Using the registry functions

Searching and setting registry entries

PowerBuilder
Web Forms applications can read registry entries at the server side
and can write registry entries to a registry.xml file.

The RegistryGet, RegistryKeys,
or RegistryValues functions can search the server
registry for registry entries if a registry.xml file
does not exist in the applicationName_root/File/Common
directory under the IIS virtual root, where applicationName is
the name of the current Web Forms application. The registry search
functions also search the server registry when the registry.xml file
exists but the entries you are searching for are not contained in
the current application’s registry.xml file.

The RegistrySet function creates the registry.xml file—if
one does not already exist—in the applicationName_root/File/Session/SessionID for
the current Web Forms session or in the applicationName_root/File/User/UserName directory
when the current user has logged in with a permanent user account. If
a registry.xml file already exists, the arguments
of the RegistrySet function are added to the
contents of the existing registry.xml file.

The RegistrySet function can also copy
a registry.xml file from applicationName_root/File/Common
to applicationName_root/File/Session/SessionID or
to applicationName_root/File/User/UserName,
but it writes to the registry.xml file in the SessionID or UserName directory
only.

For information about permanent user accounts, see “Creating permanent user
accounts”.

Rules for registry searching and setting

The following rules apply to registry search and setting operations:

• Searches for registry entries, keys, or values are
  conducted first in the registry.xml file. The
  search uses the server registry only if the registry entry, key,
  or value cannot be found in the registry.xml file.
• Application users can set or write registry entries
  only in the registry.xml file in the applicationName_root/File/Session/SessionID folder
  for the current session or in the applicationName_root/File/User/UserName folder
  for the current user.
• Application users can delete registry keys or values
  only from the registry.xml file in the SessionID folder
  for the current session or the UserName folder
  for the current user.

Deploying a registry.xml file

A text box at the bottom of the Resource Files tab of a Web
Forms project allows you to select a registry.xml file
for deployment to the applicationName_root/File/Common
directory under the virtual root for IIS Web sites. If the Web Forms
application searches for a registry entry, key, or value, the registry.xml file
is copied to the applicationName_root/File/Session/SessionID folder
for the current session or to the applicationName_root/File/User/UserName folder
for the current user.

The following is sample content of a registry.xml file:

The first time the registry function is called, the system
copies registry.xml from the Common directory
to the SessionID or UserName directory;
after that, the system uses the registry.xml copy
under the SessionID or UserName directory.

---