PowerBuilder 2025 R2: Runtime DataWindow Inspection with GetDWObject

How to build a runtime metadata inspector by combining Describe, GetDWObject, DWObject, Modify, a shared DataStore, and UTF-8 JSON export.

Introduction

A DataWindow is not merely a row container. Its definition contains a tree of visual and functional objects: columns, text labels, computed fields, buttons, and other controls. Each element has an identity, type, band, geometry, visibility, and specialized properties. That information is usually implicit in the DataWindow Painter, but PowerBuilder can also inspect and modify it at runtime.

The Demo_GetDWObject project turns this capability into a visible tool. Users can enumerate the objects in a DataWindow, filter them by type, select one by name, retrieve its properties, locate it through temporary highlighting, export the result to JSON, and run basic design validation. The entire demo uses local data and requires no database connection.

The technical value of the demo is not a single method call. It presents a complete pipeline: Describe("DataWindow.Objects") discovers names, GetDWObject obtains a typed object, the NVO normalizes its properties, Modify applies a reversible visual change, and FileWriteEx produces a UTF-8 JSON artifact.

For more information and detailed specifications, see the article “PowerBuilder 2025 R2: Runtime DataWindow Inspection with GetDWObject.”