Practical Analysis of PowerBuilder 9.0

Author: Guo Baoli, Kang Haitao, Li Dongdong (editors)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-03-01
Features: This book is divided into three parts: basic knowledge, practical techniques, and advanced topics; no obvious labels are used to avoid artificially creating psychological barriers for readers. Chapter 1 introduces comprehensive basic knowledge to give readers a general 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 are very fundamental and cover areas of interest to beginners, so they are presented first. However, considering the step-by-step learning process, these chapters do not delve too deeply into practical or technique-oriented content. Starting with interface design and then programming follows the general learning pattern for beginners.
Chapter 5 begins to introduce 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 environments. From this chapter onwards, practical knowledge is integrated. Chapters 6 to 9 cover data window objects, common controls, data window controls, menus, and MDI applications, along with an engaging example that should interest learners. Through these chapters, readers can transition from beginners to developers. Therefore, from Chapter 10 to Chapter 18, while introducing various objects, practical techniques and solutions to development challenges are also included. After studying these chapters, readers should become proficient developers capable of working on commercial software.
However, project development requires not only mastery of development tools but also a higher-level development philosophy 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 authors dedicate 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, helping developers grasp a reusable program design approach.
Chapters 20 to 27 introduce the new features and extensions of PowerBuilder 9.0. This book comprehensively and systematically covers the development environment, techniques, and the authors' 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 chapters on PowerBuilder extensions. Chapters 1–4 introduce the basics of PowerBuilder; Chapters 5–9 cover programming knowledge, incorporating the authors' years of development experience; Chapters 10–19 and 28 closely align with software project design principles, providing practical knowledge for PowerBuilder project development; other chapters focus on the 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 technicians at all levels who are involved in or preparing to engage in PowerBuilder development, as well as faculty and students in universities and colleges.