Specifying the expression

Since a user might have just entered a value in the column, validation rules refer to the current data value, which you can obtain through the GetText DataWindow expression function.

Using GetText ensures that the most recent data entered in the current column is evaluated.

NotePowerBuilder does the conversion for you If you have associated a validation rule for a column in the Database painter, PowerBuilder automatically converts the syntax to use GetText when you place the column in a DataWindow object.

GetText returns a string. Be sure to use a data conversion function (such as Integer or Real) if you want to compare the entered value with a datatype other than string.

For more on the GetText function and text patterns, see the DataWindow Reference.

Referring to other columns

You can refer to the values in other columns by specifying their names in the validation rule. You can paste the column names in the rule using the Columns box.