Question Re: Problem with Union Syntax in DataWindow in Technology Q&A

Problem with Union Syntax in DataWindow

Former Member — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 03:08:55 GMT

I am converting the old PowerBuilder code to the latest version and having some problem with a datawindow code which uses Union function.

The old code makes union of 4 tables with 3 tables. The old code works fine but there is syntax error with the new code. The error is caused by the 0 and 'X' in the following example. Can someone tell me what should be the right syntax. Thanks.

retrieve="
    PBSELECT( VERSION(400)

    TABLE(NAME=~"table1~" )  
    TABLE(NAME=~"table2~" )  
    TABLE(NAME=~"table3~" )  
    TABLE(NAME=~"table4~" )

    COLUMN(NAME=~"table1.a~") 
    COLUMN(NAME=~"table2.b~") 
    COLUMN(NAME=~"table2.c~") 
    COLUMN(NAME=~"table3.d~") 
    COLUMN(NAME=~"table4.e~")

    UNION(
    PBSELECT( VERSION(400)

    TABLE(NAME=~"table1~" )  
    TABLE(NAME=~"table3~" )  
    TABLE(NAME=~"table4~" )

    COLUMN(NAME=~"table1.a~") 
    0
    'X'
    COLUMN(NAME=~"table3.d~") 
    COLUMN(NAME=~"table4.e~")

    )

    )

Re: Problem with Union Syntax in DataWindow

Breck_Carter — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 07:25:16 GMT

Try asking this question on the sybase.public.powerbuilder.datawindow newsgroup on the forums.sybase.com NNTP server.

Suggestion: Switch to using SQL syntax instead of the PBSELECT syntax, then you can code an actual UNION.

Re: Problem with Union Syntax in DataWindow

Former Member — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 08:14:42 GMT

@Breck Carter thanks for the suggestion. Could you please tell how to switch to using SQL Syntax instead of PBSELECT? Can I simply write SQL syntax in the datawindow?

Re: Problem with Union Syntax in DataWindow

reimer_pods — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 09:51:45 GMT

Open the DataWindow painter, switch to SQL mode and select Design->Convert to Syntax from the menu bar.

Re: Problem with Union Syntax in DataWindow

t1950 — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 10:02:58 GMT

depending on your version of pb, this should be available.
while in the dw painter, click the data source option.
one of the tabs should be Syntax.
copy the syntax.
convert to syntax as shown above.
paste what you copied from the syntax tab.
you should be good to go.

Re: Problem with Union Syntax in DataWindow

chris_keating — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 15:13:59 GMT

The syntax from 12.5 Build 2511 for a union of the PB Demo DB department table looks like:

retrieve=" PBSELECT( VERSION(400) TABLE(NAME=~"department~" ) COLUMN(NAME=~"department.dept_id~") COLUMN(NAME=~"department.dept_name~") COLUMN(NAME=~"department.dept_head_id~"))
UNION PBSELECT( VERSION(400) TABLE(NAME=~"department~" ) COLUMN(NAME=~"department.dept_id~") COMPUTE(NAME=~"'X'~") COMPUTE(NAME=~"1~"))) " update="department" updatewhere=1 updatekeyinplace=no )

Notice that the 'X' and 1 column values are tagged with COMPUTE.

Re: Problem with Union Syntax in DataWindow

Former Member — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 03:39:37 GMT

@Chris Keating Thanks, if it was an answer, I'd accept it. The problem was because of missing COMPUTE tag.

Re: Problem with Union Syntax in DataWindow

Former Member — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 07:36:51 GMT

@Chris Keating Just a small question, what would be syntax if i want to write NULL. It won't accept COMPUTE(NAME=~"NULL~"). Would the NULL be exactly same as COMPUTE(NAME=~"0~")?