Building a Client/Server Application

This part is a tutorial that shows you how to get started with PowerBuilder. It provides step-by-step instructions for creating a simple database application.

Table of Contents

LESSON 1 Starting PowerBuilder
Create a new workspace
Create a target
Specify an icon for the application
Change the size of the main window
Run the application
LESSON 2 Customizing the PowerBuilder Environment
Manipulate the System Tree window
Open an object
Manipulate views
Add an extra Script view
Display view title bars
Float and dock views
Manipulate tabbed views
Save a view layout scheme
Reset the default view layout scheme
Set up the toolbars
Show labels on toolbar buttons
Float the toolbars
Reposition the toolbars
LESSON 3 Building a Login Window
Create a new window
Add controls to the window
Add a Picture control
Add StaticText controls
Specify properties of the StaticText controls
Add SingleLineEdit controls
Specify properties of the SingleLineEdit controls
Add CommandButton controls
Specify properties of the CommandButton controls
Change the tab order on the window
Code some Help events and preview the window
Write the script to open the window
Modify the frame window Open event
Compile the script
LESSON 4 Connecting to the Database
Look at the Demo Database
Look at the database profile for the Demo Database
Look at table definitions in the Demo Database
Run the Connection Object wizard
Declare a global variable
Modify the connection information
Modify the of_GetConnectionInfo function
Call the connection service manager
Complete the login and logout scripts
Set up shortcuts for AutoScript
Add code to the OK button Clicked event
Add code to the Cancel button Clicked event
Add code to the application Close event
Run the application
LESSON 5 Modifying the Ancestor Window
Add a library to the search path
Create a new ancestor sheet window
Create a new sheet window inheritance hierarchy
Add a DataWindow control for the master DataWindow
Add a DataWindow control for the detail DataWindow
View the scripts inherited from the user object
Add user events and event scripts
Add scripts to retrieve data for the DataWindow controls
Adjust a runtime setting for sheet window size
LESSON 6 Setting Up the Menus
Modify the frame menu
Modify the File menu
Enable Help menu items
Create a new sheet menu
Inherit and save a new menu
Add items to the new menu
Add a new toolbar for the new menu items
Add menu scripts to trigger user events
Attach the new menu and run the application
LESSON 7 Building DataWindow Objects
Create and preview a new DataWindow object
Save the DataWindow object
Make cosmetic changes to the first DataWindow object
Create a second DataWindow object
Select the data source and style
Select the table and columns
Define a retrieval argument
Specify a WHERE clause
View the DataWindow in the DataWindow painter
Save the DataWindow object
Make cosmetic changes to the second DataWindow object
Rearrange the columns and labels
Align the columns and labels
Display the arrow for a drop-down DataWindow edit style
LESSON 8 Attaching the DataWindow Objects
Attach the DataWindow object to the master DataWindow control
Attach the DataWindow object to the detail DataWindow control
Run the application
Attach DataWindow objects to the Product window
Run the application again
LESSON 9 Running the Debugger
Add breakpoints in application scripts
Run in debug mode
Set a watch and a conditional breakpoint
LESSON 10 Exception Handling
Add a new sheet window to the existing application
Create the sheet window
Provide access to the sheet window from the main application frame
Create user-defined exception objects
Create a new user function and user event
Call the methods and catch the exceptions
Run the application
Test the new sheet window
Add a test for the divide-by-zero error
LESSON 11 Preparing the Application for Deployment
Create the Project object
Create the executable file
Create a shortcut
Test the executable file
What to do next