Question:
When using an external data source for a datawindow, how canI load the data into the sets of data I have created?
Answer:
External datawindows are a great hidden treasure in PowerBuilder. I usethem for all my screens and never use the simple raw controls(except commandbutton).
The answer to your question depends on your application of theexternal control. For example, if I were creating some retrievalarguments for a selection list, I would use InsertRow() and then set anyprecalculated or preferred values.
If you are creating large datasets, the fastest way is to usethe Import Data commands such as ImportString, which allowsyou to build up a dataset in string format with the columnstab-delimited and the rows linefeed-delimited.
One word of caution: Don’t let the strings get too large, because on16-bit systems there is a string size limit of 60k. I suggest using acommit-type approach in which you build up your string in a loop. If the stringgrows larger than a certain size, call ImportString and reset the string. Continue until all the data is processed.
