The DataWindow Painter

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The DataWindow Painter is accessed through the PowerBar as shown above.

When you click on the DataWindow button the Select DataWindow dialog box displays.

Now you can select an existing DataWindow object or click on the New button to create a new DataWindow object. You can select a different PBL file in the Application Libraries box, this will display the DataWindow objects for that library. You can also click the Other button to add libraries that are not listed.

When you click on the New button, the New DataWindow dialog box displays.

Then you select the Data Source and the Presentation style of the DataWindow.

Data Sources

Quick Select issues a simple SQL Select statement against a relational database.

SQL Select issues a SQL Select statement against a relational database that can include selection criteria that appear in any of the possible Select statement clauses.

Query issues a predefined SQL Select statement. The statement must be constructed using the Query painter and saved as a Query object.

External indicates that the data will be supplied from within a coded script.

Stored Procedure indicates that the DataWindow will execute a Stored Procedure and display the result set.

Presentation Styles

Three of the most commonly used presentation styles are tabular, freeform, and grid.

Tabular presents data in columns with headers above each column. The layout can be reorganized very easily.

Freeform presents data and labels as vertical rows down the DataWindow. The layout is very flexible. Freeform usually presents one row of data at a time.

Grid presents data in a row-and-column format with grid lines dividing the rows and columns.

The grid lines can be moved by the user at run time to change the size of the columns.

After you select a data source and presentation style, click the OK button to create the DataWindow Object.

SQL Select

If you select the SQL Select data source the Select Tables dialog box displays.

Here you select the tables needed for the SQL statement by either double-clicking on each one or clicking each one and pressing Open. After you press Open, the table displays and allows you the create the SQL statement.

To create the SQL Statement you click on each column you wish to select.

At the bottom of the screen you can add different conditions such as a where clause and also see the SQL Syntax.

After you create the SQL Statement press the design button on the toolbar to design the DataWindow object.

The workspace of the DataWindow is divided into bands. These bands can be sized by dragging the band up or down.

Header band - Displays title information.

Detail band - Displays rows of data and associated labels.

Summary band - Displays totals and summary information for the entire DataWindow object.

Footer band - Displays totals and summary information at the bottom of each page.

While in the DataWindow workspace you can right-click a column name to display a popup menu that contains formatting options for that item.

To preview the DataWindow click the Preview button on the toolbar as shown below.

To save the DataWindow select Save or Save As from the File menu.

Save saves a new or modified DataWindow and remains in the DataWindow painter.

Save As saves the DataWindow under a new name and remains in the DataWindow painter

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© Dr. Vijay V. Raghavan

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