Setting preferences in the Database Preferences dialog box

To set the following connection-related database preferences, complete the Database Preferences dialog box in the PowerBuilder Database painter:

Shared Database Profiles
Connect to Default Profile
Read Only
Keep Connection Open
Use Extended Attributes
SQL Terminator Character

Other database preferences The Database Preferences dialog box also lets you set other database preferences that affect the behavior of the Database painter itself. For information about the other preferences you can set in the Database Preferences dialog box, see the Users Guide.

To set connection-related preferences in the Database Preferences dialog box:

Open the Database painter.

Select Design>Options from the menu bar.

The Database Preferences dialog box displays. If necessary, click the General tab to display the General property page.

Specify values for one or more of the connection-related database preferences in the following table.

**Table 13-2: Connection-related database preferences**
Preference	Description	For details, see
Shared Database Profiles	Specifies the pathname of the file containing the database profiles you want to share. You can type the pathname or click Browse to display it.	“Sharing database profiles”
Connect to Default Profile	Controls whether the Database painter establishes a connection to a database using a default profile when the painter is invoked. If not selected, the Database painter opens without establishing a connection to a database.	Connect to Default Profile in online Help
Read Only	Specifies whether PowerBuilder should update the extended attribute system tables and any other tables in your database. Select or clear the Read Only check box as follows: Select the check box Does not update the extended attribute system tables or any other tables in your database. You cannot modify (update) information in the extended attribute system tables or any other database tables from the DataWindow painter when the Read Only check box is selected. Clear the check box (Default) Updates the extended attribute system tables and any other tables in your database.	Read Only in the online Help
Keep Connection Open	When you connect to a database in PowerBuilder without using a database profile, specifies when PowerBuilder closes the connection. Select or clear the Keep Connection Open check box as follows: Select the check box (Default) Stays connected to the database throughout your session and closes the connection when you exit Clear the check box Opens the connection only when a painter requests it and closes the connection when you close a painter or finish compiling a script Not used with profile This preference has no effect when you connect using a database profile.	Keep Connection Open in the online Help
Use Extended Attributes	Specifies whether PowerBuilder should create and use the extended attribute system tables. Select or clear the Use Extended Attributes check box as follows: Select the check box (Default) Creates and uses the extended attribute system tables Clear the check box Does not create the extended attribute system tables	Use Extended Attributes in the online Help
Columns in Table Display	Specify the number of table columns to be displayed when InfoMaker displays a table graphically. The default is eight.

Do one of the following:

Click Apply to apply the preference settings to the current connection without closing the Database Preferences dialog box.
Click OK to apply the preference settings to the current connection and close the Database Preferences dialog box.

PowerBuilder saves your preference settings in the database section of PB.INI.