After you create and save a table, you can specify the properties of the table and of any or its columns. Table properties include the fonts used for headers, labels, and data, and a comment that you can associate with the table. Column properties include the text used for headers and labels, display formats, validation rules, and edit styles used for data (also known as a column's extended attributes), and a comment you can associate with the column.
In addition to adding a comment to associate with the table, you can choose the fonts that will be used to display information from the table in a DataWindow object. You can specify the font, point size, color, and style.
To specify table properties
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Do one of the following:
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Highlight the table in either the Objects view or the Object Layout view and select Properties from the Object or pop-up menu.
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Click the Properties button.
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Drag and drop the table to the Object Details view.
The properties for the table display in the Object Details view.
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Select a tab and specify properties:
Select this tab
To modify this property
General
Comments associated with the table
Data Font
Font for data retrieved from the database and displayed in the Results view by clicking a Data Manipulation button
Heading Font
Font for column identifiers used in grid, tabular, and n-up DataWindow objects displayed in the Results view by clicking a Data Manipulation button
Label Font
Font for column identifiers used in freeform DataWindow objects displayed in the Results view by clicking a Data Manipulation button
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Right-click on the Object Details view and select Save Changes from the pop-up menu.
Any changes you made in the Object Details view are immediately saved to the table definition.
In addition to adding a comment to associate with a column, you can specify extended attributes for each column. An extended attribute is information specific to PowerBuilder that enhances the definition of the column.
To specify extended attributes
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Do one of the following:
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Highlight the column in either the Objects view or the Object Layout view and select Properties from the Object or pop-up menu.
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Click the Properties button.
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Drag and drop the column to the Object Details view.
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Select a tab and specify extended attribute values:
Select this tab
To modify these extended attributes
General
Column comments.
Headers
Label text used in free-form DataWindow objects.
Header text used in tabular, grid, or n-up DataWindow objects.
Display
How the data is formatted in a DataWindow object as well as display height, width, and position. For example, you can associate a display format with a Revenue column so that its data displays with a leading dollar sign and negative numbers display in parentheses.
Validation
Criteria that a value must pass to be accepted in a DataWindow object. For example, you can associate a validation rule with a Salary column so that you can enter a value only within a particular range.
The initial value for the column. You can select a value from the drop-down list. The initial value must be the same datatype as the column, must pass validation, and can be NULL only if NULL is allowed for the column.
Edit Style
How the column is presented in a DataWindow object. For example, you can display column values as radio buttons or in a drop-down list.
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Right-click on the Column property sheet and select Save Changes from the pop-up menu.
Any changes you made in the property sheet are immediately saved to the table definition.
Overriding definitions
In the DataWindow painter, you can override the extended attributes specified in the Database painter for a particular DataWindow object.
How the information is stored
Extended attributes are stored in the PowerBuilder system tables in the database. PowerBuilder uses the information to display, present, and validate data in the Database painter and in DataWindow objects. When you create a view in the Database painter, the extended attributes of the table columns used in the view are used by default.
About display formats, edit styles, and validation rules
In the Database painter, you create display formats, edit styles, and validation rules. Whatever you create is then available for use with columns in tables in the database. You can see all the display formats, edit styles, and validation rules defined for the database in the Extended Attributes view.
For more information about defining, maintaining, and using these extended attributes, see Displaying and Validating Data.
About headings and labels
By default, PowerBuilder uses the column names as labels and headings, replacing any underscore characters with spaces and capitalizing each word in the name. For example, the default heading for the column Dept_name is Dept Name. To define multiple-line headings, press Ctrl+Enter to begin a new line.
You can also set two additional properties for character columns on the Display property page: Case and Picture.
Specifying the displayed case
You can specify whether PowerBuilder converts the case of characters for a column in a DataWindow object.
Specifying a column as a picture
You can specify that a character column can contain names of picture files.
To specify that column values are names of picture files
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On the Display property page, select the Picture check box.
When the Picture check box is selected, PowerBuilder expects to find picture file names in the column and displays the contents of the picture file—not the name of the file—in reports and DataWindow objects.
Because PowerBuilder cannot determine the size of the image until runtime, it sets both display height and display width to 0 when you select the Picture check box.
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Enter the size and the justification for the picture (optional).
