About this book

Audience

This book is for anyone who builds applications with PowerBuilder®. It assumes that:

You are familiar with user interface guidelines. If not, consult a book that covers user interface conventions.
You have a basic familiarity with SQL. If not, consult a book that describes SQL statements.

How to use this book

This book describes the PowerBuilder development environment. It shows you how to use PowerBuilder user interface tools to build the objects you need, including windows, menus, DataWindow®objects, and user-defined objects, to create client/server and multitier applications.

Other sources of information

Use the Sybase Getting Started CD, the SyBooks CD, and the Sybase Product Manuals Web site to learn more about your product:

The Getting Started CD contains release bulletins and installation guides in PDF format, and may also contain other documents or updated information not included on the SyBooks CD. It is included with your software. To read or print documents on the Getting Started CD, you need Adobe Acrobat Reader, which you can download at no charge from the Adobe Web site using a link provided on the CD.
The SyBooks CD contains product manuals and is included with your software. The Eclipse-based SyBooks browser allows you to access the manuals in an easy-to-use, HTML-based format.

Some documentation may be provided in PDF format, which you can access through the PDF directory on the SyBooks CD. To read or print the PDF files, you need Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Refer to the SyBooks Installation Guide on the Getting Started CD, or the README.txt file on the SyBooks CD for instructions on installing and starting SyBooks.
The Sybase Product Manuals Web site is an online version of the SyBooks CD that you can access using a standard Web browser. In addition to product manuals, you will find links to EBFs/Maintenance, Technical Documents, Case Management, Solved Cases, newsgroups, and the Sybase Developer Network.

To access the Sybase Product Manuals Web site, go to Product Manuals.

Sybase certifications on the Web

Technical documentation at the Sybase Web site is updated frequently.

Finding the latest information on product certifications

Point your Web browser to Technical Documents.
Click Certification Report.
In the Certification Report filter select a product, platform, and timeframe and then click Go.
Click a Certification Report title to display the report.

Finding the latest information on component certifications

Point your Web browser to Availability and Certification Reports.
Either select the product family and product under Search by Base Product; or select the platform and product under Search by Platform.
Select Search to display the availability and certification report for the selection.

Creating a personalized view of the Sybase Web site (including support pages)

Set up a MySybase profile. MySybase is a free service that allows you to create a personalized view of Sybase Web pages.

Point your Web browser to Technical Documents.
Click MySybase and create a MySybase profile.

Sybase EBFs and software maintenance

Finding the latest information on EBFs and software maintenance

Point your Web browser to the Sybase Support Page.
Select EBFs/Maintenance. If prompted, enter your MySybase user name and password.
Select a product.
Specify a time frame and click Go. A list of EBF/Maintenance releases is displayed.

Padlock icons indicate that you do not have download authorization for certain EBF/Maintenance releases because you are not registered as a Technical Support Contact. If you have not registered, but have valid information provided by your Sybase representative or through your support contract, click Edit Roles to add the “Technical Support Contact” role to your MySybase profile.
Click the Info icon to display the EBF/Maintenance report, or click the product description to download the software.

Conventions

The formatting conventions used in this manual are:

Formatting example	Indicates
Retrieve and Update	When used in descriptive text, this font indicates: Command, function, and method names Keywords such as true, false, and null Datatypes such as integer and char Database column names such as emp_id and f_name User-defined objects such as dw_emp or w_main
variable or file name	When used in descriptive text and syntax descriptions, oblique font indicates: Variables, such as myCounter Parts of input text that must be substituted, such as pblname.`pbd` File and path names
File>Save	Menu names and menu items are displayed in plain text. The greater than symbol (>) shows you how to navigate menu selections. For example, File>Save indicates “select Save from the File menu.”
`dw_1.Update()`	Monospace font indicates: Information that you enter in a dialog box or on a command line Sample script fragments Sample output fragments

If you need help

Each Sybase installation that has purchased a support contract has one or more designated people who are authorized to contact Sybase Technical Support. If you cannot resolve a problem using the manuals or online help, please have the designated person contact Sybase Technical Support or the Sybase subsidiary in your area.