Developing an Application in Visual PL/B

It takes just a few minutes to build your first Visual PL/B application. You begin by defining a project within the Sunbelt IDE. You then create the user interface by "drawing" controls, such as text boxes and command buttons on a form. Next, you set properties for the form and controls to specify such values as captions, color, and size. Finally, you write code to bring the application to life. The basic steps you take in creating your first application will show you principles that you'll use with every other application you develop.

This chapter provides an overview of the application development process, describes the terms and skills you need to use PL/B, and takes you step by step through several simple applications.

Topics:

Visual PL/B Concepts	A comparison of PL/B and traditional programming languages.
Starting the IDE	A guide to launching the IDE.
Setting Project Option	Information regarding project option that allow you to tailor the IDE to the way you work.
IDE Elements	An introduction to the PL/B IDE and tools.
The Project Window	A description of the Project window of the IDE
Using the Editor	Information regarding the editor that controls the source editing process.
Shortcut Keys	A list of the IDE shortcut keys that provide quick access to the IDE functions.
Writing Code	A guide to using the editing window
Program Profiling	An introduction into the IDE's program profiling feature.