ObjectSharp Blogs

You are currently viewing

Dave Lloyd's 2 Cents

: 

A .NET Developer's Perspective


Home > Blogs > dave

DataWindow .Net

Posted: Wednesday, August 04, 2004 12:33 AM by dave
Filed under:

Tonight I installed DataWindow.Net, which is shipping with PowerBuilder 10. It's a set of libraries that let you use PowerBuilder DataWindows in your .Net applications.

I downloaded an evaluation version of DataWindow.Net and the Datawindow Designer. I had to see what it was like. So I installed it, the install said it couldn't find a copy of Visual Studio 2003. So I had to add the Datawindow objects to the VS toolbox myself.

It added a DatawindowControl and DataStore and a Transaction Object.

So I opened the datawindow Designer and created a datawindow. Didn't have much trouble with that, it looked pretty much like PowerBuilder. Then I created a windows application in .Net and dropped a DataWindowControl on the form set the LibraryList property and DataObject property and there was my Datawindow in my .NET form.

I added a button and coded a setTransaction and Retrieve. (DataWindowControl methods to tell the datawindow what Database to connect to and execute the Select command of the Datawindow.)

My application built without error. And the bin directory contained a PBD (PowerBuilders version of a DLL) containing my Datawindow Object, along with some other Sybase DLL's. Unfortunately when I run my little application I get a TypeLoadException “Could not load type Sybase.DataWindow.DatawindowControl“. But I'm tired anyway so I'll try again tomorrow.

I'm going to try and do some more investigation. Mostly just for my own curiosity. There are a lot of things I don't miss about the Datawindow but there are a lot of things I miss a lot.

If anyone else out there is evaluating this new Sybase effort to save the DataWindow I'd be very interested in your findings also.

 

 

Comments

  • dave August 6, 2004 11:01 PM

    Hi Dave, I'm a technical evangelist at Sybase and am focused on the DataWindow .NET product. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments about our new product. I can tell you that the next release will support ASP .NET and we are working on integrating the DataWindow Designer into the Visual Studio IDE. We also plan to add support for .NET datasets.

    If you need any assistance with the error you received please contact me at dfish@sybase.com and I'll work to help you resolve the problem.

    Regards,
    Dave Fish
    Sybase

    dfish@sybase.com

  • dave August 9, 2004 9:08 AM

    Hi Dave (looks like it's Dave's all around <g>) I'm an engineer on the DataWindow team and DataWindow .NET is my baby.

    The TypeLoadException (as you know) occurs when the assembly, the type within the assembly or ... just cannot load it.

    This suggests that something is wrong in the installation ...
    When you dropped the DataWindowControl on the form did you see the headers of the DW? If so, then that implies that everything is in place because at that point all the needed DLLs and assemblies had been found.
    When you dropped the transaction and set properties did you try the "Test Connection"? and did it work?

  • dave August 9, 2004 9:17 AM

    Dave... Yes I can see the headers and two blank rows of the DataWindow Object in the DataWindow Control at design time. The only error I got suring installation was something about it could not find a copy of VS 2003 so it could not add the items to the toolbox. So I did it manually after installation.

  • dave August 9, 2004 10:52 AM

    OK ... so everything is there in at design time. Can you catch this exception in a try block? I'd be interested in unwinding the stack to see if there is a clue there.

  • dave October 7, 2004 1:03 PM

    hey guys , wondering you find a resolution to this? i had similar problem with error in vb.aspx application. exception thrown says
    "DataWindowInterop could not be loaded", tried reinstalling the framework, data window, copying datawindow.dlls into \bin .. run out of ideas now.
    cheers
    RI

  • dave October 21, 2004 6:59 PM

    I downloaded the trial and had no problems with the install. It was easy to use, runs very fast and is pretty seamless from within Visual Studio. There are some slight changes in some syntax, but it is fairly straightforward to figure out the syntax changes. There are a few small bugs in the datawindow designer regarding display, but the window displayed fine in C#. I will be publishing an article soon regarding this new release. Anxious to see the 1.5 release working in ASP.NET.

    I manage web application development teams and we use ColdFusion and Java - moving toward all java. I like .NET better on the web and on the client, but our company selected java. The grid always (and still does) lack the capabilities of the datawindow.

  • dave December 6, 2004 12:33 PM

    Hi

    I am trying to load an eval of datawindows.net. We are a PB shop going web, and want to try this. All installs go ok, but when I open Visual Studio, the datawindowcontrol object in the toolbar is disabled. Both other objects are visible, enabled, and work as expected. Why cannot I use the datawindowcontrol? THX

  • dave December 6, 2004 6:27 PM

    Does Datawindow .Net work on the web using ASP.Net ?? Whatever I have been reading about it so far, seems like it only works with Microsoft .Net Windows Forms. Please let me know. THAnks.

  • dave December 6, 2004 9:21 PM

    Victoria... I'm not sure why you Datawindow Control is disabled in the toolbox. I have read something about it but can't recall what it was. Keep googling I'm sure you will find the answer. If I come across it again I'll post it here.

    RJ...From what I understand the next version will be ASP.NET.

  • dave December 7, 2004 11:05 AM

    I am a diehard fan of PowerBuilder, specially that of Datawindow. While forced to learn .Net, just for learning purpose, I have started working to develop a components something similar to Datawindow (Object & Control). As you said, I would also miss lot of features of Datawindow & Datastore in .Net. Anyway, my project has started taking some shape. Final version of project will have at the most 1/10th of the features of PB Datawindow but conceptually it will work like a datawindw. I thought about DW in VS.Net before I came to know about Datawindow.Net. Today searchig on Google, I came to know about your site. Keep up the good work and probably people like us will able to keep DW alive for some more time.

  • dave December 7, 2004 11:10 AM

    There are definatly lots of PB still out there. The life of the DataWindow is in the hands of Sybase. I have been doing all I can to put them on the right track. :) I have been chatting with the architect responsible for the .Net Datawindow. We have exchanged ideas a few times. Fingers crossed.

  • dave December 15, 2004 9:37 AM

    I am making an attempt at the asp.net datawindow and am getting the following errors:

    BindConnection did not complete successfully, the error message is : Failed to initialize PBADO Component.

    and upon refreshing again, I get...

    Item has already been added. Key in dictionary: "3900" Key being added: "3900"

    The following is my code:

    OleDbConnection ioCon = new OleDbConnection() ;
    ioCon.ConnectionString = @"Provider=SQLOLEDB;Data Source=localhost;Database=museum;User ID=museum_user; Password=museum" ;
    ioCon.Open() ;
    Sybase.DataWindow.AdoTransaction SQLCA = new Sybase.DataWindow.AdoTransaction(ioCon) ;
    SQLCA.Connection = ioCon ;
    SQLCA.BindConnection() ;

    Any ideas?

  • dave August 30, 2005 9:15 AM

    I am having trouble installing the evaluation version of DW.NET and need help! I am currently working on a project which will migrate a large client-server PowerBuilder application to a an ASP.NET we application. I am trying to convince the powers that be to go with a Datawindow.NET solution, but I can't demo it for them because of an install error. I installed the .NET Framework 1.1 and VS.NET 2003 just fine, then when I went to install the evaluation version of DW.NET, I got an install error (1608: Unable to create InstallDriver instance) After monkeying around with the 9.0 version of InstallShield for a couple of days, I finally got past this error and got a new one (1628: Failed to Complete Installation) I had zero luck with Sybase Technical Support, so I'm hoping someone else can give me some suggestions. I need to show a proof of concept VERY soon... help!

  • dave October 25, 2005 4:49 AM

    Dear Sir
    I am Ramzy N.Ebeid
    i am using powerbuilder for 5 year
    i am starting to use dw.net 1.5 ,asp.net ,vb.net
    i need some support in this part i have all the doc. released by Sybase and it is not ehough for me .
    i am registered for sybase news group and it is some how good
    but i am asking you if you please have any other way of support even if it is registered sites
    i have to pay money to get support or any other sites that have help in this part
    DataWindow.Net
    i mean where to right scripts , how to right scripts etc....

    Please reply to me it is very important to me to do so

    thank you



    Ramzy N. Ebeid
    Senior Programmer – Development Division
    SoftZone for Computers P.O. Box 84904
    Dubai, United Arab Emirates
    Tel: +971 50 201 0876
    email: ramzy.ebeid@softzones.net , zonzone2003@yahoo.com
    Web: http://www.softzones.net

  • dave September 26, 2006 12:18 AM

    Hello,

    I really like the use of datawindows and I am considering buying it for use with Visual Studio 2003 but I ran into a problem. After I installed the trial version when I go to the tool box I see the new tab 'Datawindow .20' but the controls don't show in it. I have read that that some people were able add the controls manually however when I try it I get this error:
    "...Datawindow.dll' cannot be added...It was not recognized as a COM server or ...Datawindow.dll' is not a Microsoft .NET module".

    Help would really, really be appreciated.

    Tony

  • dave December 6, 2006 11:08 AM

    Hi Guys,
    The Datawindow.net with C# solution is great!
    I am developing an application on them. Everything is perfect but only one: It seems that the appliaction always linkes with Pbls, not PBD--Even it createa a Pbd in the bin fold. Anyone knows about the reason? Thanks a lot! I am waitting....
    My email:

    zhuzhousen@yahoo.com

  • dave December 11, 2006 12:31 PM

    Have PB10.5 & MS Visual Studio 2005. Is Datawindows.net already installed or do I have to download it?

  • dave December 11, 2006 2:33 PM

    Jack...You have to download and install it. It does not come with Visual Studio. You can get likely get an eval from www.Sybase.com

Leave a Comment

(required) 
(optional)
(required) 

Comment Notification

If you would like to receive an email when updates are made to this post, please register here

Subscribe to this post's comments using RSS