Binding data to DataWindow retrieval arguments

The Web DataWindow DTC can bind data from the current page or a linking page as values for retrieval arguments, allowing you to control what data is retrieved. You can use retrieval arguments to allow a single page to retrieve different sets of data depending on a user's selection, or to enable the reuse of a single DataWindow object in the design of many pages.

To use retrieval arguments, you define them when you create the DataWindow object in PowerBuilder or InfoMaker. You make the retrieval arguments part of the WHERE clause for the SQL statement. Then, when you select the DataWindow object for your Web DataWindow, the retrieval arguments you defined are automatically listed in the Argument Name column on the Retrieval tab of the Sybase Web DataWindow DTC Properties dialog box.

You can have the following types of binding for your retrieval arguments, depending on whether or not your DataWindow Web page is 4GL enabled:

**Table 11-1: Binding types for Web DataWindow retrieval arguments**
Binding type	4GL enabled (JSP only)	Not 4GL enabled
Constants	Yes	Yes
Control Values	Yes	No, but you can use page parameters to bind control values (sent in a form submit or query string) to retrieval arguments
JavaScript Expressions	No	Yes, but not available for JSP targets
Page Parameters	Yes, but the parameter you bind must be on the list of parameters in the Page Properties dialog box	Yes
Page Variables	Yes	No