Chris Pollach's Blog

Sybase has released the production version of its flagship .NET development tool - PowerBuilder version 11.2. This latest release of its premier IDE for RAD includes not only standard fixes but also a good list of new features. Here is the "Coles Notes" version of these new features ...

• AJAX functionality for Web Forms applications
  • introduces AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) update functionality for Web Forms applications. With ASP.NET AJAX, the page is updated by refreshing individual regions of the page asynchronously.
    
• Telerik RadControls supported
  • PowerBuilder 11.2 uses Telerik RadControls for menus, toolbars, and other controls in Web Forms applications by default. Telerik RadControls provide enhanced functionality for Web Forms toolbars and menus, DatePicker and MonthCalendar controls, and TreeView controls.
    
• Build .NET clients for EAServer
  • You can build a .NET client application that invokes methods of Enterprise JavaBeans (EJB) components or PowerBuilder EAServer components running in EAServer 6.1 or later. This capability is based on the .NET client ORB library introduced in EAServer 6.1.
    
• Application pools for Web Forms in IIS 7
  • Virtual directories in IIS 7 are hosted in an application pool. When you deploy a PowerBuilder Web Forms application to IIS 7 in PowerBuilder 11.2, the application is deployed to a PowerBuilder-specific application pool named PBAppPool.
    
• Certificate store for smart client applications
  • You can now select a digital certificate from a certificate store to sign your smart client application manifests. Previously you could only select a certificate from a file browser. You make the selection on the Publish page in the Project painter for a .NET Windows Forms target when Publish as a smart client application is selected on the General page. You can also select a password protected certificate.
    
• IDE user interface enhancements
  • Target-relative paths and shared projects
    Library tab and wizard in the New dialog box
    Library list and .NET Assemblies context menu items on targets in the System Tree
    Publish context menu item on smart client projects in the System Tree
    Files opened in File editor added to most recently used objects list
    File editor Open dialog box lists additional file types
    Current database connection displays in the PowerBuilder title bar
    UseEllipsis property available in edit styles in the Database painter
    
• Database connectivity enhancements
  • DisableBind DBParm supported by ASE and SYC database interfaces
  • Support for Oracle 10.2 NCHAR literal replacement.

• DEBUG condition in ORCA and OrcaScript.
  • PowerBuilder 11.2 includes a new property and method that allow you to programmatically compile standard PowerBuilder applications using or excluding script contained in conditional compilation blocks set with the DEBUG preprocessor symbol.

You can read the detailed release information on PB 11.2 from Sybase's web site.  From there, if you want to upgrade your PB 11.0 or 11.1 release, you can download the new version 11.2. However, because PB 11.2 is also AJAX enabled, you will also have to install Microsoft's AJAX 1.0 support.

It should be noted that the features listed on the next page will no longer be supported after PB version 11.2 ...