When you generate a new DataWindow object, PowerBuilder presents the data according to the properties already defined for a column, such as a column’s display format and edit style.
Display formats embellish data values while still displaying them as letters, numbers, and special characters. Using display formats, for example, you can:
Change the color of numbers to display a negative value
Add parentheses and dashes to format a telephone number
Add a dollar sign and period to indicate a currency format
For information, see “About display formats”.
Edit styles usually take precedence over display formats and specify how column data is presented. For example, using edit styles, you can:
Display valid values in a drop-down list
Indicate that a single value is selected by a check box
Indicate which of a group of values is selected with radio buttons
Edit styles affect not only the way data displays, they also affect how the user interacts with the data at runtime.
For more information, see “About edit styles”.
The differences between display format masks and EditMask masks can be confusing. A display format mask determines the appearance of the column when the focus is off the column, or when the DataWindow object is in print preview mode. When you apply an EditMask edit style, the mask you use determines the appearance of the column when focus is on the column.
If you want data to display differently depending on whether the focus is on or off the column, specify an edit mask (on the Edit property page for the column) as well as a display format (on the Format property page for the column), then check the Use Format check box on the Format property page. The Use Format check box displays only when an edit mask has been specified.
If you want the data to display in the same way whether focus is on or off the column and you have defined an edit mask, you do not need to define a display format. The edit mask is used for display if the Use Format box is not checked (the default).
