Example

Using bar code functions to generating bar codes in a dialog box

To print bar codes you must use the bar code functions in the supplied PowerBuilder Library (*.PBL). Before you can use these new functions in your application you must follow these steps;

See: Adding our PowerBuilder Library to an application

See: Adding a library to the Library Search Path.

Creating an example Window

This example requires you to create a new Window.

- Run the Window Painter (Shift+F2) or click the Window icon on the toolbar;

- In the Select Window dialog box, click the New button.

Add a SingleLineEdit control

To add a SingleLineEdit control to your Window, to allow the user to enter a value;

- Select menu Control | SingleLineEdit, then click in your Window in the position you want to create the new control.

To view the properties of the new SingleLineEdit object, use any of these methods;

• select the SingleLineEdit object and select menu Edit | Properties...
• or select the SingleLineEdit object and click the properties icon on the toolbar
• or double-click the SingleLineEdit object

- Change the control's Name property to user_input.

Add a second SingleLineEdit control

Add another SingleLineEdit control to your Window, to be used to store the generated bar code.

- Change the control's Name property to user_barcode.

- Check the Display Only property.

Add a CommandButton

Now add a CommandButton control to your Window.

- Select menu Control | CommandButton, then click in your Window in the position you want to create the new control.

- Change the control's Name property to update_barcode.

- Change the control's Text property to &Update.

Add PowerScript code for the CommandButton

To add script code to the button, select the button then;

• Select menu Edit | Script
• or click the Script icon on the toolbar

Cut and paste this very simple PowerScript code;

// ******************************************
// This is an example of code for a CommandButton event.
//
// The example code refers to two SingleLineEdit controls
// called 'user_input' and 'user_barcode'.
//
// ******************************************

// This single line of code calculates the bar code result
user_barcode.Text = CIA_CODE128 ( user_input.Text )

// Also set font and size
// but this can be done at design time
user_barcode.FaceName = "CIA Code 128 Medium"
user_barcode.TextSize = -14

This code uses function CIA_CODE128( ) to return Code 128 bar codes.

See: Bar code functions if you want to return a different type of bar code.

In any Script Window, you can quickly see a list of available bar code functions;

- Click the Paste Function button.

- Select User-defined in the Type box.

- Click OK to paste the function name in your script, or click Cancel.