PowerBuilder 2018

** Hot News **

PowerBuilder 2018 - Sneak Preview

      Appeon is now working hard on the new PowerBuilder 2018 release for next year. At this years fall 2017 Elevate Conference, Appeon demonstrated to the attendees the new PowerBuilder 2018 the .NET C# Compiler and new C# Web API target now integrated right inside the PowerBuilder IDE! Appeon has just released a video to the public today so that all PB Developers can have a sneak peak at this new "kool" feature. So you too ... can check out this feature coming to PB2018 next year - click here to view! - and also see PB handle the new .NET Core technology as well in stride!

      If you also missed the amazing Elevate 2017 Conference, Appeon has now published the conference materials online on their website for everyone to access. For a full exposure to what you missed at the conference or a recap of the events from the attendee's perspective, please click here!

Enjoy!

Regards ... Chris

PowerBuilder 2017 Universal Edition - MR02 released

** Hot News **

PowerBuilder 2017 - New Maintenance Release (MR02)

    Appeon have announced on October 31, 2017 that a new Maintenance Release (“MR”) #1689 for the Appeon PowerBuilder 2017 Universal Edition is available to download. This MR is targeted for PowerServer Mobile within the PB Universal Edition only and includes important bug fixes plus,  adding support for the iOS 11.x and Android 7.x operating system versions.  

Install the Maintenance Release

• PowerBuilder Standard and Cloud subscribers should skip this MR. 
• PowerBuilder Universal subscribers, if you’ve already installed the General Availability (“GA”) version, then you can directly install the new MR from the Downloads section from your User Center on the Appeon website.
• For PowerBuilder Universal subscribers, if you have not yet installed PowerServer Mobile (PB Edition), you should first download the GA version of PB2017 and then apply MR #1689 from the Downloads section in your User Center.

Update your Apps

• Make sure that you the re-deploy (full build) of your mobile apps with this latest PowerServer Mobile (PB Edition) once the MR is applied. 

Regards ... Chris

PB 2017 - Web Service PDF Generation

** Hot News **

Web Service PDF Generation

(Web Service In-A-Box)

   Software Tool & Die Inc. are pleased to announce the early release of their next Web Service "In-A-Box" series of turn key reusable components. This Web Service facilitates the generation of PDF files in the middle tier using either PB 2017 NativePDF, a 3rd party solution (ie: Amyuni) or a PostScript printer (ie: GhostScript open source) software solution.
  
  The current problem with the PowerBuilder Classic PDF implementation is that the PB application needs to quite often install & configure the external software or license 3rd party software on every PC where a PB application resides. This may also includes configuring a PostScript printer as well. A very tedious task for a few PC's, let alone when 100's or even 1,000's of PC's are concerned.

 

 

   The STD PDF Web Service negates the MS-Windows PC Client install & configuration by isolating the PDF generation software to an IIs application server. The Web Service component utilizes the frameworks PowerShell (aka Command Shell) interface to execute PDF Generation and Storage of the PDF file(s) on an accompanying Web Server. The native, web or mobile application can then make a simple URL request for the PDF file when its ready. The URL request will in turn render the PDF file within the client's local web browser.
  

   The current Web Service prototype renders the PDF file to the Web Server but, you could adapt the basic code to save the PDF file in a database table, FTP it to the client, etc just to name a few other alternatives. The PDF Web Service leverages the STD Web Service framework to enable the PDF generation. The example PB & Appeon Web/Mobile application utilizes the STD Integrated framework to call the PDF Web Service and then render the generated PDF file in the client's local web browser.

  You can download the PDF Web service, example PB & Appeon Web/Mobile client application by clicking here!

 

Enjoy ... Chris

PB/IM 2017 - MR01 Download

** Hot News** 

PowerBuilder / InfoMaker 2017

Maintenance Release #01

    Appeon has now released the first maintenance update for both PowerBuilder 2017 and InfoMaker 2017 products. If you have an active subscription to either PB2017 or IM2017 you can now download the MR01 software (build 1681) from your Appeon website login's User Center as follows:

• Proceed to the Appeon website
• Login using your Appeon login ID & password
• Proceed to the User Center
• Select Downloads tab
  
• For PowerBuilder, select the PB MR#1681 link
• For InfoMaker, select the IM MR#1681 link
  

Note: You must have either Appeon PowerBuilder 2017 Build 1666 or Appeon InfoMaker 2017 1666 already installed in order to apply MR01.


Regards ... Chris

Elevate Conference - Presentation Downloads

** Hot News **

Elevate Conference

Presentation Slides

    Appeon have now released a copy of all the presentation materials from this years Elevate 2017 PowerBuilder Conference held in Charlotte, NC, USA this past September.

     If you attended the Elevate conference, then you can access the various presentation materials as follows:

• Proceed to the Appeon website
• Login using your Appeon login ID & password
• Proceed to the User Center
• Select Conference Management
• Select My Documents

Download & Enjoy!


Regards ... Chris

New Integrated Foundation Classes (2017R2) Released!

** Hot News **

  New Integrated Foundation Classes (2017R2) Released!

 "THE" PowerBuilder Classic & Appeon Framework!

(v2017.2.0.76 - July 17, 2017)

 

   Software Tool & Die Inc (STD) are very pleased to announce that they have just released a new version 2017R2 (build 2017.2.0.76) of their Integrated Foundation Class library framework for the latest Appeon PowerBuilder, Appeon Web and Appeon Mobile!

Note: This is the first release of the framework specifically for PowerBuilder 2017!

   The latest Integrated framework version contains the following updates and has been tested with MS-Windows 10 O/S (Creator Edition), PB 2017 build #1666 and the Appeon 2016 PowerServer  (build 1119). Testing inside of PB included Win32 (both P-code & M-code) and Win64 ( P-code) deployments. Testing inside of Appeon Web & Mobile included latest Web Browsers, latest Apple Tablet/Smart Phone and Android Tablet/Smart Phone  deployments.

Note: All the STD frameworks are free and can be downloaded from its STD Foundation Classes SourceForge project website.

Release 2017.2.0.76 - Major Release (2017R2) - change highlights ...

• Migration of entire Integrated framework from PB 12.6 to PB 2017.
• Added support for 64bit application processing.
• Added "AddFontResourceEx" and "RemoveFontResourceEx" font API's to nc_app_controller_master
• Added "ib_pdf_native" switch to support PB 2017's new native PDF feature to nc_app_controller_master
• Revised code in nc_app_controller_master "of_get_dbms_version" method to use INI file
• Revised code in nc_app_controller_master "of_set_pbdebug_on" method to support PB 2017
• Revised code in nc_app_controller_master "of_set_pbdebug_output_file_name" method to support PB 2017
• Revised code in nc_app_controller_master "of_set_pbdebug_delete" method to support PB 2017
• Revised code in nc_app_controller_master "of_set_pbdebug_option" method to support PB 2017
• Revised code in nc_app_controller_master "Constructor" for "expected" db version from INI file
• Revised ns_ds_master to add ib_pdf_native switch for native PDF support in PB 2017
• Revised ns_ds_master "oe_postconstructor" method to manage Native PDF Gen in PB 2017
• Added ns_ds_master "of_set_pdf_native" method to support Native PDF Gen in PB 2017
• Added ns_ds_master "of_get_pdf_native" method to support Native PDF Gen in PB 2017
• Revised ns_ds_master "RetrieveEnd" method to support Native PDF Gen in PB 2017
• Revised ns_dc_master to add ib_pdf_native switch for native PDF support in PB 2017
• Revised ns_dc_master "oe_postconstructor" method to manage Native PDF Gen in PB 2017
• Added ns_dc_master "of_set_pdf_native" method to support Native PDF Gen in PB 2017
• Added ns_dc_master "of_get_pdf_native" method to support Native PDF Gen in PB 2017
• Revised ns_dc_master "RetrieveEnd" method to support Native PDF Gen in PB 2017
• Framework documentation completely updated using the new VisualExpert 2017 product!

Actual Integrated Documentation from VE 2017

   STD would like to thank Novalys Corporation for their support of the Foundation Classes by supplying the VisualExpert product for the framework's documentation.


Please Note: This is the first version of the STD Integrated framework for PowerBuilder 2017. All future Integrated framework releases will be solely based on PowerBuilder 2017 and the Appeon product family.

Enjoy!

Regards ... Chris

Migrating to PB 2017

** Hot News **

Migrating to PowerBuilder 2017

       Please note that the recorded webinar Migrating to PowerBuilder 2017 is now available to watch on the Appeon website. Please click here to view!



Enjoy .. Chris

STD Web Service Foundation Classes (2017R2) Released!

** Hot News **

"THE" PowerBuilder Classic Web Service Framework!

(v2017.2.0.65 - July 9, 2017)

     Software Tool & Die Inc are please to announce the release of their new STD Web Service Foundation Classes for .Net/IIS (STD FC WS). The updated Web Service framework is solely targeted to helping PowerBuilder Classic developers, develop .Net based Web Services deployed to MS-IIS application servers. The Web Service based framework takes advantage of RAD techniques - employs an MVC (Model, View, Controller) architecture for superior performance, flexibility and extendability.  

Note: All the STD frameworks are free and can be downloaded from its STD Foundation Classes project located on the SourceForge website.

    The Web Service framework - while greatly improving the PB & Appeon developer's productivity - also includes these types of features to help with RAD based projects:

• Helps the PB developer to Implement "stateless" programming
• Does DBMS transaction management automatically
• Manages DataStores for you automatically
• Manages DB updates for you automatically
• Facilitates  MVC design & programming
• Provides Encryption / Decryption services
• Provides extended numerical services (ie: And / Or / Xor / Xand / etc features to PowerScript
• Provides Result Set generation for any data
• Provides HTML generation for any data
• Allows STMP eMail generation
• and much more!

    The main updates included in the STD Web Service FC's Version 2017.2.0.65 for PB 2017 & .NET / IIS include....  

• Migrated the Web Service framework from PB 12.6 to Appeon PB 2017 Universal Edition.
•     (Note: Also supports Appeon PB 2017 Cloud Edition.).
• Changed the release number in nc_ws_master.
• Various performance enhancements & alignment to .Net 4.6.
• Added Native PDF support code into the ns_ds_master. 
•     (Note: feature not yet supported in PB 2017 for Web Services).
• Added new MS-Windows API declarations into nc_master.
• Tested framework on the new W10 "Creator" edition & latest IIS.
• Revised nc_ws_master for default framework version & Workspace path. 
• Framework documentation updated using the new VisualExpert 2017 product!

Actual Web Service Framework documentation from VE 2017

   STD would like to thank Novalys Corporation for their support of the Foundation Classes by supplying the VisualExpert product for the framework's documentation.


Please Note: This the first version of the STD Web Service framework for Appeon PowerBuilder 2017. Previous versions of the Web Service framework have been preserved in the Archive folder that will work with SAP PowerBuilder 12.x versions. STD will only be updating the Web Service framework for PB 2017 & higher from this point on-wards. 

Enjoy!

Regards   ... Chris

PowerBuilder 2017 - Product Launch

** Hot News **

 PowerBuilder 2017 

Product launch

     The recorded video from Appeon's PowerBuilder 2017 product launch webinar is now online for your viewing pleasure ... click here to view.

     For more information on PowerBuilder and other Appeon products, please visit their website.

Regards ... Chris

Appeon Webcasts - PowerBuilder 2017

** Hot News **

Hands-on Look at PowerBuilder 2017

    In this official Appeon Webcast, Appeon will share with you how PowerBuilder has been changed over the last 9 months, and highlight important considerations related to switching over. This will be followed by a first hands-on look at PowerBuilder 2017 along with some quick tutorials for the most important new features. 

    The Webcast will commence at 9:00 AM PDT (San Francisco time) on June 30, 2017. Appeon will be recording the webcast and will notify all registrants when the recording is available, so please register even if you cannot attend.

Click here to register!

Migrating to PowerBuilder 2017

    In this webcast, John Strano a senior consultant with Intertech Consulting, will share with you tips and tricks for migrating a PowerBuilder 12.5 application to the new PowerBuilder 2017 release. Although this Webinar focuses on PowerBuilder 12.5, the lessons learned here should be applicable to other versions of PowerBuilder dating as far back as PowerBuilder 10. Join the Webcast - especially if you pre-ordered PowerBuilder 2017 or are planning to upgrade soon! 

   The Webcast will commence at 9:00 AM PDT (San Francisco time) on July 12, 2017. Appeon will be recording the webcast and will notify all registrants when the recording is available, so please register even if you cannot attend. 

Click here to register!



Regards ... Chris