Building an application – PB Docs 2018

To build a traditional client/server application:

1. Create the application (using a New wizard) and specify the
   library list for the application.

   When you use a Start wizard, you create the Application
   object, which is the entry point into the application. The
   Application object contains the name of the application and
   specifies the application-level scripts.

   See Working with Targets and
   Part 3, “Coding
   Fundamentals.”

2. Create windows.

3. Place controls in the window and build scripts that specify
   the processing that will occur when events are triggered.

   See Working with
   Windows.

4. Create menus.

   Menus in your windows can include a menu bar, drop-down menus,
   cascading menus, and pop-up menus. You define the menu items and
   write scripts that execute when the items are selected.

   See Working with Menus and
   Toolbars.

5. Create user objects.

   If you want to be able to reuse components that are placed in
   windows, define them as user objects and save them in a library.
   Later, when you build a window, you can simply place the user object
   on the window instead of having to redefine the components.

   See Working with User
   Objects.

6. Create functions, structures, and events.

   To support your scripts, you define functions to perform
   processing unique to your application and structures to hold related
   pieces of data. You can also define your own user events.

   See Working with User-Defined
   Functions, Working with User
   Events, and Working with
   Structures.

7. Create DataWindow objects.

   Use these objects to retrieve data from the database, format
   and validate data, analyze data through graphs and crosstabs, and
   update the database.

   See Defining DataWindow Objects
   and the DataWindow Programmers Guide.

8. Test and debug your application.

   You can run your application at any time. If you discover
   problems, you can debug your application by setting breakpoints,
   stepping through your code, and looking at variable values during
   execution. You can also create a trace file when you run your
   application and use PowerBuilder’s profiling tools to analyze the
   application’s performance and logical flow.

   See Debugging and Running
   Applications, and Tracing and Profiling
   Applications.

9. Prepare an executable.

   When your application is complete, you prepare an executable
   version to distribute to your users.

   See Creating Executables and
   Components.