PowerBuilder 9.0 Practical Analysis

Author: Guo Baoli
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-03-01
Features: This book is divided into three parts: basic knowledge, practical techniques, and advanced topics. The content is not explicitly labeled to avoid artificially creating psychological barriers for readers. Chapter 1 introduces global basic knowledge to give readers a comprehensive understanding. Chapter 2 covers application objects, as they are the entry points for PowerBuilder application execution, so they are introduced first. Chapter 3 discusses the most commonly used windows, incorporating the design principles of Windows interface applications to provide developers with a structured approach to PB application interface design. Chapter 4 covers database-related knowledge and operations. These four chapters contain very fundamental content that beginners are interested in, so they are presented first. However, considering the progressive nature of learning, these chapters do not include too much practical or technique-oriented content. Starting with interface design and then programming follows the general learning pattern for beginners.
Chapter 5 begins introducing programming-related knowledge. While covering the basics, it also emphasizes the development of programming style, which is a fundamental quality for programmers to communicate effectively in team development. From this chapter onward, practical knowledge is integrated. Chapters 6 to 9 cover data window objects, common controls, data window controls, menus, and MDI applications, along with an example that is particularly engaging for learners. Through these chapters, readers should transition from beginners to developers. Therefore, Chapters 10 to 18 introduce various objects while also incorporating practical techniques and solutions to common development challenges. After studying this content, readers should become proficient developers capable of working on commercial software.
However, project development requires not only proficiency in development tools but also a higher-level development mindset and programming style. These determine whether a programmer has strong logical abstraction abilities, enabling them to write reusable programs. Programming style also ensures smooth communication among team members. To address this, the author dedicates two chapters to PFC programming and PB coding standards. When discussing PFC, the focus is not just on its usage but also on its design philosophy, allowing developers to grasp a reusable program design approach.
Chapters 20 to 27 cover the new features and extensions of PowerBuilder 9.0. This book comprehensively and systematically introduces the development environment, techniques, and the author’s extensive PowerBuilder development experience. The book is divided into three parts: Chapters 1–19 focus on C/S development, Chapters 20–24 on B/S application development, and the remaining content on PowerBuilder extensions. Chapters 1–4 introduce the basics of PowerBuilder; Chapters 5–9 cover programming knowledge, incorporating the author’s years of development experience; Chapters 10–19 and 28 closely align with software project design principles, presenting practical knowledge for PowerBuilder project development; other chapters focus on new features of PowerBuilder 9.0 and B/S development.
This book covers all aspects of PowerBuilder 9.0, with systematic, comprehensive, and practical knowledge points. It is suitable for engineering and technical personnel at all levels who are involved in or preparing to engage in PowerBuilder development, as well as faculty and students from universities and colleges.