Using command line arguments

You can start PowerBuilder from a command line (or the Windows Run dialog box) and optionally open a workspace, target, and/or painter. These are the painters and tools you can open:

Application painter

Database painter

Data Pipeline painter

DataWindow painter

Debugger

File Editor

Function painter

Library painter

Menu painter

Query painter

Structure painter

User Object painter

Window painter

The syntax is:

directory\pb105.exe {/workspace workspacepath} {/target targetpath} {/painter paintername} {/output outputpath}

where directory is the fully qualified name of the directory containing PowerBuilder.

You can also add one or more of the following options to the command line after /painter paintername to open a specific object or create a new one:

{/library libraryname} {/object objectname} {/inherit objectname} {/new} {/run} {/runonly} {/argument arguments}

The syntax statements show the long form of option names. You need only use the initial letter or letters of the option name as long as the option is uniquely identified, as shown in Table 2-1.

**Table 2-1: Command-line options for opening PowerBuilder**
Option	Description
/W workspacepath	Opens the workspace workspacepath. The default is the most recently used workspace if you have selected the Reopen Workspace on Startup check box in the System Options dialog box. If you have not selected this check box, you must specify the /W option before specifying any other options.
/T targetpath	Opens the target targetpath.
/P paintername	Opens the painter paintername. The default is the window that displays when you begin a new PowerBuilder session. The painter name must uniquely identify the painter. You do not have to enter the entire name. For example, you can enter `q` to open the Query painter and `datab` to open the Database painter. If you enter the full name, omit any spaces in the name (enter `UserObject` and `DataPipeline`, for example). The painter name is not case sensitive. To open the file editor, you could set paintername to `FI` or `fileeditor`. Except for the /W, /T, and /L switches, other switches must follow /P paintername on the command line, as shown in the examples after the table.
/OU outputpath	Logs the contents of the Output window to outputpath.
/L libraryname	Identifies the library that contains the object you want to open.
/O objectname	Identifies the object, such as a DataWindow object or window, you want to open.
/I objectname	Identifies the object you want to inherit from.
/N	Creates a new DataWindow object.
/R	Runs the DataWindow object specified with /O and allows designing.
/RO	Runs the DataWindow object specified with /O but does not allow designing.
/A arguments	Provides arguments for the specified DataWindow object.

Table 2-1: Command-line options for opening PowerBuilder

Option

Description

/W workspacepath

Opens the workspace workspacepath. The default is the most recently used workspace if you have selected the Reopen Workspace on Startup check box in the System Options dialog box. If you have not selected this check box, you must specify the /W option before specifying any other options.

/T targetpath

Opens the target targetpath.

/P paintername

Opens the painter paintername. The default is the window that displays when you begin a new PowerBuilder session.

The painter name must uniquely identify the painter. You do not have to enter the entire name. For example, you can enter q to open the Query painter and datab to open the Database painter. If you enter the full name, omit any spaces in the name (enter UserObject and DataPipeline, for example).

The painter name is not case sensitive. To open the file editor, you could set paintername to FI or fileeditor.

Except for the /W, /T, and /L switches, other switches must follow /P paintername on the command line, as shown in the examples after the table.

/OU outputpath

Logs the contents of the Output window to outputpath.

/L libraryname

Identifies the library that contains the object you want to open.

/O objectname

Identifies the object, such as a DataWindow object or window, you want to open.

/I objectname

Identifies the object you want to inherit from.

Creates a new DataWindow object.

Runs the DataWindow object specified with /O and allows designing.

/RO

Runs the DataWindow object specified with /O but does not allow designing.

/A arguments

Provides arguments for the specified DataWindow object.

Examples

The following examples assume that the location of the PowerBuilder executable file is in your system path.

This example starts a PowerBuilder session by opening the Window painter in the Client PBL in the Math workspace. The output of the session is sent to a file called math.log. The workspace file, the PBL, and the log file are all in the current directory:

pb105 /w Math.pbw /l Client.pbl /p window /out math.log

Enter this command to start PowerBuilder and open the DataWindow object called d_emp_report in the workspace Emp.pbw:

pb105 /w D:\pbws\Emp.pbw /P dataw /O d_emp_report

Building from the command line You can also build and deploy a workspace from the command line. For more information, see “Building workspaces”.