Using database profiles
What is a database profile?
A database profile is a named set of
parameters stored in your system registry that defines a connection
to a particular database in the PowerBuilder development environment.
You must create a database profile for each data connection.
What you can do
Using database profiles is the easiest way to manage data
connections in the PowerBuilder development environment. For example,
you can:
- Select a database
profile to connect to or switch between databases - Edit a database profile to customize a connection
- Delete a database profile if you no longer need
to access that data - Import and export database profiles to quickly share
connection parameters
For more information
For instructions on using database profiles, see Chapter 6, “Managing Database Connections”.
About creating database profiles
You work with two dialog boxes when you create a database
profile in PowerBuilder: the Database Profiles dialog box and the
interface-specific Database Profile Setup dialog box.
Using the Database painter to create database profiles You can also create database profiles from the Database painter’s
Objects view.
Database Profiles dialog box
The Database Profiles dialog box uses an easy-to-navigate
tree control format to display your installed database interfaces
and defined database profiles. You can create, edit, and delete
database profiles from this dialog box.
When you run the PowerBuilder Setup program, it updates the
Vendors list in the PowerBuilder section of the system registry
with the interfaces you install. The Database Profiles dialog box
displays the same interfaces that appear in the Vendors list.
Where the Vendors list is stored The SybasePowerBuilder8.0Vendors
key in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE is
used for InfoMaker and DataWindow Builder as well as PowerBuilder.
For detailed instructions on using the Database
Profiles dialog box to connect to a database and manage your profiles,
see Chapter 6, “Managing Database Connections”.
Database Profile Setup dialog box
Each database interface has its own Database Profile Setup
dialog box where you can set interface-specific connection parameters.
For example, if you install the SYC interface (if available) and
then select it and click New in the Database Profiles dialog box,
the Database Profile Setup – Adaptive Server Enterprise dialog box
displays, containing settings for those connection options that
apply to this interface.
The Database Profile Setup dialog box groups similar connection
parameters on the same tab page and lets you easily set their values
by using checkboxes, dropdown listboxes, and textboxes. Basic (required)
connection parameters are on the Connection tab page, and additional
connection options (DBParm parameters and SQLCA properties) are
on the other tab pages.
As you complete the Database Profile Setup dialog box in PowerBuilder,
the correct PowerScript connection syntax for each selected option
is generated on the Preview tab. You can copy the syntax you want
from the Preview tab into a PowerBuilder application script.
Supplying sufficient information in the Database
Profile Setup dialog box
For some database interfaces, you may not need to supply values
for all boxes in the Database Profile Setup dialog box. If you supply
the profile name and click OK, PowerBuilder displays a series of dialog
boxes to prompt you for additional information when you connect
to the database. This information can include:
- User ID or login ID
- Password or login password
- Database name
- Server name
For some databases, supplying only the profile name does not
give PowerBuilder enough information to prompt you for additional
connection values. For these interfaces, you should supply values
for all applicable boxes in the Database Profile Setup dialog box.
For information about the values you should
supply for your connection, click Help in the Database Profile Setup
dialog box for your interface.
Creating a database profile
To create a new database profile for a database interface,
you must complete the Database Profile Setup dialog box for the
interface you are using to access the database.
To create a database profile for a database interface:
-
Click the Database Profile button in the
PowerBar.The Database Profiles dialog box displays, listing your installed
database interfaces. To see a list of database profiles defined
for a particular interface, click the plus sign to the left of the
interface name or double-click the interface name to expand the
list.
-
Highlight an interface name and select New.
The Database Profile Setup dialog box for the selected interface
displays. For example, if you select the SYC interface, the Database
Profile Setup – Adaptive Server Enterprise dialog box displays. Client software and interface must be installed To display the Database Profile Setup dialog box for your
interface, the required client software and native database interface
must be properly installed and configured.For specific instructions for your database
interface, see the chapter on using the interface. -
On the Connection tab page, type the profile name
and supply values for any other basic parameters your interface
requires to connect.For information about the basic connection
parameters for your interface and the values you should supply,
click Help. About the DBMS identifier You do not
need to specify the DBMS identifier
in a database profile. When you create a new profile for any installed
database interface, PowerBuilder generates the correct DBMS connection
syntax for you.
-
(Optional) On the other tab pages, supply values
for any additional connection options (DBParm parameters and SQLCA
properties) you want to set to take advantage of DBMS-specific features
that your interface supports.For information about the additional connection
parameters for your interface and the values you should supply,
click Help. -
(Optional) Click the Preview tab if you want to
see the PowerScript connection syntax that PowerBuilder generates
for each selected option.You can copy the PowerScript connection syntax from the Preview
tab directly into a PowerBuilder application script.For instructions on using the Preview tab
to help you connect in a PowerBuilder application, see the section
on using Transaction objects in Application Techniques
.
-
Click OK to save your changes and close the Database
Profile Setup dialog box. (To save your changes on a particular
tab page without
closing the dialog box, click
Apply.)The Database Profiles dialog box displays, with the new profile
name highlighted under the appropriate interface. The database profile
values are saved in the system registry.