About using DataWindow objects

Building DataWindow objects

Before you can use a DataWindow object in an application,
you need to build it. You can define
and edit DataWindow objects in PowerBuilder and DataWindow Builder.

Both of these development tools have 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 may want to use in applications
too. 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 either the:

• PowerBuilder
  User’s Guide
  or the
• DataWindow Builder User’s 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.

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