Using wizards
Accessing and using wizards
PowerBuilder has wizards that simplify
the initial creation of applications and components. Using your
specifications, wizards can create multiple objects, and in some
cases automatically generate complex code that you can modify as needed.
PowerBuilder also has wizards for creating DataWindow objects
in specific presentation styles. For an overview of DataWindow wizards,
see “DataWindow wizards”.
Many wizards generate To-Do List entries to guide you through
the rest of the development of the application, object, or component.
For information about the To-Do List, see “Using the To-Do List”.
To access and use a wizard:
- Click the New button in the PowerBar.
-
In the New dialog box, select the tab page you
need: Start Wizards, Object, DataWindow, or Project.
The
New dialog box is also where you open tools and create new objects without
using wizards. -
Select the icon for the wizard you need and click
OK. -
In the wizard, provide the information needed
on each page and click Next.
Getting help on wizard entries If you need help with the information you need to give the
wizard, click the Help [?] button in the upper
right corner of the window and then point and click on the field
you need help with. -
When you have finished supplying information to
the wizard, review the information that the wizard displays, click
the Generate To-Do List checkbox if you want the wizard to generate
To-Do List entries, and click Finish.
Related wizard types
There are three related
wizard types:
- Start wizards For creating new applications containing one or more objects
The Jaguar Component, COM/MTS Component, and Automation
Server Start wizards have associated Object wizards. Some Start
and Object wizards let you create a project; others always create
one. - Object wizards For creating new custom class user objects in an existing
application - Project wizards For creating a project that will build an application or generate
a component or proxy
As an example of how wizards are related, assume you want
to develop and deploy Jaguar components. To do this you can use:
- Jaguar Component Start
wizard To create a new application, a new custom class user object,
and the project object needed to generate the Jaguar component and
deploy the component to a Jaguar server - Jaguar Component Object wizard To create a new custom class user object in an existing application
and create the project object - Jaguar Component Project wizard To create a project object that will generate a Jaguar component
from one or more existing custom class user objects and optionally
deploy the component to a Jaguar server
For an overview of each of the related wizard types, see “Start wizards”, “Object wizards”, and “Project wizards”.
Start wizards
Start
wizards are available in the Start Wizards tab page in the New dialog
box:
A Start wizard always creates a new application with one or
more objects. If the object created is a custom class user object,
it will have the characteristics needed for specific types of component
generation.
The Template Application wizard and the Automation Server
wizard optionally create a Project object. The Jaguar Component
and COM/MTS Component wizards always create a project.
What the Start wizards do
Here’s what you can do with Start wizards:
| Using this Start wizard | You create a new application containing |
|---|---|
| Application | The Application object |
| Template Application | The Application object and automatically generated windows, menus, and connection information. If the application requires connection to a Jaguar server or a SQL database, a Connection object is automatically created. You can run the application immediately and use it as a shell for continued development |
| Jaguar Component | A new custom class user object and a project. The user object (to which you later add methods and properties) has the characteristics needed to be a Jaguar component object that you can deploy to a Jaguar server |
| COM/MTS Component | A new custom class user object and a project. The user object (to which you later add methods and properties) has the characteristics needed to be a COM/MTS component object that you can deploy to a Microsoft MTS server |
| Automation Server | A new custom class user object (to which you later add methods and properties). You can access methods in the user object from clients built with OLE-enabled applications such as PowerBuilder, Visual Basic, and Visual C++ |
For information about using the Application wizard and the
Template application wizard, see Chapter 2, “Working with Applications”.
For information about using the Jaguar Component Start wizard,
COM/MTS Component Start wizard, and the Automation Server
Start wizard, see Application Techniques
.
Object wizards
Object
wizards are available in the Object tab page in the New dialog box.
The Object tab page also contains icons for creating new user objects,
windows, menus, structures, and functions in the painter for that
object.
Object wizards create (in an existing application) either
a new custom class user object or a Connection object for communication
with a database or component. Custom class user objects that are
created by Object wizards are component objects with the characteristics
needed for deployment to certain environments.
What the Object wizards do
Here’s what you can do with Object wizards:
| Using this Object wizard | You create a new |
|---|---|
| Connection Object wizard | Connection object used for connection to a database or connection from a client to a Jaguar component on a server |
| Jaguar Component wizard | Custom class user object and a new project. The user object (to which you later add methods and properties) has the characteristics needed to be a Jaguar component object that can be deployed to a Jaguar server |
| COM/MTS Component wizard |
Custom class user object and a new project. The user object (to which you later add methods and properties) has the characteristics needed to be a COM/MTS component object that can be deployed to a Microsoft MTS server |
| Automation Server wizard | Custom class user object and a new project. The user object (to which you later add methods and properties) has the characteristics needed to be an automation server that you can access from OLE-enabled clients |
For information about using the Object wizards, see Application
Techniques
.
Project wizards
Project
wizards are available in the Project tab page in the New dialog
box. The Project tab page also contains icons that open the Project
painter.
Project wizards create a project object or a proxy object
you will use in the Project painter to build an application or generate
a component (and in some cases deploy it) from an existing custom
class user object.
What the Project wizards do
Here’s what you can do with Project wizards:
| Using this Project wizard | You create a new project object that builds this |
|---|---|
| Application wizard | Application executable and optional dynamic libraries |
| Jaguar Proxy wizard | Proxy object used to access a Jaguar component from a client application |
| Jaguar Component wizard | Jaguar component and optionally deploying it |
| COM/MTS Component wizard |
COM/MTS component and optionally deploying it |
| Automation Server wizard | Automation server |
For information about using the Project wizards, see Chapter 26, “Creating Executables and Components” and Application
Techniques
.
DataWindow wizards
DataWindow
wizards are available in the DataWindow tab page in the New dialog
box:
DataWindow wizards help you create a DataWindow object with
a specific presentation style.
What DataWindow wizards do
Here’s what you do with DataWindow wizards:
| Using this DataWindow wizard | You create a new DataWindow object |
|---|---|
| Composite | That includes other DataWindow objects |
| Crosstab | With summary data in a spreadsheet-like grid |
| Freeform | With the data columns going down the page and labels next to each column |
| Graph | With data displayed in a graph |
| Grid | With data in row and column format with grid lines separating rows and columns |
| Group | With data in rows that are divided into groups |
| Label | That presents data as labels |
| N-Up | With two or more rows of data next to each other |
| OLE 2.0 | That is a single OLE object |
| RichText | That combines input fields that represent database columns with formatted text |
| Tabular | With data columns going across the page and headers above each column |
For information about using DataWindow wizards, see Chapter 14, “Defining DataWindow Objects “.