Like the System Tree, the PowerBar provides a main control point for building PowerBuilder applications. From the PowerBar you can create new objects and applications, open existing objects, and debug and run the current application.
While you are getting used to using PowerBuilder, you can display a label on each button in a toolbar to remind you of its purpose. To do so, right-click any toolbar button and select Show Text from the pop-up menu.
Table 1-2 lists the buttons from left to right on the PowerBar.
This PowerBar button |
Lets you do this |
|---|---|
New |
Create new objects. |
Inherit |
Create new windows, user objects, and menus by inheriting from an existing object. |
Open |
Open existing objects. |
Run/Preview |
Run windows or preview DataWindows. |
System Tree |
Work in the System Tree window, which can serve as the hub of your development session. For more information see “The System Tree”. |
Output Window |
Examine the output of a variety of operations (migration, builds, deployment, project execution, object saves, and searches). See “The Output window”. |
Next Error, Previous Error |
Navigate through the Output window. |
To-Do List |
Keep track of development tasks you need to do for the current application and use links to get you quickly to the place where you complete the tasks. |
Browser |
View information about system objects and objects in your application, such as their properties, events, functions, and global variables, and copy, export, or print the information. |
Clip Window |
Store objects or code you use frequently. You can drag or copy items to the Clip window to be saved and then drag or copy these items to the appropriate painter view when you want to use them. See “The Clip window”. |
Library |
Manage your libraries using the Library painter. |
DB Profile |
Define and use named sets of parameters to connect to a particular database. |
Application Server Profile |
Define the connection parameters for a particular server. You can then use this predefined profile whenever you need to connect to an application server. |
Database |
Maintain databases and database tables, control user access to databases, and manipulate data in databases using the Database painter. |
Edit |
Edit text files (such as source, resource, and initialization files) in the file editor. |
Incremental Build Workspace |
Update all the targets and objects in the workspace that have changed since the last build. |
Full Build Workspace |
Update all the targets and objects in the workspace. |
Deploy Workspace |
Deploy all the targets in the workspace. |
Skip, Stop |
Interrupt a build, deploy, or search operation. When a series of operations is in progress, such as a full deploy of the workspace, the Skip button lets you jump to the next operation. The Stop button cancels all operations. |
Debug |
Debug the current target. You can set breakpoints and watch expressions, step through your code, examine and change variables during execution, and view the call stack and objects in memory. |
Select & Debug |
Select a target and open the Debugger. |
Run |
Run the current target just as your users would run it. For standard PowerBuilder application targets, the application runs in the development environment. For .NET and server component targets, you must deploy the target before you can run it for the first time, and you must specify a client application for server components. If you have made changes since you last deployed, you must redeploy to see those changes when you click the Run button. |
Select & Run |
Select a target and run it. |
Exit |
Close PowerBuilder. |
You can customize the PowerBar. For example, you can choose whether to move the PowerBar around, add buttons for operations you perform frequently, and display text in the buttons.
For more information, see “Using toolbars”.
In the PowerBar, when you leave the mouse pointer over a button for a second or two, PowerBuilder displays a brief description of the button, called a PowerTip. PowerTips display in PowerBuilder wherever there are toolbar buttons.
