PowerBuilder 11: Windows Forms and .NET Interoperability

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PowerBuilder 11 Windows Forms and .NET
Interoperability

• Jim ONeil
• Principal Systems Consultant
• Sybase, Inc.
• joneil_at_sybase.com

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PowerBuilder 11 Overview (presented Nov. 20,
2007) Jim ONeil Systems Consultant
.NET Windows Forms And Interoperability Dec. 4,
2007 Jim ONeil Systems Consultant
.NET Assemblies (presented Nov. 13, 2007) Jim
ONeilSystems Consultant
Web ServiceDataWindow Feb. 5, 2008 David
Avera Staff Software Engineer
PowerBuilder 11 .NET Deployment Web Casts
.NET Web Forms Dec. 11, 2007 David
Fish Engineering Evangelist
.NET Web Services Jan. 29, 2008 David
Fish Engineering Evangelist
.NET Smart Client Jan. 15, 2008 John
Strano Technology Evangelist
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Agenda

• PowerBuilder roadmap
• Windows Forms overview
• Deploying Windows Forms applications
• Distributing Windows Forms applications
• .NET interoperability

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PowerBuilder Roadmap

• Version 11 released in June 2007
• 11.1 Maintenance Release in November 2007
• Delivers on third-phase of PowerBuilders .NET
  initiative

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(No Transcript)
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Windows Forms Overview
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Windows Forms Definition (Microsoft)

• What is a Windows Forms application?
• Windows Forms is for creating Microsoft Windows
  applications on the .NET Framework. This
  framework provides a modern, object-oriented,
  extensible set of classes that enable you to
  develop rich Windows-based applications. With
  Windows Forms, you are able to create a rich
  client application that can access a wide variety
  of data sources and provide data-display and
  data-editing facilities using Windows Forms
  controls.

Windows Forms Application
Win32 Application
MSCOREE.DLL (CLR)
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Windows Forms Definition (English)

• What is a Windows Forms application?
• Windows Forms applications are an evolution of
  the Win32-based application development you know
  and love
• and, why should you care
• Win32 will go away, eventually
• For PowerBuilder users, Windows Forms is a
  prerequisite for
• Smart Client capabilities
• .NET interoperability

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Deploying Windows Forms Applications
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Developing Windows Forms Applications

• Obvious relationship to traditional PowerBuilder
  applications generally means a smooth transition
• Same UI paradigms
• Same event model
• New Windows Forms wizard quickly creates
  requisite project and target
• New application
• Existing application leveragingsame code base

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Windows Forms Project Object
11.1
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Windows Forms Project Object

• General tab build type, output directory
• Resource files images, INI files, etc.
• Library Files
• PBL files containing DataWindows, Pipelines,
  Queries
• External library files (DLLs, OCXs) referenced by
  application
• Version file, program, and .NET assembly version
• Post-build post deployment shell commands
• Security embed manifest specifying execution
  level
• Run run/debug application command line and
  arguments

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PowerBuilder .NET Deployment
C translation
PowerScript Source
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Windows Forms Deployment

• Executable files and resources written to Output
  path
• Intermediate files written to .pbt_build
  directory

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Unsupported Features

• Native PowerBuilder constructs unsupported in
  Windows Forms applications
• PBNI extensions (excluding Web Services)
• Shared objects
• OLE automation server
• Tracing and profiling
• Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)
• Garbage collection functions
• EAServer client support (coming in 11.2 with
  EAServer 6.1)
• Use of .NET visual classes

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Partially Supported Features

• Native PowerBuilder constructs partially
  supported in Windows Forms applications
• Rich Text and OLE DataWindow styles
• In-process OLE controls (ActiveX)
• Limited event support
• Requires wrapper class generated using .NET
  utility
• Non TrueType fonts replaced with TrueType fonts
• Font-substitution display impact
• Unexpected cursor display (e.g., invisible in
  EditMask control)
• ALL visual controls are supported to varying
  degrees with exception of
• Other event
• IMEMode property (Japanese version only!)

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Language Construct Caveats

• Partially supported syntax
• GOTO statement disallowed when target label is
  out of scope
• Invoking an indirect ancestor event results in
  unexpected behavior

IF y 7 THEN GOTO a IF x 10 THEN y
5 a z 2 ELSE y 8 z 3 END IF
Win32
.NET
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Language Construct Caveats

• Questionable practices allowed in native
  PowerBuilder applications but disallowed in .NET
  deployments
• this keyword in global functions
• RETURN statement in FINALLY clause
• Overloading event signatures
• Overriding function access scope
• Object casting outside of object hierarchy

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Language Construct Caveats (concluded)

• External function calls
• Generic STRUCTURE argument type unsupported
• Requirement to pass structure arguments by
  reference when argument is a const pointer
• Requirement to re-initialize reference string
  arguments for each invocation

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Distributing Windows Forms Applications
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Distributing Windows Forms Applications

• Required files
• Runtime packager
• Smart Client

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Required Files

• .NET Framework 2.0
• Microsoft Runtime Files
• PowerBuilder System Library for .NET
• PowerBuilder Runtime Dynamic Link Libraries
• Application files

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Required Files

• .NET Framework 2.0
• Redistributable package (dotnetfx.exe)
• SDK not required
• .NET Framework 3.0 extended 2.0 with additional
  features so fulfills the requirement

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Required Files

• Microsoft Runtime Files
• msvcr71.dll
• msvcp71.dll
• atl71.dll

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Required Files

• PowerBuilder System Library for .NET
• Sybase.PowerBuilder assemblies
• Strongly-named so installable to Global Assembly
  Cache (GAC)

using EditMasks
using RichText
using Web Services
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Required Files

• PowerBuilder Runtime Dynamic Link Libraries
• Unmanaged code DLLs
• PBDWM110.DLL DataWindow engine
• PBSHR110.DLL Utility and memory management
  routines
• PBXERCES110.DLL XML DataWindow import/export
• PBxxx110.DLL Database drivers
• Must reside on system path

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Required Files

• Application files
• Application executable assembly (.exe)
• Configuration file (.config)
• Manifest file (.manifest)
• DataWindow libraries (.pbd)
• Resource files (images, INI files, etc.)
• Referenced external libraries (DLLs, OCXs, etc.)

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Runtime Packager
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Runtime Packager

• Creates MSI file containing system files relating
  to selected functionality
• Registers self-registering DLLs
• Sets PATH variable
• Adds destination path to registry
• Adds PowerBuilder System assemblies to GAC

Whats missing?
1. .NET Framework 2.0 2. Application specific
files
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Smart Client
Publish application to a central
location Access application from that
location Application installs and runs
locally Details from John Strano on Jan. 15th!!
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.NET Interoperability
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.NET Interoperability

• Support for invocation of .NET non-visual classes
  in PowerBuilder .NET applications
• Windows Forms
• Web Forms
• .NET Assemblies
• Web Services

String netVersion System.Reflection.Assembly
assembly assembly System.Reflection.Assembly.G
etCallingAssembly() netVersion
assembly.ImageRuntimeVersion
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Conditional Compilation Code Blocks

• New construct used to delineate .NET invocations
• IF DEFINED PBDOTNET
• IF DEFINED PBWEBFORM
• IF DEFINED PBWINFORM
• IF DEFINED PBWEBSERVICE
• Code blocks can contain
• Classic PowerScript
• PowerScript extensions
• Code block contents examined only at deployment
  time
• No syntax checking when saving object
• Non-applicable code blocks not compiled into
  target image

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PowerScript Enhancements Supporting
Interoperability

• Parameterized constructor syntax
• Static method invocation
• Bitwise operators (viz., AND, OR, NOT, XOR)
• Non-integral array indexers (e.g.,
  populationArgentina 40500000)
• Capability to reference .NET constructs
• Namespaces
• Interfaces
• Enumerations

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Current .NET Interoperability Restrictions

• Only non-visual classes are supported
• Generic and nullable types not supported
• Method calls allowed only on classes
• .NET types converted to equivalent PowerBuilder
  base types, for example, following code will not
  compile in PowerBuilder
• System.Int32 x
• x 5
• MessageBox(Value, x.ToString())
• Array basis is 1 in PowerBuilder, 0 in .NET
• Limited IDE support

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Adding .NET References

• Add references to .NET assemblies via Target
  Properties

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.NET Assemblies in System Tree
Enumeration
Class and methods
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.NET Interoperability Code Snippet
if defined PBDOTNET then String
netVersion System.Reflection.Assembly
assembly assembly System.Reflection.Assembly.G
etCallingAssembly() netVersion
assembly.ImageRuntimeVersion st_netVersion.text
".NET Version " Right(netVersion,
Len(netVersion) - 1) if defined PBWEBFORM
then String browserVersion System.Web.HttpRequ
est request request System.Web.HttpContext.Cur
rent.Request browserVersion
request.Browser.Browser " "
String(request.Browser.MajorVersion) "."
String(request.Browser.MinorVersion) st_br
owserVersion.text "Client Browser "
browserVersion end if end if
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Upcoming PowerBuilder Events

• ISUG Leveraging PowerBuilder in the .NET World
• Day-long, hands-on training event
• Multiple cities in North America through December
• Visit http//www.isug.com/pb11tour for details
• Sybase web casts
• Web Forms (Dec 11th)
• Smart Client (Jan 15th)
• Web Services Deployment (Jan 29th)
• Web Services DataWindow (Feb 5th)
• Visit http//response.sybase.com/forms/pbregistrat
  ion to sign-up!!

Final Week of Tour! Dec. 11 Orlando Dec. 12
DC (Dulles) Dec. 13 Atlanta
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QA