Specifications

About forms
508 InfoMaker
Data sources
The data source you use determines how InfoMaker retrieves data for your
form. You can select one of three data sources when you create a form:
For master/detail forms
You always use the Quick Select data source for master/detail forms.
For complete information about data sources, see “Selecting a data source” on
page 154.
Form styles
A form style is a predefined way of presenting and processing information in
a form. Each form you build in InfoMaker is based on an existing form style.
InfoMaker provides four built-in form styles:
In addition to the built-in form styles, PowerBuilder developers in your
organization can develop custom form styles to meet your organization’s
needs. Custom form styles also display in the New Form dialog box.
For information about creating custom form styles, talk to PowerBuilder
developers in your organization.
Actions in a form style
Each form style has a set of predefined actions. An action is a procedure you
can attach to buttons you place in a form. Usually a style includes the common
database actions (insert, update, and delete rows). Each of the built-in form
styles of InfoMaker has these database actions and additional actions that are
useful and appropriate to the form style.
Data source Pick this data source when
Quick Select The data is from tables that are connected through a key, and you
need only to sort and limit the data.
SQL Select The data is from tables that are not connected through a key, or you
want more control over the
SQL SELECT statement generated for
the data source.
Query The data has been defined as a query.
Form What it shows
Freeform One row of data at a time
Grid Rows of data in a grid
Master/Detail One-To-Many One item in a freeform area at the top and a grid
with details about the item at the bottom
Master/Detail Many-To-One Many items in a grid at the top and a freeform area
with details about an item at the bottom