From the Editor

How PowerBuilder Got Its Groove Back

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 23:00:00 EST

One of the main issues that PowerBuilder and PowerBuilder developers have been facing for the last few years is the lack of mind share for the product. All that seems to have changed with Sybase’s announcement of the beta of PowerBuilder 12.0. Articles on the release appeared in a large number of IT-related news outlets, including Darryl K Taft in eWeek (http://xrl.us/eweek), Sam M Fulton III in BetaNews (http://xrl.us/betanews), David Worthington in Software Development Times (http://xrl.us/sdtimes), Eric J Bruno in Doctor Dobbs (http://xrl.us/dobbs), John K Waters in both Visual Studio Magazine (http://xrl.us/visualstudio) and Application Development Trends (http://xrl.us/apdevtrends) and Paul Krill in ComputerWorld (http://xrl.us/compworld),

Is the Ladder We’re Climbing Resting on the Wrong Wall?

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:15:00 EST

John Strano came to Los Angeles on part of the PowerBuilder 12.0 ISUG road show. If you have an opportunity to attend one in your area, run by either John or Dave Fish, they’re well worth attending. John demonstrated some impressive new features of the new version of PowerBuilder, including a fly-away image effect (see Figures 1 and 2) as well as DataWindow skinning (see Figure 3).

Hey Buddy, Can You Spare Some Code...?

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 08:45:00 EDT

PowerBuilder fans have been sharing code with one another since...well at least since the beginning days of CompuServe in the early 1990s. When PowerBuilder users gathered in just a single section in a general interest programming forum, we had an associated file library section, and when we moved to our own PowerSoft forum we had a series of file libraries.

Come Get Your Beta While It’s Hot

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 07:45:00 EDT

The PowerBuilder 12.0 beta has officially started (http://response.sybase.com/forms/WW09JULPB12beta1). It’s pretty hard to overstate the magnitude of the changes that are taking place within PowerBuilder for this version. As a result, it’s more important than ever for as many people as possible to participate in order to get the most amount of feedback as possible back to Sybase.

PowerBuilder 12 and .NET

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EDT

Back in 2002, Sybase announced their four-phase approach toward adding .NET support to PowerBuilder. Phase 1 was the implementation of web services in PB9 and Phase 2 was the release of DataWindow.NET, which was packaged with PB 10. Phases 3 and 4 were the more significant phases. In Phase 3, Sybase added a number of .NET target types to PowerBuilder 11 and added support for calling non-visual .NET assemblies from PowerScript.

If It’s Worth Doing, It’s Worth Doing...Twice?

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:45:00 EDT

There’s been a lot of discussion among the .NET folks recently about the magnitude of the changes that are being introduced in the Windows Workflow Foundation (WF) in .NET 4.0. See, for example, “Windows Workflow Changes Direction” by Kathleen Dollard. It’s just another anecdote that backs up the old saying about Microsoft technologies, best stated by Karl E. Peterson.

TechWave Goes Global

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:30:00 EDT

First, I should explain what I’m referring to. Sybase recently announced that the format of TechWave will be significantly different in 2009 than it has been for the last 10 years.

A New IDE - WPF Workshop

Wed, 13 May 2009 15:00:00 EDT

Actually, the new IDE doesn’t arrive until next year. But I thought we could start talking about it now. In case you didn’t make TechWave, any of the PB 11.5 road shows or webcasts, you may not know what’s planned for PowerBuilder 12.0. There’s a lot that they’re talking about already (and that in itself is new), but what I want to focus on is the new IDE called WPF Workshop.

PowerBuilder Editorial: Hi, I’m Mort from Ort...

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 17:00:00 EDT

Back in March of 2004, Eric Lippert of Microsoft explained in his “Fabulous Adventures In Coding” blog how Microsoft divides the developer community into three groups, each which is designated by a personality. Apparently, this is a practice recommended by Geoffrey Moore in “Crossing the Chasm.”

The Future of . . .

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:12:00 EST

I've been reading "The Future of Management" by Gary Hamel lately. I have a staff of nine developers and, while I believe I'm a pretty good manager, I also believe there is always room for improvement. So I try to keep my eyes and ears open for ways to improve, and reading this book among others is one attempt to do so. One particular concept I found intriguing did involve evolution.

TechWave Revisited

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 12:22:00 EST

Once again I thought this was one of the best TechWaves in years. Better than last year's, which was good. Having my laptop crash on me when I'm scheduled to do four sessions wasn't pleasant and took the edge off of it for me. Otherwise, it might have been a real blast. Location – I'm still not a big fan of Las Vegas, but the Mandalay Bay was a great place to hold the event.

I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For…

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:30:00 EST

Particularly in a means of moving PowerBuilder applications to the web. What I’m looking for doesn’t require a server license or the installation of unmanaged code to the web server, and works well across different browsers (not just Internet Explorer). The WPF DataWindow will help move us to a place where we won’t need to deploy unmanaged code. But I’m doubtful that the current WebForms implementation will ever get us to a place where we are browser independent.

Welcome to TechWave 2008!

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:02:00 EST

As in prior years, the first thing I'll cover is what has changed (assuming that you attended in the past few years). We're back at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Near as I can tell, if you have to be in Las Vegas, this is the place to be. About the only complaint I had last year was that at times there were lines to get into the elevators to the hotel rooms. Other than that it was great last year, and I’m expecting the same this year.

Editorial: PowerBuilder 11.5 Is on the Way . . .

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:20:00 EDT

The PowerBuilder 11.5 beta is officially opened. If you're at all interested in upgrading, particularly to improve the "eye-candy" aspect of your applications, now is the time to get involved. If you wait until after the product has been released and find that there are some key component of the new features that you feel is essential but missing, you'll have only yourself to blame.

PowerBuilder Editorial: A Tale of Two Companies...

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:00:00 EDT

The first is Borland. Originally known for their development tools (e.g., Delphi, JBuilder, C++ Builder), in February of 2006 Borland announced they were planning to sell off the Development Tools Group so that they could focus on Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) product offerings.

PowerBuilder Editorial - "There You Go Again"

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 04:15:00 EDT

If that doesn't ring a bell, it's from the Reagan / Carter debates in the 1980 election cycle. Carter had presented a string of criticisms of Reagan's positions, which Reagan pretty much dismissed with that statement. Back in the heyday of client/server development, the folks at Borland released a hit piece on PowerBuilder written by a Delphi advocate. You can still find a copy of it as a series of articles on the CodeGear site.

A New Year and a New Direction

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EDT

I received an e-mail from a loyal reader recently complaining that the magazine was no longer 'primarily about PowerBuilder.' The charge is actually true and, despite the title of this column, is not particularly new. In fact, we had an editorial eight years ago explaining part of that shift (http://pbdj.sys-con.com/read/42184.htm). That shift has continued, and this editorial will explain some of the reasons for that.

PBDJ Editorial: Is RAD Dead?

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 13:00:00 EST

Well, if you listened to Rob Enderle of Enderle Group (www2.sdtimes.com/pdf/SDTimesBackIssues/sdtimes184.pdf) you might think that Rapid Application Development (RAD) is dead or dying. However, I think it's important to distinguish between two different things that are often lumped together and called RAD. One is the RAD development methodology and the other is 4GL tools that were often used in RAD development.

PBDJ Editorial: We Live in Interesting Times...

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 11:00:00 EST

That isn't, by the way, a Chinese curse. The phrase 'may you live in interesting times' (which became popular after Robert Kennedy used it in a speech in 1966) probably originated from a 1950's science fiction story. Regardless of its roots though, we find ourselves living in such times. In a previous issue I talked about the incremental releases that Sybase was doing for PowerBuilder 11.

Aliens Take Over Sybase...

Sun, 06 Jan 2008 08:45:00 EST

Or well, perhaps it just seems that way. Like the Dilbert strip where aliens kidnap the PHB and one of them impersonates him. They all notice because he's suddenly more competent and caring, so they don't report it. Sybase released PowerBuilder 11.0 in June of 2007 and hyped it at TechWave in August. 11.1 was (as I write this) recently announced and expected to be delivered in mid-November.

PowerBuilder Editorial — Welcome to TechWave 2007!

Fri, 24 Aug 2007 15:00:00 EDT

As with previous TechWaves, there are once again a number of changes. The most obvious one is that this year's event is at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino rather than Caesar's Palace. While not the complete move out of Vegas that I was hoping for, at least it's an improvement.

What Do You Want to See in PowerBuilder 12?

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 18:30:00 EDT

What do you want to see in PowerBuilder 12? That's not just my question for you this month, it's also Sybase's question for you as well. Two things demonstrate that. The first is the recent invitation to participate in a survey by Sue Dunnell, PowerBuilder's product manager, so PowerBuilder users could 'provide some feedback to us as we plan for the next major release of PowerBuilder.'

PowerBuilder Editorial — I'm Not Dead!

Tue, 03 Jul 2007 08:30:00 EDT

Every few years somebody winds up the 'PowerBuilder is dead' argument, and every few years we beat it down again. This time it's Mary Brandel of ComputerWorld and her list of the 'top 10 dead (or dying) computer skills' (www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=printArticleBasic&articl...).

PowerBuilder Editorial — Learn a Lesson from the Wii

Sat, 02 Jun 2007 17:00:00 EDT

I just recently (finally) upgraded to a Wii, and I only had to pay about $50 over retail on an auction site to get it. Good luck trying to find one in the LA area; most stores told me it would be at least a month before they had more. Then try finding accessories once you have one. I had to hit a half a dozen stores before I found additional controllers. It's not because the stores don't carry them; it's because they fly off the shelves as soon as they come in.

PBDJ Editorial — Top 11 Reasons to Consider PowerBuilder 11

Sat, 02 Jun 2007 14:45:00 EDT

Just over a year ago PowerBuilder 10.5 was about to release and we looked at the top 10.5 reasons to move to that version. In that same vein, I'm going to look at the top 11 reasons to consider PowerBuilder 11.0, which is just about to hit the street. This time I'm going to break those reasons into two groups: those that directly affect your end users (things they will notice) and thing that will make your life as a developer easier but won't necessarily affect your users. The reason I want to focus on them that way is because as developers we often get excited about the second set, but in order to sell an upgrade to our managers we often need to stress the former.

PowerBuilder Editorial — Would the Real "PB-to-the-Web" Solution Please Stand Up?

Mon, 12 Mar 2007 14:00:00 EDT

Over the years we've been offered, either by Sybase or by third-party companies, a number of 'move PowerBuilder to the Web' offerings. Focusing specifically on those offered by Sybase, we were first offered Web.pb. It was provided as a set of libraries with PowerBuilder 6 that was built on the Distributed PowerBuilder (DPB) technology introduced with PowerBuilder 5. It actually worked fairly well for developing Web front-ends to non-visual components in an n-tier environment. However, its dependence on DPB spelled its doom once DPB was de-supported in favor of EAServer.

PBDJ Editorial — PocketBuilder, PocketBuilder! Wherefore Art Thou PocketBuilder!

Thu, 01 Feb 2007 13:00:00 EST

(OK, let me start off by acknowledging that in the literary work I am alluding to, Juliet is not asking this question because she's looking for Romeo. She's actually lamenting that he comes from the rival family. But it's so commonly misunderstood that I thought it would be useful nonetheless.)

PowerBuilder Editorial — What's Ahead in the New Year...

Thu, 18 Jan 2007 12:45:00 EST

About this time of year folks make their predictions about what's coming up in the New Year. Not to be left out, here's mine, along with my thoughts on what these events will mean for you.

PowerBuilder Editorial — New Releases

Thu, 11 Jan 2007 00:15:00 EST

New features of this release include the DataWindow Designer Visual Studio Plug-in. This is a set of plug-ins for Microsoft Visual Studio 2005. It enables users to design DataWindow objects directly in Visual Studio instead of in the standalone DataWindow Designer from the previous versions. The standalone DataWindow Designer will not be distributed with DataWindow.NET 2.5.

PBDJ Editorial — No More 80% Solutions

Fri, 08 Dec 2006 14:00:00 EST

It may be a bit early, but I have a New Year's resolution I'd like to propose to Sybase: 'No more 80% solutions.' What is an 80% solution? It's a technology approach that seems well conceived and when used with small demonstration applications (e.g., beta testing) works well.

PBDJ Editorial — TechWave 2006 Wrap up

Wed, 08 Nov 2006 12:00:00 EST

It took me a while to mull over what I thought about the conference, but the following is my take on it. This year at TechWave the Game Show was held during the reception, where food and drink were served. In a similar mode, many of the meals were served in the exhibit hall. As I mentioned earlier, that particular format seemed to work well. There also didn't seem to be as many problems as there were last year with having enough food or providing it fast enough.

PBDJ Editorial — Winning Back Expatriate PB Developers

Sun, 29 Oct 2006 13:30:00 EST

Yes, Virginia, Sybase does have a J2EE-compatible application server, and it's known as EAS, short for Enterprise Application Server. In fact, EAS is alive and well, and this issue of the PowerBuilder Developer's Journal will focus on the recent release of version 6.0.

PowerBuilder Editorial — TechWave 2006

Wed, 09 Aug 2006 19:30:00 EDT

Welcome to TechWave 2006! The structure of the conference has changed significantly this year. The two- and four-day a.m. education courses are gone, at least in that format. This year what were the two-day classes are given in a single five-hour session on either Monday or Tuesday afternoon. What were the four-day a.m. courses are given in a single 10-hour session all day Tuesday.

Innovate or Die

Wed, 28 Jun 2006 12:45:00 EDT

PowerBuilder has almost entirely lost mind share. In order to reintroduce PowerBuilder to a new generation of developers, Sybase should treat it like a new product. When it was originally being developed, PowerSoft used the product internally and also partnered with clients, providing them with insight into what new features and improvements to existing features were needed. That same kind of insight is missing today. By partnering with key customers, Sybase can gain better knowledge about how the product is currently being used and which areas need improvement.

PBDJ Editorial — Introducing DataWindow.NET 2.0 and Looking Ahead

Fri, 12 May 2006 12:00:00 EDT

This month we'll take an in-depth look at the new features introduced or existing features enhanced in DataWindow.NET 2.0. In summary, DataWindow.NET 20 includes the following:

Top 10.5 Reasons to Use PowerBuilder 10.5

Wed, 15 Mar 2006 15:00:00 EST

This month we take an in-depth look at the new features introduced or existing features enhanced in PowerBuilder 10.5. Even though it is not a full point release, it (like 6.5) is a full major release. In order to get many of these enhancements to the user (you and me) sooner, Sybase split off a subset of the original enhancements planned for the 11.0 release. The stuff that is centered around .NET deployment remains in the 11.0 feature set. In the meantime, the features that were not .NET deployment-related are available now.

PowerBuilder Editorial: Déjà Vu All Over Again...

Mon, 27 Feb 2006 15:15:00 EST

Back in the late 1980s I was using a data management tool known as DataEase. At the time it was a DOS-based tool that communicated only with its own proprietary database files. Essentially it was a competitor to dBase, but one that was more network-aware and provided better screen-generation capability.

PowerBuilder DataWindow vs DataGridView Smackdown

Wed, 25 Jan 2006 20:30:00 EST

For the past three months I've been looking at new products or new versions of products that Sybase is introducing and reviewing some of my concerns with them. My general sense is that Sybase is often headed in the right direction, but that they're moving too slowly. In no place is it more obvious than when it comes to the core item that ties all these products together: the DataWindow. In this fourth and final month I'll be looking at the Sybase product that is essentially nothing but the DataWindow: DataWindow.NET.

JavaServer Faces DataWindow

Fri, 13 Jan 2006 13:30:00 EST

A few months ago I promised to look at four new or updated technologies coming from Sybase and discuss my concerns with each of them. So far we've looked at the deployment to ASP.NET feature coming in PowerBuilder 11 and the Application Server Plug-in for PowerBuilder that is being introduced simultaneously with (but as a separate product from) EAServer 6.0. This month I'll be looking at the JSF DataWindow and next month I'll be covering DataWindow.NET.

ASP.NET Application Deployment With Sybase PowerBuilder

Mon, 07 Nov 2005 12:30:00 EST

Last month I started a series in which I'll be looking at some of the important new technology offerings Sybase showed at TechWave and share with you my comments (good or bad) about those technologies.