objects have knowledge about the data they are
retrieving. You can specify display formats, presentation styles, and
other data properties to make the data meaningful to users.
In the DataWindow painter, you can also make Powersoft report (PSR)
files, which you can use in DataWindow controls or components. A PSR file
contains a report definition — essentially a nonupdatable DataWindow
object — as well as the data contained in the report when the PSR file
was created. It does not retrieve data.
Where to define DataWindow
objects
You define DataWindow objects in the PowerBuilder DataWindow
painter. You can also define nonupdatable DataWindow objects in the
InfoMaker Report painter.