PowerBuilder DataWindow control – PB Docs 2019

Features

The PowerBuilder DataWindow control is a container for DataWindow
objects in a PowerBuilder application. You can use it in a window to
present an interactive display of data. The user can view and change data
and send changes to the database.

In addition to the DataWindow control, the DataStore object provides
a nonvisual container for server applications and other situations where
on-screen viewing is not necessary.

The DataWindow supports data retrieval with retrieval arguments and
data update. You can use edit styles, display formats, and validation
rules for consistent data entry and display. The DataWindow provides many
methods for manipulating the DataWindow, including Modify for changing
DataWindow object properties. You can share a result set between several
DataWindow controls and you can synchronize data between a client and
server.

Development environment

You can develop both parts of your DataWindow implementation in
PowerBuilder. You use:

In the Window or User Object painters, you can write scripts that
control the DataWindow’s behavior and manipulate the data it retrieves.
Your scripts can also instantiate DataStore objects.

In the PowerBuilder Browser you can examine the properties, events,
and methods of DataWindow controls and DataStore objects on the System tab
page. If you have a library open that contains DataWindow objects, you can
examine the internal properties of the DataWindow object on the Browser’s
DataWindow tab page.

DataWindow objects

The DataWindow control or DataStore object uses a DataWindow object
defined with any presentation style. The DataWindow object determines what
data is retrieved and how it is displayed. The control can also display
Powersoft reports (PSRs), which do not need to retrieve data.

Database connections

The PowerBuilder DataWindow can use ODBC, JDBC, and native database
drivers for database connectivity. Users can connect to a data source on
any server to which they have access, including databases and middle-tier
servers on the Internet.

To make a connection, you can use the internal Transaction object of
the DataWindow, or you can make the connection with a separate
PowerBuilder transaction object.

A PowerBuilder application provides a default Transaction object,
SQLCA. You can define additional Transaction objects if you need to make
additional connections. When you connect with a separate Transaction
object, you can control when SQL COMMIT and ROLLBACK statements occur, and
you can use the same connection for multiple controls.

For more information about using a Transaction object with a
DataWindow, see Using
DataWindow Objects.

For more information about PowerBuilder Transaction objects, see
the section called “Using Transaction Objects” in Application Techniques.

Coding

You write scripts in the Window or User Object painter to connect to
the database, retrieve data, process user input, and update data.

In PowerBuilder, you can take advantage of object inheritance by
defining a user object inherited from a DataWindow control and adding your
own custom functionality. You can reuse the customized DataWindow control
throughout your applications.

You create DataStore objects, the nonvisual version of a DataWindow
control, by creating them in a script and calling methods for the object.
You can also define a user object that is inherited from a DataStore and
customize it. For more information, see Using DataStore
Objects.

Libraries and applications

You store DataWindow objects in PowerBuilder libraries (PBLs) during
development. When you build your application, you can include the
DataWindow objects in the application executable or in PowerBuilder
dynamic libraries (PBDs).

For more information about designing DataWindow objects and building
a PowerBuilder application, see the section called “Defining DataWindow Objects” in Users Guide and Application Techniques.