.NET DataStore
Rapidly Build .NET Projects with DataWindow Technology
Reuse your existing DataWindows to rapidly create full-functioning REST APIs from PowerBuilder. Seamlessly integrate with front ends like PowerBuilder, Angular, React, Blazor, or mobile apps.
Automatic Creation of REST APIs
Modernize your application architecture with minimal effort—PowerBuilder 2025 enables automatic create of REST APIs using the new .NET DataStore project type.
One-Click API Generation
Instantly generate standard CRUD REST APIs from existing DataWindows—directly in the PowerBuilder IDE. Simply select the DataWindow or DataStore, set your database profile, and PowerBuilder produces a complete, production-ready ASP.NET Web API project.
Front-End Agnostic
The generated REST APIs adhere to cloud-native standards and can be consumed by any modern front-end framework—PowerBuilder, Angular, React, Blazor, or mobile.
Cross-Platform Deployment
The REST APIs are 100% managed .NET code and can be deployed to Windows or Linux environments using IIS, Kestrel, Docker, or popular cloud services like Azure and AWS.
Open Source & NuGet Packages
All .NET DataStore libraries are available as compiled NuGet packages and in full C# source code form—offering maximum flexibility, transparency & customization.
Extend Your REST API Easily
The .NET DataStore project generates standard C# CRUD REST APIs based on the DataWindows you select—ready to run out of the box and easy to extend.
Well-Structured Project
The generated code follows clean design patterns—like separation of concerns and repository pattern—and is written in 100% managed .NET code. It’s optimized for cloud-native deployment and organized in a way that’s easy for PowerBuilder developers to understand, modify, and extend.
Powerful and Easy
The non‑visual DataWindow API in C# mirrors that of PowerBuilder—data buffers, row states, transactions, and system functions—so you are getting a powerful data object in .NET and PB developers feel right at home developing complex REST APIs using it.
Any C# IDE
Modify, extend, and deploy in the development environment you're most comfortable with—whether it's SnapDevelop, Visual Studio, or another C# IDE. You have full access to the generated codebase and can manage it with your preferred tools and workflows.
Key DataWindow Features in C#
Working with .NET DataStore in C# shares a lot of similarities with working with the DataWindow in PowerScript. You can leverage existing PowerBuilder skills and code assets, plus it is simply much more productive than many other ways to develop business apps in C#.
The DataStore class is created based on a standard C# POCO model. It maps columns to database tables and contains the related SQL. All the DataWindow-related functions are provided as either attributes or properties of the models. For example, the following DataWindow features are supported as standard model attributes or properties:
Using PBSelect, Raw SQLs, Parameters, Table, Key, UpdateWhere function, Stored Procedures, etc. in the CRUD definitions.
Defining all DataWindow presentation styles (except OLE and Crosstab).
Learn more about the Model attributes and properties.
.NET DataStore provides a set of comprehensive interfaces to allow users to easily and productively implement non-visual DataWindow techniques.
DataStore APIs – supports almost the same non-visual properties, methods and events as the PowerBuilder DataStore.
DataWindow Expressions – supports using DataWindow expressions in Computed Fields, Sorting, Filters, Evaluate methods, and Validation rules.
DataWindow Property Expressions – supports accessing model metadata via dot notation.
DataWindow Data Expressions – provides a set of methods to achieve the same results of DataWindow Data Expressions, e.g., get data from multiple rows, set data to multiple rows, get data from columns, and set data to columns.
Child DataWindow – supports using child DataWindows, and provides the GetChild method to manipulate data.
Dynamic DataWindow Technique – supports dynamically creating and retrieving data to .Net DataStore. It also supports dynamically accessing the DataWindow data via Describe and Modify methods.
System Functions – Many PowerScript system functions already have equivalent native methods in C#, and .Net DataStore adds support for an additional 70 non-visual system functions. These system functions are provided as either class methods or extension methods of the C# data type.
.NET DataStore also provides a set of comprehensive interfaces to allow developers to embrace more of what .NET and cloud-native programming has to offer.
Asynchronous APIs – provides a set of APIs to perform CRUD operations asynchronously (e.g., UpdateAsync, RetrieveAsync, and RetrieveByKeyAsync).
Generic APIs – provides a set of generic APIs that make coding more concise and type safe, thereby significantly boosting development productivity.
IList
Data Exchange – provides multiple methods to facilitate the data exchange between the PowerBuilder Client and REST API Projects e.g., ExportJson, ImportJson, AddDataStore or GetDataStore.
The database connection and transaction management of .NET DataStore are managed by the DataContext of the SnapObjects open-source ORM framework.
Explicit Transaction – the explicit transaction is managed in the same way as PowerBuilder. It also supports the AutoCommit settings of the transaction.
Implicit Transaction – uses implicit transaction management provided in SnapObjects to create complex multi-type transactions with minimal coding.
Rational Databases – supports various leading rational databases, including SQL Server, Oracle, SQL Anywhere, ASE, HANA, PostgreSQL, MySQL, and SQLite.
Cloud Databases – supports cloud databases in Amazon and Azure, including:
- Amazon Aurora, RDS for SQL Server, RDS for Oracle, RDS for PostgreSQL, and RDS for MySQL; and
- Azure SQL Database, Azure Database for PostgreSQL, and Azure Database for MySQL.
Customer Story
Adding Mobile Capabilities
Marco Crane extended its PowerBuilder ERP system with mobile capabilities, enabling field workers to check scheduled jobs and receive push notifications on their devices.
Powering a Modern Web Front-End
Solidus Securities Investment Services successfully generated thousands of REST APIs by leveraging their existing DataWindows. Those APIs now power a responsive Vue.js/RestBoard front-end, delivering a modern web experience.
Getting Started
Download the trial to start developing your first REST API using powerful DataWindow technology. We also recommend you dive deeper by watching .NET DataStore Training video.
Pricing
PowerBuilder CloudPro
Deploy existing client/server applications as Installable Cloud Apps with a REST API architecture. The absolute fastest path to the Cloud!
$1,595
Developer ∙ Year
PowerBuilder Professional
Rapidly develop client/server applications with the productivity of DataWindow technology. Provides many built-in features to instantly modernize!
$895
Developer ∙ Year