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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, ModelStore, enhanced REST Client, ASP.NET Core integration, and NVO-to-C# migration solution.
  • Other key features include UI themes, ribbon control*, TX TextControl, enhanced 64-bit compatibility, and file compression/decompression.

    * 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:

  • .NET Core 3.0;
  • Asynchronous programming;
  • XML importing/exporting;
  • Docker integration;
  • SQL testing utility;
  • Web API testing utility;
  • C# debugger enhancements;
  • ASP.NET Core Web project;
  • PowerScript-to-C# syntax converter(additional license) ; and/or
  • Support more databases, such as MySQL and SQLite.

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:

  • Directly open the folder of a file/project from the system tree;
  • Right-click menu item to open the DataWindow object of a Dropdown DataWindow from the DataWindow painter;
  • Search objects easier; and/or
  • Centralize application properties in source control (instead local to each machine).

   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:

  • Enhances the UI theme feature introduced in PowerBuilder 2019 (according to customer feedback);
  • Ribbon control; and/or
  • Status bar 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; and/or
  • Enhance the REST client, for example, retrieving data into a 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; and/or
  • OAuth server (client already in PowerBuilder 2017).

Review Release History to learn all the New Features!

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