About using
DataWindow objects
Building DataWindow objects
Before you can use a DataWindow object in an application, you need
to build it. PowerBuilder has separate painters for database management,
DataWindow definition, and library management.
You define and edit a DataWindow object in the DataWindow painter.
You specify its data source and presentation style, then enhance the
object by specifying display formats, edit styles, and more.
The DataWindow painter is also where you make Powersoft report (PSR)
files, which you might also want to use in applications. A PSR file
contains a report definition — essentially a nonupdatable DataWindow
object — as well as the data contained in that report when the PSR file
was created.
Report objects only in InfoMaker
Older versions of PowerBuilder had a Report painter as well as a
DataWindow painter. A report object could retrieve but not update data;
it was essentially a nonupdatable DataWindow object. The Report painter
is now available only in InfoMaker.
Managing DataWindow objects
Several painters let you manage and package your DataWindow objects
for use in applications.
In particular, you can maintain DataWindow objects in one or more
libraries (PBL files). When you are ready to use your DataWindow objects
in applications, you can package them in more compact runtime libraries
(PBD files).
For further details on how to build and organize DataWindow objects,
see Defining DataWindow Objects in Users Guide.
Using DataWindow objects
After you build a DataWindow object (or PSR file) in the DataWindow
painter, you can use it to display and process information from the
appropriate data source. The sections that follow explore the details of
how to do this.