Code Documentation in Visual Expert Web

The Visual Expert (VE) Web Documentation dashboard offers a centralized interface for monitoring and managing various aspects of PowerBuilder (PB) applications and databases. It provides a detailed overview of key metrics and activities, helping users gain insights into their projects.

There are two key sections of the VE Web - Code Documentation dashboard:

PB Application

Database

Code Documentation Dashboard - VE Web

PB Application Section

The PB Application section offers an at-a-glance summary of various components in your PowerBuilder project. Here’s a breakdown of the key icons you’ll find on the dashboard:

Component	Description
PBLs	Organize and manage project components effectively.
Windows	Graphical user interface elements, such as dialogs and forms, used for user interactions.
User Objects	Custom objects created by developers for encapsulating functionality or data, often reusable across the application.
DataWindows	Objects managing data retrieval, display, and user interaction in PowerBuilder applications.
Menus	Interface elements providing navigation options, typically displayed as dropdowns.
Function Objects	Methods or functions that perform specific tasks, encapsulating business logic or application behaviour.
Structures	User-defined data types grouping related variables together.
Application Objects	Core objects managing the application’s startup, shutdown, and overall behavior.
Global Variables	Accessible from any part of the application, not confined to a specific function or object scope.
Global Functions	Common functions available application-wide, designed for general tasks or calculations.

Navigating PowerBuilder Components in Documentation

To access the details of any PB component, click on the relevant icon or area.

Navigating PowerBuilder Components - Documentation

For example, under User Objects, you will find:

A list of User Objects with their descriptions.
You can get detailed information when clicking on a specific object (e.g., pfc_u_tabpg_dwproperty_srvcalendar):

General Information

Ancestor Hierarchy

Variables, Constants, and References

Object Events

Object Functions

Controls and their Events

Source Code

Code Inspections

Architecture

PowerBuilder User Objects Details - Documentation

Navigate through additional details by using the icons in the upper-right corner:

Technical Information of PowerBuilder User Objects - Documentation

Show all information
Show code review details only
Show technical information about the code

In the tree view, you can browse the icons and click on the small arrow to reveal more options.

Database Section

The Database section offers a comprehensive view of key database objects. Here’s a summary of the main icons on the dashboard:

Database Component	Description
Tables	Store structured data in rows and columns for organization and management.
Views	Virtual tables that display queried data in a specific format without storing it.
Procedures	Stored routines for performing operations like data manipulation or business logic execution.
Functions	Similar to procedures but return a value, used for calculations, data processing, or other operations within queries.
Packages	Collections of procedures, functions, and other objects for better organization.
Triggers	Stored procedures that auto-execute on events like insert, update, or delete actions.
Sequences	Generate unique numeric values, commonly used as identifiers for records.
Tables in Person Schema	Display tables within the Person Schema.
Tables in Purchase Schema	Display tables within the Purchase Schema.