Roy Kiesler

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. Modeled after the Java Native Interface (JNI), PBNI provides a native vehicle that extends the functionality of PowerBuilder to that of the C++ programming language. Since its inception, PBNI has gained remarkable popularity within Sybase. PowerBuilder 9.0 ships with many new features, three of which - EJB client, Web services client, and the PBDOM XML parser - are PBNI implementations. Those, however, are merely the tip of an iceberg; the promise of PBNI can lead PowerBuilder programmers to new frontiers such as Microsoft .NET and has the potential to establish PowerBuilder as a new component model, alongside Microsoft's COM and Borland's VCL. It's not the... (more)

XML DataWindows

XML is fast becoming the de facto industry standard for intercomponent and interapplication data transfer. While XML is more commonly used in distributed environments, it can be just as useful, and, at times necessary, in more traditional client/server applications. The PowerBuilder DataWindow has always excelled in the tasks of retrieving, presenting, and manipulating relational data. With the introduction of XML export and import features, the DataWindow is once again poised to handle the challenges of today's and tomorrow's technologies. What Is XML? The Extensible Markup Lang... (more)

PowerBuilder Native Interface (PBNI) Part 2 - Extending functionality

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. In Part 2, we'll create your first PBNI class and work with PBNI objects. In the following example, we'll build a very simple PBX that returns a string containing the text "Hello World". Tip Don't be discouraged by the simplicity of this example - we'll use it to ensure that all core PBNI components are in place. Subsequent examples will rapidly increase in complexity and... (more)

PowerBuilder Native Interface Part 3

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. Modeled after the Java Native Interface (JNI), PBNI provides a native vehicle that extends the functionality of PowerBuilder to that of the C++ programming language. In Part 2 (Vol. 10, issue 12), we created your first PBNI class and worked with PBNI objects. In Part 3, we'll trigger PowerBuilder events, call PowerScript system functions from within a PBS, and discuss ac... (more)

PowerBuilder 8.0 SSL Client Applications

Encryption, the process of scrambling data so that only trusted parties can unscramble it, stops unauthorized users from using intercepted data or login information passed between authorized users and servers. Today, Web-based network traffic is encrypted using the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption standard. The SSL protocol runs above TCP/IP and below higher level protocols, such as HTTP or IIOP. It uses TCP/IP on behalf of the higher level protocols, and in the process allows an SSL-enabled server to authenticate itself to an SSL-enabled client, allows the client to authen... (more)