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PowerBuilder Roadmap

Paving the way for a simpler, faster, open-standards approach to building cloud apps for .NET!

Appeon is committed to revamping PowerBuilder into the most productive tool to build Cloud Apps for .NET.  We are following open standards and open source as much as possible.  We are providing migration solutions to minimize the cost of modernizing existing projects.  And you are scheduled to receive PowerBuilder roadmap features in agile 6-12 month cycles.

Cloud App Architecture

Client-side

While we believe that a native UI technology is best, we want PowerBuilder to be a versatile solution for Cloud App development.  As such, server-side business logic readily integrates with both native UI technologies and ASP.NET Core.

Server-side

Our aim is to simplify Cloud App development for .NET.  That’s why the new .NET DataStore is compatible with .NET Core, and that’s why PowerBuilder supports key cloud-native technologies, such as microservices, and containerization.

Cloud Features by Version

From the moment Appeon took over PowerBuilder from SAP, we began to “cloudify” the PowerScript desktop app.  But we also listened to our customers and enhanced existing client/server project features in every single major version.  Today, PowerBuilder 2019 already delivers a compelling solution for cloud app development, and with each new version it just gets better and better.

Cloud Consumption

Cloud Development & Migration

  • Rapidly develop C# Web APIs and assemblies with a cloud-native architecture using DataWindow technology and migration tools.
  • Key cloud-related features include various non-visual C# project types, .NET DataStore, enhanced REST Client, ASP.NET Core integration, and PowerScript-to-C# migration solution.
  • Other key features include UI themes, ribbon control*, TX TextControl, enhanced 64-bit compatibility, and file compression/decompression, new Web browser control*, and natively calling C# assemblies*.

    * Scheduled for PowerBuilder 2019 R2.

Cloud Desktop Deployment

  • Deploy PowerScript desktop apps, which are powered by C# Web APIs, seamlessly over the Internet. The desktop and web converged.

PowerBuilder 2019 Revisions

Based on customer feedback, Appeon typically revises a major version of PowerBuilder a few times to enhance its key features, introduce new minor features, and arrive at a long-term support version. 

Since revisions are based on customer feedback, we are not able to publish a detailed or complete feature list or exact release date.  However, we have outlined key focus areas for the revisions of PowerBuilder 2019 such that you have a sense of what may possibly come in the near future.  And you can expect to receive revisions of PowerBuilder 2019 in agile 6-12 month cycles.

Revisions Focus Areas

Enhancing C# Development

Some or all of the following features may possibly be included in the upcoming revisions to enhance C# development, which was first introduced in PowerBuilder 2019:

  • PowerScript-to-C# converter;
  • Scaffolding of services and controllers;
  • Web API testing utility;
  • SQL testing utility;
  • Modelling tool;
  • XML importing/exporting;
  • C# debugger enhancement;
  • .NET Core 3.0/3.1;
  • Asynchronous programming;
  • Docker integration;
  • ASP.NET Core Web project;
  • Support more databases, MySQL, SQLite, AWS Aurora and Azure SQL databases.

Enhancing the PowerBuilder IDE

Some or all of the following features may possibly be included in the upcoming revisions to improve the productivity of developing PowerScript apps in the PowerBuilder IDE:

  • Separate PB runtime from IDE;
  • New picture selection tool;
  • Directly open the folder of a file/project from the system tree;
  • More source control features, such as centralizing application properties in source control (instead of local to each machine), SVN view differences, and Git branching;
  • 64-bit debugging;
  • Search objects easier;
  • Right-click menu item to open the DataWindow object of a Dropdown DataWindow from the DataWindow painter.

   Enhancing PowerScript App UI/UX

Some or all of the following features may possibly be included in the upcoming revisions to enhance the UI/UX of PowerScript apps:

  • UI theme settings at window or userobject level;
  • Apply UI theme to window title, window border, menu, toolbar, status bar, and scrollbars;
  • RibbonBar control.

 Enhancing PowerScript App Integration

Some or all of the following features may possibly be included in the upcoming revisions to enhance PowerScript app integration with non-PowerScript apps:

  • Call C# assemblies from PowerScript apps;
  • Enhance the RESTClient, for example, retrieving data into composite DataWindow or structure.

Enhancing Web API Security

Some or all of the following features may possibly be included in the upcoming revisions to enhance Web API security:

  • Support TLS 1.3;
  • Support HTTP/2;
  • Authentication using mutual auth certificate.

Review Release History to Learn All the New Features!

You can expect to receive PowerBuilder releases in agile 6-12 month cycles.