| Subject | Description |
| How to select text beyond the 32K
limit. Roland Smith (rsmith@cvps.com) |
The SelectText function which I use
on multiline edit controls has a problem because it accepts integer arguments instead of
longs. This prevents you from selecting text at the end of really long text. I have figured out how to get around this problem and thought I would let everyone know about it. // select the text Send(Handle(mle_1), 177, start, end) // scroll to where the cursor is Send(Handle(mle_1), 183, 0, 0) |
| RGB values for system colors | 67108864 ButtonFace 1073741824 WindowBackground 33554432 WindowText 268435456 ApplicationWorkspace 553648127 Transparent I think these are the same as: 2^25 - Window Text 2^26 - buttonface 2^27 - scrollbar background 2^28 - app. workspace 2^29 - transparent 2^30 - Window Background |
| How to get the count of selected
rows in a datawindow (Thomas Kellerer, Thomas.Kellerer@tps-labs.de) |
ll_SelectedCount = Long(dw_1.Describe("Evaluate('sum(if (IsSelected(),1, 0) for all)',1)")) |
| How Can I sent a Email with
attachment files? (Thomas Kellerer, Thomas.Kellerer@tps-labs.de) |
string ls_Filter mailsession lms_Session mailmessage lm_Message mailrecipient lm_Recipient mailFileDescription lmf_File mailreturncode lmc_Return string ls_FileName, ls_PathName, ls_UserName ulong ll_Length lmf_File.FileType = mailAttach! lmf_File.FileName = ls_FileName lmf_file.PathName = ls_PathName + ls_FileName lm_Message.NoteText = "Your text goes here" lm_Message.Subject = "Subject" lm_Message.Attachmentfile[1] = lmf_File lm_Recipient.Address = "someone@somewhere" lm_Recipient.Name = "Real name of someone" lm_Recipient.RecipientType = mailTo! lm_Message.Recipient[1] = lm_Recipient lms_Session = create mailsession lmc_Return = lms_Session.mailLogon() lmc_Return = lms_Session.mailSend(lm_Message) if lmc_Return <> mailReturnSuccess! then MessageBox("Error", "Error on Send") end if lmc_Return = lms_Session.mailLogoff() destroy lms_Session |
| Surpressing vertical column selection in a grid datawindow without losing the ability to move/resize the columns. | Well, try this in the clicked
event: if row <= 0 then if string(dwo.name) <> 'datawindow' then return 1 end if end if This will allow you to move the columns in the datawindow (dwo.name = 'datawindow') but turns off the column selection (dwo.name <> 'datawindow'). |
| Here is how to drag a
window by clicking anywhere in the client area, not just the title bar: (Roy Kiesler kieslerr@logica.com) |
In the mousedown event of the
window code the following: CONSTANT uint WM_NCLBUTTONDOWN = 161 CONSTANT uint HTCAPTION = 2 // Fake Windows into thinking that we are clicking on the title bar, // so we can drag the window from anywhere, not only the title bar Post( il_handle, WM_NCLBUTTONDOWN, HTCAPTION, Long( xpos, ypos ) ) |
| SQL to check if a table or
column doesn’t exist (Avron Polakow avron@shira.co.il) |
ls_table = "tablename" ls_sql = "SELECT * FROM " + ls_table + " WHERE 1=2" EXECUTE IMMEDIATE :ls_sql ; // NOW Check the SQLCA.SQLCode IF SQLCA.SQLCode <> 0 THEN // Table or column doesn't exist MessageBox("Error " + string(SQLCA.SQLCode), SQLCA.SQLErrText) END IF |
| Drop down a DDLB of DDDW using the keyboard | F4 is the standard Windows key to drop down a ddlb or dddw. |
| Making any control
moveable. (Avron Polakow avron@shira.co.il) |
In the mousedown event: Send(handle(this), 274, 61458, 0) If the control doesn't have a mousedown event then define the event as: ue_mousedown pbm_lbuttondown |
| Retrieving SIMULTANEOUSLY
in different dws (Avron Polakow avron@shira.co.il) |
Enter any script in the dw
control retrieverow event of each of the datawindows. |
| Getting the column names
and definitions for ANY TABLE IN ANY DBMS without system tables or awareness of which database is being used (Avron Polakow avron@shira.co.il) |
int li, lj string ls, ls_sql, ls_table, ls_syntax, string ls_cols[ ] // Will contain the column names string ls_datatype[ ] // Will contain the column data types datastore lds ls_table = "tablename" // eg for table with name "tablename" ls_sql = "SELECT * FROM " + ls_table lds = CREATE datastore ls_syntax = SQLCA.SyntaxFromSQL(ls_sql, "", ls_errors) li = lds.CREATE(ls_syntax, ls_errors) ls = lds.Object.DataWindow.Column.Count lj = integer(ls) FOR li = 1 TO lj ls_describe = "#" + string(li) + ".dbName" ls_col[li] = lds.Describe(ls_describe) // You can now also get the datatype /////////////////////////////////////////////////////// // Remember that the datatype name is the // internal PowerBuilder Name // eg: Oracle Number(10,4) will be listed as FLOAT // You might here want to translate PB's internal datatype // names into the standard datatype names in your own DBMS ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ls_describe = "#" + string(li) + ".ColType" ls_datatype[li] = lds.Describe(ls_describe) NEXT DESTROY lds |
| Quickly counting the number of
occurrences of any token(s) in a string (without FOR ... NEXT) (Avron Polakow avron@shira.co.il) |
FUNCTION f_count_tokens(string
as_string, string as_token) // Returns: Number of tokens ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// int li, lj li = Pos(as_string, as_token, 1) DO WHILE li > 0 lj++ li++ li = Pos(as_string, as_token, li) LOOP return lj |
| Searching a string
back-to-front (Avron Polakow avron@shira.co.il) |
FUNCTION f_search_backwards
(as_string, as_token) ////////////////////////////////////////////////// long ll_Pos ll_pos = Pos(Reverse(as_string), Reverse(as_token)) IF ll_Pos = 0 THEN return 0 ELSE return Len(as_string) - ll_Pos + 1 END IF |
| Capturing the Close Event from
the Control Menu (Avron Polakow avron@shira.co.il) |
// IN pbm_syscommand event //////////////////////////////////////////////////// IF Message.WordParm = 61536 THEN /* do whatever */ END IF |
| Animated cursors | Any .ani (animated) file can be
used as a pointer for object. I.e. cb_1.Pointer = "c:\windows\cursor\drum.ani" |
| Starting applications based on
extension
|
On Win95 or WinNT, you can start or open many files like INI files or URLs with an associated application: run("start http://www.sybase.com") or run("start win.ini") |
| Position objects ontop of others | You can use the SetPosition() function to place objects in front of others. For instance, a commandbutton on your datawindow will disappear if the datawindow gets the focus. With the SetPosition() function you can solve this like: cb_1.SetPosition(ToTop!, dw_1) |
| Change default printer | You can change the default printer with the SetProfileString(‘win.ini’,’system’,’device’, printerstring). This works for Win3.x, Win95 and even for WinNT (although its win.ini does not have these INI entries, changes are automatically sent to the registry). |
| Get current directory
|
You can use the DirList() function to get the current directory? |
| PowerBuilder INI file locations
|
You can specify in your win.ini
where the PB.INI file can be located: [PowerBuilder] InitPath040 = c:\pb4 InitPath050 = c:\pb5 For PowerBuilder 6+, you can specify the PB.INI file location in the system options within PowerBuilder. |
| Response windows with menu
|
You can have a menu in a response window? Although this is not standard windows GUI, it could be handy sometimes. Use the changemenu() function in the open event to associate a menu with the window. |
| MDI frame without menu &
toolbar
|
You can have a MDI frame without a menu and without a toolbar? Create a menu with only one item, which is invisible and disabled and use that menu for the MDI frame. |
| Aligning menu items on the right | If you use char(8) +
‘YourMenuText’ as text for a main menuitem, the item will be displayed on the
rightmost location of your window! Works for PB4. Dunno for PB5. Not for PB6. |
| Determining if we are in
development mode
|
You can determine that you are in development mode by using the Handle(GetApplication()) function. If it returns 0, you’re in dev mode. Otherwise, you’ve started the app as an EXE. |
You've got a simple tip? Mail 
it to me and I'll add
it to the list.