About the PowerBuilder window ActiveX
The PowerBuilder window ActiveX lets you display a PowerBuilder
child window on Web pages viewed in a browser that supports ActiveX.
Features
The PowerBuilder window can include all the familiar controls,
including DataWindows, OLE objects, OCX (ActiveX) controls, and
TreeView controls. You can also open other (pop-up or response)
windows from the child window.
As the user interacts with controls in the windows, scripts
for the controls’ events are executed just as they are
in standalone PowerBuilder applications. Additionally, you can call
PowerBuilder functions and react to PowerBuilder events by coding
VB Script or JavaScript within the HTML page.
Database access by the PowerBuilder window ActiveX application
occurs using the client’s locally defined database connections.
The objects in the application can be contained in one or
more PowerBuilder Dynamic Libraries (PBDs).
Supported browsers
The PowerBuilder window ActiveX requires use of a browser
that supports ActiveX, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer.
Kinds of applications that work with the PowerBuilder
window ActiveX
HTML forms provide some user interaction by means of a limited
user interface. The PowerBuilder window ActiveX takes you beyond
HTML. You can present a fully developed application window with
a rich user interface design to a Web page. You can access data
sources defined on the client workstation.
Examples
Your application might be:
- A data analysis window with master and detail DataWindows
- A user interface design that lets the user make
choices using TreeView, ListView, and PictureListBox controls - A data entry form that processes data on a server
- A data entry form that uses the client’s
defined database connection (either network or local) to process
the data on the client machine - A window that uses PowerBuilder’s OLEControl
control to display an ActiveX control
How the PowerBuilder window ActiveX works
The PowerBuilder window ActiveX displays a PowerBuilder child
window inside a fixed space reserved on the Web page. The user can
interact with the controls on the page, and the PowerBuilder scripts
for the window and its controls can execute any PowerBuilder code.
When the user switches to another Web page, the PowerBuilder window
is closed and the PowerBuilder DLLs are unloaded from memory.
The PowerBuilder window ActiveX is included on an HTML page
using the HTML Object element. It names one or more PBDs that contain
PowerBuilder objects, the name of the child window object that is
displayed on the page, and (optionally) the PowerBuilder Application
object.
Security
Unsecured applications can access local files and can run
local applications. These types of processing are often undesirable
in an uncontrolled Web environment but may be perfectly acceptable
on a corporate intranet where access is controlled. There are two
versions of the PowerBuilder window ActiveX: one secure (PBRXS100.OCX)
and the other unsecure (PBRX100.OCX).
The secure version is extremely restricted, with no access to the
client workstation.
Some events always execute in secure mode As of PowerBuilder 7, the application Open event and some
of the Constructor events for controls execute in secure mode even
when you use the unsecure version of the window ActiveX. If your
application logic depends on the ability to perform an activity
that is not secure in these events, such as opening a file for writing,
post an event message to the application or control. This is processed
once the window ActiveX returns to standard mode.
Requirements
The PowerBuilder window ActiveX uses the PowerBuilder virtual
machine as well as the ActiveX itself to provide a full range of
PowerBuilder functionality.
Each client that is used to browse pages with the PowerBuilder
window ActiveX needs supporting software installed on the local
machine:
- PowerBuilder virtual
machine (PBVM100.DLL and supporting
files) - PowerBuilder window ActiveX
The PowerBuilder window ActiveX is especially useful in an
intranet application where you have control over the setup of client
machines.
Installing and configuring the PowerBuilder window
ActiveX
The PowerBuilder window ActiveX controls are not installed
on your computer if you select the Typical setup type when you install
PowerBuilder. You can install the ActiveX controls by running a
custom installation of PowerBuilder and checking the Web Plugins
box on the Select Components page. Click the Change button on that
page to select the plug-ins and controls you want to install.
This section describes setup tasks that you may need to perform after installing the
window ActiveX.
Installation location
The PowerBuilder window ActiveX files (both the secure and
unsecure versions) are installed in the SybaseSharedPowerBuilder directory.
Register the ActiveX
For you to use the PowerBuilder window ActiveX for development,
it must be registered on your machine. You can check to see if it
is registered by using the PowerBuilder Browser. Open the Browser,
select the OLE tab, and expand the OLE Custom Controls item. If
the ActiveX is registered, it is listed as the PowerBuilder Window
Control or PowerBuilder Secure Window Control in the tree view.
Expand the Class Information node to verify that the current version
of the control is registered.
If the ActiveX is not registered on your machine, you can
register it from within PowerBuilder or by using the MS-DOS regsvr32 command.
To register the ActiveX within PowerBuilder:
-
From within PowerBuilder, open a new or
existing application, then open a new or existing window. -
Select Insert>Control>OLE from
the menu.The Insert Object dialog displays.
-
Select the Insert Control tab and click the Register
New button.The Browse dialog displays.
-
Browse to the location of the OCX in the System
directory, select either PBRX100.OCX or PBRXS100.OCX,
and click Open.If the OCX fails to register, you receive an error message.
To register the ActiveX using the MS-DOS regsvr32
command:
-
Run the MS-DOS regsvr32.exe command
with the complete path to the OCX as an argument. For example:1regsvr32.exe C:WindowsSystem32pbrx100.ocx
Developing and deploying a PowerBuilder window ActiveX application
There are four main tasks involved in developing a PowerBuilder
window ActiveX application.
To create and deploy a PowerBuilder window ActiveX
application:
-
Create, test, and build the PowerBuilder
application. -
Create an HTML page that includes your PowerBuilder
application window. -
Configure the Web server by copying the HTML page
and PBD files for the application to appropriate directories. -
On all client workstations, install and register
the PowerBuilder window ActiveX control and install the PowerBuilder
runtime DLLs.
Resulting components
When everything is set up, the various computers have the
components listed in Table 34-1.
| Computer | Component |
|---|---|
| Server | HTML page with an Object element for the window (or report) and PBD |
| PowerBuilder window ActiveX installed and registered (optional) |
|
| One or more PBDs containing your child windows and other PowerBuilder objects |
|
| Client | PowerBuilder window ActiveX installed and registered |
| PowerBuilder runtime DLLs installed as described in Chapter 41, “Deploying Applications and Components.” |
|
| Directory for the PowerBuilder runtime DLLs listed in the system path |
|
Microsoft DLLS:
|
|
| Any additional software required by the PowerBuilder window ActiveX application, such as database connection software or OLE servers and ActiveX controls |