PowerBuilder Course

Lesson 1 • Source Control Integration Basics

Introduces connecting PowerBuilder projects to a source control system. Establishes version-tracking habits from the start of the course.

Lesson 2 • PowerBuilder History and Architecture

Covers PowerBuilder's evolution, its role in enterprise RAD, and its client-server model. Provides context for all subsequent tool usage.

Lesson 3 • Installing and Configuring the IDE

Guides installation of PowerBuilder IDE and configuration of workspace settings. Ensures a consistent development environment for all exercises.

Lesson 4 • Creating Your First Application

Walks through creating a new application target and running a basic window. Demonstrates the full build-run cycle in PowerBuilder.

Lesson 1 • Operators and Expressions

Explains arithmetic, relational, logical, and string operators with precedence rules. Students construct valid expressions used in conditions and assignments.

Lesson 2 • Data Types and Variables

Covers primitive and complex data types, variable declaration, and scope rules. Forms the syntactic foundation for all PowerScript coding.

Lesson 3 • Control Flow Structures

Teaches IF-THEN-ELSE, CHOOSE CASE, and loop constructs. Students implement branching and iteration logic in event scripts.

Lesson 4 • Debugging and Error Handling

Introduces the PowerBuilder debugger, breakpoints, and TRY-CATCH error handling. Students locate and fix runtime errors systematically.

Lesson 1 • Classes and Objects in PowerBuilder

Explains user objects, instantiation, and object lifecycles. Connects OOP theory to PowerBuilder's specific implementation model.

Lesson 2 • Polymorphism and Interfaces

Demonstrates runtime polymorphism using object references and function overriding. Students write flexible code that operates on base-type references.

Lesson 3 • Inheritance and Class Hierarchies

Teaches extending standard and custom objects through inheritance. Students build layered class hierarchies that share and specialise behaviour.

Lesson 4 • Events and Event-Driven Programming

Explains PowerBuilder's event model, user-defined events, and event posting. Students wire objects together through events rather than direct calls.

Lesson 1 • Standard Controls and Layouts

Introduces buttons, text boxes, labels, list boxes, and drop-down lists. Students place and align controls using the Window painter's layout tools.

Lesson 2 • Menus and Toolbars

Teaches building menu bars, context menus, and toolbars using the Menu painter. Students attach menus to windows and handle menu item events.

Lesson 3 • Window Types and Properties

Covers main, child, popup, and response window types and their property sets. Students select the correct window type for each application scenario.

Lesson 4 • Advanced Controls: Tabs and Trees

Covers tab controls, tree views, and list views for complex UI layouts. Students implement multi-panel interfaces that organise dense information.

Lesson 1 • Cursors and Result Sets

Teaches declaring, opening, fetching, and closing cursors for multi-row results. Students iterate over query results and process each row programmatically.

Lesson 2 • Stored Procedures and Dynamic SQL

Explains calling stored procedures and constructing dynamic SQL strings. Students extend database interaction beyond static embedded statements.

Lesson 3 • Transaction Management

Covers COMMIT, ROLLBACK, and savepoint usage for data integrity. Students implement transactional boundaries that protect multi-step database operations.

Lesson 4 • Database Profiles and Connections

Explains database profiles, ODBC/native drivers, and transaction objects. Students configure and test live database connections within the IDE.

Lesson 1 • DataWindow Filtering and Sorting

Covers SetFilter(), SetSort(), and user-driven sort and filter dialogs. Students give end users control over displayed data without re-querying the database.

Lesson 2 • Editing and Updating Data

Teaches in-place editing, update properties, and calling Update() to persist changes. Students implement full CRUD workflows through the DataWindow.

Lesson 3 • Computed Columns and Aggregates

Explains computed fields, aggregate functions, and summary bands in DataWindows. Students add calculated totals and derived columns to data presentations.

Lesson 4 • DataWindow Painter Fundamentals

Introduces the DataWindow painter, data sources, and presentation styles. Students build their first DataWindow connected to a live database query.

Lesson 1 • Crosstab and Graph DataWindows

Introduces crosstab pivot layouts and graph presentation styles. Students visualise aggregated data in tabular and chart formats within DataWindows.

Lesson 2 • DataWindow Performance Optimisation

Covers retrieval arguments, lazy loading, and buffer management for large datasets. Students reduce query time and memory usage in data-intensive screens.

Lesson 3 • Dynamic DataWindow Modification

Teaches Modify(), Describe(), and SyntaxFromSQL() for runtime DataWindow changes. Students alter column properties, expressions, and SQL at runtime.

Lesson 4 • Nested Reports and Composite DataWindows

Covers embedding child DataWindows and building composite layouts. Students create master-detail and multi-section reports within a single DataWindow.

Lesson 1 • PowerBuilder Libraries and PBLs

Explains PBL organisation, library search paths, and object sharing across libraries. Students structure projects for maintainability and team collaboration.

Lesson 2 • Deployment and Runtime Configuration

Teaches distributing runtime DLLs, INI file configuration, and registry settings. Students prepare an installation package that runs correctly on target machines.

Lesson 3 • Multi-Tier Architecture Patterns

Introduces two-tier, three-tier, and service-oriented patterns applicable to PowerBuilder. Students select and implement the appropriate architecture for a given project.

Lesson 4 • Building Executables and PBDs

Covers compiling to EXE, generating PBD resource files, and deployment packaging. Students produce a complete, distributable application build.