The PowerBuilder environment – PB Docs 2017

Workspaces and targets

In PowerBuilder, you work with one or more targets in a workspace.
You can add as many targets to the workspace as you want, open and edit
objects in multiple targets, and build and deploy multiple targets at
once.

A PowerBuilder target can be one of several types:

The first lesson in the tutorial shows you how to create a workspace
and an Application target. Later you learn how to create .NET
targets.

The development environment

When you start PowerBuilder, it opens in a window that contains a
menu bar and the PowerBar at the top, and the System Tree and Clip windows
on the left.

System Tree

The System Tree window can serve as the hub of your development
activities. You use it to open, run, debug, and build your targets, and
for drag-and-drop programming.

Clip window

The Clip window lets you store code fragments that you use
frequently. 

Output window

The output of a variety of operations (migration, builds,
deployment, project execution, object saves, and searches) displays in an
Output window at the bottom of the main window. The Output window opens
automatically when output information is generated, but you can open the
Output window at any time by clicking the Output window toolbar
button.

Painters

Once you have created a workspace and a PowerScript target, you
build the components of the target using painters. Painters provide an
assortment of tools for enhancing and fine tuning the objects in a
target.

PowerBuilder provides a painter for each type of object you build.
For example, you build a window in the Window painter. There you define
the properties of the window and add controls, such as buttons and text
boxes.

Wizards

Wizards simplify the creation of applications, objects, components,
Web sites, and Web pages.

Design-time controls

Design-time controls (DTCs) create basic HTML and scripts from
information you provide in property sheets. The property sheets display
when you drop a DTC on a Web page in the HTML editor.

To-Do List

The To-Do List displays a list of development tasks you need to do
for the current target. Entries on the To-Do list can be created
automatically by most PowerBuilder wizards. You can also type in entries
or import them from a text file and then link them to a task that you want
to complete.

Browser

The Browser lets you see all the objects, methods, variables, and
structures that are defined for or available to your PowerScript target.
Objects in the Browser can be displayed in alphabetic or hierarchical
order. The Browser displays methods with their complete prototypes
(signatures), which include the datatypes of all arguments and return
values.

PowerBar

The PowerBar displays when you begin a PowerBuilder session. The
PowerBar is the main control point for building PowerBuilder applications.
You can use the New, Inherit, or Open buttons on the PowerBar to open all
of the PowerBuilder painters. From the PowerBar, you can also open the
Browser, debug or run the current application, and build and deploy the
workspace.

PainterBar

When you open a painter or editor, PowerBuilder displays a new
window that has a workspace in which you design the object you are
building. PowerBuilder also displays one or more PainterBars with buttons
that provide easy access to the tools available in the painter or editor.
For example, here is the PainterBar for the DataWindow painter.

StyleBar

The StyleBar displays when you open any painter that can contain
text controls, such as the Window painter. Using buttons on the StyleBar,
you can modify text properties such as the font and point size.

PowerTips

When you leave the mouse pointer over a button for a second or two,
PowerBuilder can display a brief description of the button (a PowerTip).
The ability to display PowerTips is toggled on and off by selecting the
Show PowerTips menu item in any toolbar pop-up menu.

You can also include brief descriptive texts on all toolbar buttons
by selecting ShowText from any toolbar pop-up menu.

Customizing the environment

In addition to displaying text in toolbar buttons, you can move the
toolbars around, add new toolbars, and customize existing ones. You can
add buttons for opening painters and performing other activities.

You can also rearrange the System Tree, Clip, and Output views, set
up custom layouts for each painter, choose whether PowerBuilder opens your
last workspace at start-up with or without painters and editors open,
customize shortcut keys, and change the colors and fonts used in
scripts.

PowerBar buttons

The buttons in the PowerBar give you quick access to the most common
PowerBuilder tasks: