Getting Started

Appeon PowerBuilder® 2021

FOR WINDOWS

DOCUMENT ID: DC37772-01-1900-01

LAST REVISED: July 29, 2021

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Table of Contents

Welcome to PowerBuilder
Introduction to PowerBuilder
What PowerBuilder is
The PowerBuilder environment
PowerBuilder objects
About the PowerBuilder Tutorial
Learning to build a client/server application
How you will proceed
Setting up for the tutorial
Building a Client/Server Application
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
Set up the toolbars
LESSON 3 Building a Login Window
Create a new window
Add controls to the window
Change the tab order on the window
Code some Help events and preview the window
Write the script to open the window
LESSON 4 Connecting to the Database
Look at the Demo Database
Run the Connection Object wizard
Declare a global variable
Modify the connection information
Complete the login and logout scripts
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
Create a new sheet menu
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
Make cosmetic changes to the second DataWindow object
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 user-defined exception objects
Create a new user function and user event
Call the methods and catch the exceptions
Run the application
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