When moving applications to the Web, one of the challenges facing developers
is how to migrate rich client features to a browser environment.
Two features that can give your Web applications a boost in both appearance
and functionality are popup calendars and lookup (search) windows. They both
apply the same concept - create a mapping between an HTML DataWindow column
on a parent window and a selection made in a child window. In this article I
provide an overview of how to leverage this mapping and incorporate these two
common features into a Web-based application.
Popup Calendar
The Internet is rife with popup calendars. We've all encountered this
functionality when making a flight or hotel reservation. Click an icon and a
calendar pops up in its own window; choose a dat... (more)
One of the major improvements that came when PB5 was released was the ability
to encapsulate expressions within DataWindows. To understand a DataWindow and
work with its expressions, you need to know the difference between a
DataWindow control, a DataWindow object, and now a DWObject.
In previous versions of PowerBuilder we had one method to access data in a
DataWindow object (i.e., SetIt... (more)
When a writer sits down to draft an article or story, she must consider her
audience. In a similar manner, when a developer sits down to code a Pocket PC
application, he needs to consider the environment in which the application
will be deployed. While similarities exist, Pocket PC development is not the
same as developing for the client/server world or a Web-based environment.
Aside fro... (more)
When anyone asks me for help developing Web applications I usually say,
"That's easy," or "It's really simple." The last time I responded that way I
was told, "Everything is easy for you." The fact is, I've been developing C/S
applications for over 10 years and Web applications for four (when I started
my own ISP). Now that the industry is moving to distributed development, I
have the ne... (more)
When asked if I would write an editorial, I jumped at the opportunity to
express a growing concern I have for the direction of corporate Web
development.
In today's market, upper management often selects an application server for
the enterprise before knowing all their business needs. This
one-size-fits-all attitude can set up many projects for failure. I'll use a
race car-team analogy ... (more)