PowerBuilder

PowerBuilder has a native data-handling object called a DataWindow, which can be used to create, edit, and display data from a database. This object gives the programmer a number of tools for specifying and controlling user interface appearance and behavior, and also provides simplified access to database content and JSON or XML from Web services. To some extent, the DataWindow frees the programmer from considering the differences between Database Management Systems from different vendors. DataWindow can display data using multiple presentation styles and can connect to various data sources.

PowerBuilder is used primarily for building business CRUD applications.

Although new software products are rarely built with PowerBuilder, many client-server ERP products and line-of-business applications built in the late 1980s to early 2000s with PowerBuilder still provide core database functions for large enterprises in government,[6][7][8] higher education,[9] manufacturing, insurance, banking,[10] energy, and telecommunications.

Job openings for PowerBuilder developers are readily available but often revolve around maintaining existing applications.

The First version of PowerBuilder was released by PowerSoft in July 1991 [11]

In December 2013 SAP announced the new version going directly to number 15 and released a beta version.[12] Key features included support for the .NET Framework v4.5, SQL Server 2012, Oracle 12, Windows 8, OData and Dockable Windows. SAP later released this as version 12.6.

On May 31, 2019 PowerBuilder 2019 was launched by Appeon. This release supports C# development. It provides a new C# IDE, .NET data access objects, C# migration solution, Web API client, and UI themes.[13]

On April 3, 2020 PowerBuilder 2019 R2 was launched by Appeon. This release includes a first-ever PowerScript-to-C# code converter, which can automatically migrate 80-95% of PowerBuilder business logic and DataWindows to C#.[14] Interoperability between PowerScript and .NET programming languages is also now supported. Many existing features have also been enhanced.

On January 22, 2021 PowerBuilder 2019 R3 was launched by Appeon. This release provides a groundbreaking new app deployment technology called PowerClient, which securely automates the installation and update of client apps over HTTPS. C# Web API development has been greatly enhanced with asynchronous programming and support for Amazon Aurora and Azure cloud databases. Aside from many other new features, PowerBuilder 2019 R3 is a long-term support (LTS) version that replaces previous LTS versions[15]

On August 6, 2021 PowerBuilder 2021 was launched by Appeon. The Cloud deployment capability of the PowerBuilder 2021 IDE, in conjunction with the matching PowerServer 2021 runtime, has been completely revamped to handle the most daunting projects with ease and bring PowerBuilder up-to-date with the latest .NET technologies. The presentation layer now executes PowerScript natively on Windows devices. The middle-tier has been rebuilt around REST API standard with a pure .NET Core implementation. Added a new CI/CD utility that integrates with Git/SVN and Jenkins, compiles all PowerBuilder projects using the command-line interface. It includes many other new features, making PowerBuilder one of the easiest and most productive tools for developing Installable Cloud Apps.[16]

On September 4, 2022 PowerBuilder 2022 was launched by Appeon. This release brings enhancements to the productivity of developing both client/server & installable cloud apps and more security measures to safeguard your apps. It includes many new features, including Windows 11 support, introducing time-saving functionalities to the IDE, such as Tabbed Code Editor, Jump to Objects, and Quick Code Search, and supports the latest HTTP/2 and TLS 1.3 protocols and two-way TLS authentication.[17]

PowerBuilder is an object-oriented programming language. Nearly all of the visual and non-visual objects support inheritance, polymorphism, and encapsulation. The programmer may utilize a common code framework such as PowerBuilder Foundation Classes, also known as PFC, to inherit objects from and leverage pre-existing code.[18]

The DataWindow is the key component (and selling point) of PowerBuilder. The DataWindow offers a visual SQL painter which supports outer joins, unions and subquery operations. It can convert SQL to visual representation and back, so the developer can use native SQL if desired. DataWindow updates are automatic — it produces the proper SQL at runtime based on the DBMS to which the user is currently connected. This feature makes it easier for developers who are not experienced with SQL.

The DataWindow also has the built-in ability to both retrieve data and update data via stored procedures or REST Web APIs as well as import/export JSON data. The RESTClient object introduced in PowerBuilder 2017 facilitates bridging the DataWindow with REST Web APIs and requiring minimal coding.[19]

 UPDATE my_employee SET STATUS = 'A';
 IF sqlca.sqlcode<>0 THEN ...

Extensibility of the language was rather limited for older versions of PowerBuilder. The technologies provided to overcome this (ex. PowerBuilder Native Interface, or PBNI) is rather tricky. To develop a solution that includes external C++ code may not only require a competent C++ developer, but also a PowerBuilder expert to guide the developer through the myriad subtleties of the language and the PowerBuilder Virtual Machine.

Inheritance and object-oriented features are limited to some object types (Windows, Userobjects and Menus). In particular, it is not possible to inherit from a DataWindow. A PowerBuilder user cannot open a descendant and a parent at the same time in the painter, though they can see all ancestors' code while working on the descendant.

To address these criticisms, Appeon has set a new roadmap for PowerBuilder, which it publishes openly on the Appeon Website.[20] Amongst developers, the (classic) PowerScript language itself, which is still available for compatibility reasons, is known as a "language built around the DataWindow", and PowerBuilder is known as the "IDE built around the DataWindow". C# development centered around a new .NET DataWindow with automated migration of existing DataWindows was introduced in PowerBuilder 2019.[21]

Since Appeon took over PowerBuilder, it has launched a new official community website for PowerBuilder developers. This community website offers technical articles, webinars, and Q&A, which are authored by community users. Appeon also hosts an annual user conference called Appeon Elevate, and recordings of the conference sessions are available from the conference website. There are a number of local user groups around the world that cooperate with Appeon to deliver abridged versions of the conference in seminar format and local language. [22]

There are also a variety of grass roots community groups and resources for PowerBuilder developers to share and convene. PowerBuilderTV[23] is series of webinars by PowerBuilder users and vendors that tend to focus on third party add-ons. PowerBuilder Central[24] is a community initiative to create a single source for third party add-ons and services.

• Appeon PowerServer - Deploys existing or new PowerBuilder projects as Cloud-native applications that runs on .NET Core with support for almost every single PowerBuilder feature, including the PFC framework.[25]
• Visual Expert for PowerBuilder - Visual Expert helps in sharing the knowledge of your applications. It also automates impact analysis and checks code quality.[26]
• Enable Multilingual - Enable makes PowerBuilder applications multilingual quickly and easily. Using Enable, developers can only need to make a few small changes to the original PowerBuilder code to go from monolingual to multilingual.[27]
• ProDiff for PowerBuilder - ProDiff is designed to highlight the differences between versions of PowerBuilder development source code.[28]
• Visual Guard for PowerBuilder - Visual Guard is an access control and application-level permissions tool. It helps you centralize view and control of users and their rights in PowerBuilder applications.[29]
• STD Framework for PowerBuilder - A Free object oriented development framework for PowerBuilder Classic, Web Services, Appeon PowerServer Web and Mobile.[30]
• Ultimate Suite for PB - A suite of controls, written in PowerScript, that modernizes the GUI of PowerBuilder applications; Ultimate Suite for PB gives applications a contemporary look and makes them more user-friendly.[31]
• AscentialTest - Automated testing for PowerBuilder, web, and others. Deep integration with the PowerBuilder VM api's allow AT to see and understand PB objects.
• PowerGen - Automated build and regeneration of PowerBuilder applications. Supports building directly from Source Control.[32]

29. Ultimate Suite for PowerBuilder Product Page

• Official website