Product Review

PowerBuilder 12 .NET Review

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:30:00 EDT

Yakov Werde has just written an article on DevX, which looks at the new version of Sybase's long running and successfull RAD development tool... PowerBuilder. 'A dormant giant gets a new lease on life as a .NET-compatible development environment.' I dont know if I totally agree with him on the use of dormant, as there are still many customers continuing to use PB, but the rest of his statement...how right he is, as PowerBuilder 12 .NET includes new features such as...

Eclipse Europa 3.3.2 Integration with SCM Tools

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 13:30:00 EDT

Presently, I am the administrator of SCM AllFusion Harvest. SCM AllFusion Harvest is a process-based Software Configuration Management (SCM) tool for managing application source code. I manage 121 applications housed in SCM AllFusion Harvest and support 185 users using the product. The development tools we currently use are PowerBuilder PBV8, PBV11; Visual Studio 2003, 2005, 2008; and Java.

Visual Studio 2008 Integration with SCM Tools

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:00:00 EDT

This article describes the integration between the SCM AllFusion Harvest Version Control Interface (VCI) and Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 for version control. It will show how to make the necessary connections using the interface, demonstrate check-outs and check-ins, how to delete files in proper order using SCM tools, demonstrate file comparison and how to exclude files, add new files, load the initial baseline via the Visual Studio IDE and promote the Change Request (CR) Package in SCM AllFusion Harvest through the entire lifecycle leaving the initial baseline footprint across all SCM AllFusion Harvest states.

Book Review: Murach’s SQL Server 2008 for Developers

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:30:00 EDT

Murach’s SQL Server 2008 for Developers is an upgrade from an earlier version that was written for SQL Server 2005. It employs the Murach approach of dual pages that repeat and enhance the concepts being presented on each page. As the authors have done with previous releases of SQL Server, this book serves as a good review and as an introduction to the new features added to SQL Server 2008.

BBrowse 2.14 by the PowerBuilder Developer's Resource

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 00:00:00 EDT

PowerBuilder provides an object browser - the utility accessed via the "Cubes with a pair of eyeglasses" icon on the PowerBar menu. If you haven't tried the PB browser, you should. Among other things, it eliminates the problem of identifying which PBL contains the object of interest. Click a tab to select an object type and you're immediately presented with a list of the current application's objects of that type. Right-click an object, select Edit from the popup menu and PB opens the object in the relevant painter. It's a fast way to navigate your PB application.

PowerBuilder Initial Baseline Load Process

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 10:30:00 EST

Presently, I am the administrator of AllFusion Harvest for the State of New Hampshire. I manage 100 applications housed in AllFusion Harvest and support 180 developers using the product. The development tools we currently use are PowerBuilder v8 and v11, Visual Studio 2003 and 2005, Java, and Visual Basic. As the software configuration manager, I provide the administration of the source code management tools.

HarPB Tool Review

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:45:00 EDT

HarPB is a specialized utility for checking PowerBuilder source objects in and out of AllFusion Harvest. It handles the special requirements of checking objects out to PowerBuilder Libraries (PBLs) and checking objects in from PBLs. These operations are non-standard to most source control systems, because the PBL is a proprietary binary format of PowerBuilder.

PBDJ Product Review: AllFusion Harvest Change Manager

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 10:00:00 EST

I began my career at RCA Aerospace and Defense in 1983 and worked at MITRE Corp., BAE Systems, and the State of NH. I worked in the defense field performing software configuration management (SCM) and release engineering activities from 1983-1996. In July of 1996, I began working for the State of NH, Department of Health and Human Services, performing the software configuration management role. I am the administrator of AllFusion Harvest.

The Top 250 Players in the Cloud Computing Ecosystem

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 14:45:00 EST

A robust ecosystem of solutions providers is emerging around cloud computing. Here, SYS-CON's Cloud Computing Journal expands its list of most active players in the fast-emerging Cloud Ecosystem, from the 'mere' 100 we identified back in January of this year, to 250 - testimony, if any further were needed, to the fierce and continuing growth of the "Elastic IT" paradigm throughout the world of enterprise computing.

PowerBuilder Product Review — Who Needs to Do Impact Analyses?

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 11:45:00 EST

Last week, our development team was supposed to launch a new version of our application. As usual, right before finishing the application we discover that one or two problems had to be corrected.

PowerBuilder Product Review: PowerGen by E. Crane Computing

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 20:00:00 EDT

We discovered PowerGen when we were looking for a command line utility for importing objects into PowerBuilder. At the time (PowerBuilder V5.0) we were struggling with a source control system whose SCC-API interface was having all kinds of trouble with PowerBuilder (as most source control systems did at the time). As a result we cobbled together our own check-in/check-out utility using PowerGen's command line operations.

Visual Guard by Novalys

Wed, 28 Jun 2006 12:45:00 EDT

Finally, here is a solution that will resolve, once and for all, a problem I've been having ever since I started my development: how to easily secure my application according to the user profile.

Mike Mason's New Book "Pragmatic Version Control Using Subversion" Is Out

Wed, 26 Jan 2005 00:00:00 EST

The award-winning series, The Pragmatic Starter Kit, has a new addition: Pragmatic Version Control Using Subversion, by Mike Mason, a senior developer with the transnational IT professional services firm ThoughtWorks.

PowerBuilder Native Interface Part 3

Fri, 09 Jan 2004 12:00:00 EST

The PowerBuilder Native Interface (PBNI) is a standard C++ programming interface that allows developers to extend the PowerScript language with C++ classes and to call PowerScript functions from C++ applications.

PowerBuilder Native Interface (PBNI) Part 2 - Extending functionality

Wed, 03 Dec 2003 14:00:00 EST

smlPortal 2.5 by PowerObjects

Wed, 12 Nov 2003 11:00:00 EST

In an effort to assist others who may be considering purchasing the smlPortal product created by PowerObjects, I decided to review my own company's experience with the product. Overall, we are very happy with smlPortal. We are a small group of individuals writing software that's used by our own employees.

PowerBuilder Native Interface (PBNI) Part 1

Wed, 12 Nov 2003 11:00:00 EST

Tips, Tricks & Recipes for Sybase ASE

Fri, 03 Oct 2003 14:00:00 EDT

In contrast with Rob Verschoor's previous book, The Complete Sybase ASE Quick Reference Guide, his new book, Tips, Tricks & Recipes for Sybase ASE, is a full-size book filled with a lot information that ASE administrators and ASE developers will find useful.

PowerBuilder 9: Internet and Distributed Application Development

Fri, 08 Aug 2003 10:00:00 EDT

Hang on to your seats PowerBuilder developers, PowerBuilder 9: Internet and Distributed Application Development packs a lot of information that will show you why PowerBuilder is as relevant today as it was at the height of the client/server wave.

Mobile and Wireless Design Essentials

Mon, 21 Jul 2003 11:00:00 EDT

It won't be long until a new product developed by Sybase hits the stores. Yes, I'm talking about Pocket PowerBuilder. For any professional (PowerBuilder) software developer, this should be reason enough to look behind the scenes of mobile and wireless development.

A New Methodology for Retraining the IT Workforce

Mon, 21 Jul 2003 11:00:00 EDT

As everyone working in the IT business is aware, the technology we use to develop our applications is constantly changing. Keeping abreast of the latest trends and practices could be a full-time job for developers, leaving no time for productive work.

New Client/Server DataWindow Features

Sun, 01 Jun 2003 00:00:00 EDT

Who says DataWindows can't get any better. Since the inception of PowerBuilder, the DataWindow has been a cornerstone of client/server software development.

Quma Version Control System

Sun, 01 Jun 2003 00:00:00 EDT

QVCS is a multiuser, file-based source control system that comes in two flavors: QVCS and QVCS PRO. The QVCS PRO version includes IDE integration and works with the export files of PowerBuilder objects.

Dynamic SQL

Thu, 01 May 2003 00:00:00 EDT

From the beginning, the DataWindow has been a powerful client/server control. What has set it apart from competing products is its ability to create SQL. In reality, the DataWindow is a SQL-generating machine. By keeping track of row and column statuses, the DataWindow is able to generate the correct SQL statement to UPDATE, DELETE, or INSERT rows into a database.

Dynamically Creating DataWindow Objects

Tue, 01 Apr 2003 00:00:00 EST

Objects can be added to your DataWindow programmatically via a Modify statement. In my opinion, the dynamic creation of objects within a DataWindow has been a highly underused feature.

WizTom

Sat, 01 Mar 2003 00:00:00 EST

You've meticulously developed and polished an application in PowerBuilder. Now it's time to publish it in several foreign languages. Localizing application software, under the best of circumstances, is a daunting task, and maintaining the resulting array of foreign-language products becomes an ongoing, time-consuming effort.

Using Oracle Stored Procedures in Your DataWindows

Sat, 01 Feb 2003 00:00:00 EST

Oracle was slow to introduce support for returning result sets from stored procedures. When they finally did add such support, they did so in a manner that was somewhat different than the approach used by other vendors.

PBSearch v3.1 by TopWiz Software

Sun, 01 Dec 2002 00:00:00 EST

Roland Smith's PBSearch utility is the tool to turn to when you need to find a string in your PowerBuilder application. For example, if you have an error message from a bug report, it takes PBSearch only a few seconds to find all the instances of that message. Similarly, if you want to see usage examples for a given function, PBSearch will quickly find and show you the places where that function is called in your application.

PB Code Analyzer v3.6c

Tue, 01 Oct 2002 00:00:00 EDT

PB Code Analyzer is a suite of useful development tools that works with all recent versions of PowerBuilder. Some of the more notable tools allow developers to check coding standards, create user reports, view object relationships (cross-references), document code, search objects, and view PBDebug and SQL trace files.

Visual Expert v4.5x by Novalys

Sun, 01 Sep 2002 00:00:00 EDT

Ever worked on an application you didn't write or that you wrote more than three months ago? Chances are most of us have, and we all face the same issues when looking to modify the code. What is this application doing? What is affected if I make changes to this object?

StarTeam 5.1 by Starbase

Sun, 01 Sep 2002 00:00:00 EDT

Source code control (SCC) has become a 'hot topic' lately, especially after PowerBuilder 8.0 was released, as it contains a wholesale revision to its interface with third-party SCC tools.

smlPortal by PowerObjects

Thu, 01 Aug 2002 00:00:00 EDT

PowerObjects' smlPortal is a tool designed to help PowerBuilder shops move their DataWindows to the Web quickly and easily without creating, securing, and extending a Web application.

Get the Training You Deserve

Mon, 01 Jul 2002 00:00:00 EDT

How often do you get training? Every six months? Once a year? Never? The fact is, most developers never receive any formal training after they move into the real world. Those who do probably don't take advantage of all the training that's available to them.

Bind Thread and Other Component Properties

Mon, 01 Apr 2002 00:00:00 EST

When creating an object that's destined to become a component in EAServer, you have a myriad of choices. Many of them surround how the object is built, the methods that are created, how transactions are handled, and much more.

Using Application Server View

Tue, 01 Jan 2002 00:00:00 EST

The Application Server view is a new feature in PowerJ 4.0. Similar to the Components view in PowerBuilder 8.0 that displays ActiveX controls, plugins, JavaBeans, and servers, the PowerJ Application Server view can be accessed from the main menu by selecting View Application Server.

Embarcadero's Rapid SQL Version 5.7

Thu, 01 Nov 2001 00:00:00 EST

There's nothing more tedious than having to type out SQL. While the glory of PowerBuilder rests primarily within its DataWindow technology, which saves us from most of this horror, we still need to write our own stored procedures, triggers, and other SQL logic. The database painter does have a SQL painter in its ISQL pane, but it's limited when it comes time to write stored procedures, triggers, and other objects.

Cast 4.0 Adds Java and Oracle Objects to Reverse Engineering

Thu, 01 Nov 2001 00:00:00 EST

The CAST workbench is a vital tool for our applications here at Williams Energy, and, in September 2000, I wrote a case study of how we applied the CAST workbench to our Natural Gas application to assist in learning about our object structure. This summer, CAST is going to release a newer version of the CAST workbench, and I've had a chance to look it over and run it through in advance. There are two primary new features.

What's New in EAServer 4.0

Mon, 01 Oct 2001 00:00:00 EDT

We have a new release of EAServer - version 4.0 - which I am very excited about... Version 4.0 takes advantage of Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) version 1.3 features and also provides many enterprise-level features that concentrate on performance, reliability, and usability. Most important, this version of EAServer is OEM friendly and addresses many OEM usability concerns that partners had in the past.

TechWave 2001

Mon, 01 Oct 2001 00:00:00 EDT

Each year Sybase hosts TechWave, a conference for users and customers. Besides providing an opportunity for attendees to visit, network, and consume alcohol, it's a chance to see new product offerings and features before their release to the general public.

ViewPoint/EA Review

Sat, 01 Sep 2001 00:00:00 EDT

To meet today's growing demand for delivering Web applications, you need a solid development framework. Fortunately for PowerBuilder developers, a couple of frameworks are available that will allow you to leverage your PowerBuilder knowledge and the power of Sybase EAServer to build Web applications. One such framework, EAF from Cynergy Systems Inc., was reviewed in the August 2000 issue of PBDJ(Vol. 7, issue 8). This article reviews the features of another framework, ViewPoint/EA from Applied Knowledge Inc. (AKI).