Lesson 3: Building a Login Window  Lesson 3: Building a Login Window

Code some Help events and preview the window

Note

Now you use the Script view to add context-sensitive Help messages to the SingleLineEdit controls that you placed on the login window, and you preview the window.

Using the Script view The Script view has three drop-down list boxes. The first drop-down list box displays the list of available controls for the current object plus two special entries, Functions and Declare. The contents of the second drop-down list box depend on the selection in the first drop-down list box. The third drop-down list box contains all ancestor objects of the current object, if any.

Selection in first drop-down list box

Contents of second drop-down list box

Contents of third drop-down list box

An object or control name

List of events for the selected object or control.

All of the ancestor objects of the current object, if any

Functions

List of editable functions. Displays (New Function) if no editable functions exist.

All ancestor objects with functions having the same signature as selected function

Declare

List of declaration types: global, shared, and instance variables, and global and local external functions.

Empty

If the Script view is not currently displayed in your Window painter, you can open it by double-clicking an object in the Layout view.

  1. Double-click the top SingleLineEdit control in the Layout view.

    The object name, sle_userid, appears in the first drop-down list box in the Script view.

  2. Select the Help event in the second drop-down list box in the Script view.

    The Help event has the prototype: help (integer xpos, integer ypos) returns long [pbm_help]

  3. Type the following line of PowerScript code in the script area:

    ShowPopupHelp("pbtutor.hlp", this, 100)

    You can find the pbtutor.hlp file in the Tutorial directory. The second argument refers to the current SingleLineEdit control, and the last argument refers to a context ID in the pbtutor.hlp file.

    Shown is the script area for the S l e _ user i d help event with the following text: Show Pop up Help ( " p b tutor dot hlp " , this, 100 )

    As you type text in the Script view, notice that PowerBuilder changes the text colors to show what kind of syntax element you have entered (such as keywords, variables, and comments).

  4. Select sle_password from the first drop-down list box in the Script view.

    Select the Help event in the second drop-down list box.

    PowerBuilder compiles the code you typed for the Help event of the sle_userid SingleLineEdit text box. You now add a Help event for the sle_password SingleLineEdit text box.

  5. Type the following lines in the script area:

    ShowPopupHelp("pbtutor.hlp", this, 200)

  6. Select File>Run/Preview from the menu bar

    or

    Click the Run/Preview Object in the PowerBar.

    The Run dialog box displays. Be sure the Objects of Type list box displays Windows and the w_welcome object is selected.

    NotePreviewing the window You can preview the window without running scripts by selecting Design>Preview on the menu bar or the Preview button in PainterBar1 (which uses the same icon as the Run/Preview Object button in the PowerBar). However, you must run scripts to view the results of the Help event scripts you just entered.

  7. Click OK.

    A message box prompts you to save your changes.

  8. Click Yes.

    The login window appears as it would at runtime. If you do not like the window layout, you can change the size, location, and fonts of the window controls when you go back to the Window painter workspace.

    Shown is a screen with a picture of a baseball cap in the top left corner and at center is the title Welcome to Sportswear, Inc. Below these is a line with the text User ID:, a blank white text box, and an OK button. Under this is a line with the text Password:, a blank white text box, and a Cancel button.

  9. Click the question-mark button in the login window title bar.

    Click inside the sle_userid SingleLineEdit text box.

    A message displays: Type your user ID here. This text is associated with context ID 100 in the pbtutor.hlp file. You entered the context ID as an argument of the ShowPopupHelp call for the sle_userid Help event.

  10. Click anywhere in the window to close the message.

    Click inside the sle_password SingleLineEdit text box.

    Press F1.

    A message displays: Type your password here. This text is associated with context ID 200 in the pbtutor.hlp file.

  11. Click anywhere in the window to close the message.

    Click the close button in the login window title bar.

    You return to the Window painter workspace.

    Later you add code to the Clicked event for the Cancel button that closes the application.

  12. Close the Window painter by clicking the close button in PainterBar 1.

    The close button is labeled with an x.




Copyright © 2006. Sybase Inc. All rights reserved. Lesson 3: Building a Login Window

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