The System Tree

The System Tree provides an active resource of programming
information you use while developing targets. It lets you not only get
information, but also drag objects into painter views (such as the
Script view or Layout view) for immediate use.

The System Tree displays by default when you start PowerBuilder
for the first time. You can hide or display the System Tree using the
System Tree button on the PowerBar or by selecting Window>System
Tree.

Using the Workspace tab
page

The System Tree has a single tab page that provides a view of
the current workspace. The Workspace tab page displays the current
workspace and all its targets. Most targets display the library list
for the target and all the objects in each PBL. The Workspace tab page
in the System Tree works like a tree view in the Library painter, but
you can keep it open all the time to serve as the control center of
the development environment.

You can set the root of the Workspace page to your computer’s
root directory, the current selection, or any directory or library, as
well as to the current workspace.

Working with targets

To see the pop-up menu that lets you perform operations on a
target such as search, build, and migrate, you must set the root of
the System Tree to the current workspace.

The following illustration shows a workspace with two
targets.

Current target

The orders target is bold, indicating it is the current target,
which means that it is the default target used in the New dialog box
and for Run and Debug. The current target is set whenever you:

Invoke an action in the System Tree, Library painter, or
main menu that affects a target or a child of a target, such as
Build, Migrate, Run, or Debug. Some actions, such as Search and
Migrate, display a dialog box. If you cancel the action by
clicking the Cancel button in the dialog box, the current target
is not changed.
Open an object painter.
Change the active object painter.

If you prefer to set the current target explicitly using the Set
as Current Target pop-up menu item for the target in the System Tree
or the File>Set Current Target menu item, clear the Automatically
Set Current Target check box on the Workspaces tab page in the System
Options dialog box. To open the System Options dialog box, select
Tools>System Options from the main menu.

Actions in the System
Tree

You can use the Workspace page as the hub of your PowerBuilder
session. Pop-up menus let you build and deploy targets and open and
edit any object. Double-clicking an event or function in the System
Tree opens its script in the Script view. Events with scripts have a
different icon and are listed before events without scripts.

The following table lists the actions you can take on each item
that displays on the Workspace page. You can also set properties for
each item, choose which object types display in the tree view, change
the root of the Workspace page, and reset the root to the current
workspace.

Item	Menu action items
Workspace	New (opens New dialog box), Add Target, Open Workspace, Close, Incremental Build, Full Build, Deploy, Run, Debug, Show, Properties.
Target	New, Search, Set as Current Target, Remove Target, Library List, .NET Assemblies, Migrate, Incremental Build, Full Build, Deploy, Run, Debug, Show, Properties. .NET Assemblies only displays for .NET targets.
PBL	Search, Delete, Remove Library, Import, Import PB Extension, Optimize, Build Runtime Library, Print Directory, Show, Properties.
PBD	Search, Delete, Remove Library, Print Directory, Show, Properties
PowerBuilder object	Edit, Edit Source, Search, Inherit from, Run/Preview, Copy, Move, Delete, Regenerate, Export, Print, Properties. Edit Source is not available for project and proxy objects. Inherit from and Run/Preview are available only for some object types. Source control items are available only if source control information is associated with the target.
Functions and events	Edit, Properties. The Properties dialog box shows the prototype of the function or event and its “signature.” The signature is a string that represents the argument types, return types, and passing style. You use this string when you write a PBNI extension that calls the function or event. For more information, see PowerBuilder Native Interface Programmers Guide and Reference.
.NET assembly	Show, Properties. .NET assemblies can be added to the System Tree by selecting them from the Properties dialog box for .NET targets.

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Powerbuilder Documentation 2017

August 20, 2023

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