FAQ

Versions of Ultimate Suite for PowerBuilder

Supported versions of PowerBuilder

USPB 2022: PB 12.5 to PB 2021
USPB 9.x: PB 10.5 to PB 2019

What is the difference between PB UI Themes and Ultimate Suite Themes?

Both features define styles and colors, but not to the same controls:

• PB UI Themes apply to Standard PB controls
• Ultimate Suite Themes apply to Ultimate Suite controls

For a consistent UI, the Ultimate Suite themes match the standard PB UI Themes. So you should apply the same theme to both sets of controls.

You can learn more about PB UI Themes and how to define them with this video.

How do I implement Ultimate Suite for PowerBuilder?

The .zip file you have received contains some .PBDs. To test the Ultimate Suite for PowerBuilder controls in your application, simply add the advguicontrols.pbd, advguithemes.pbd and advguiobjects.pbd files to your targets library list. If applicable, also add the canvas.pbd file to your target's library list. You can test these controls with your application.

Does Ultimate Suite for PowerBuilder work well with Citrix?

Ultimate Suite for PowerBuilder Controls work fine with Citrix. Depending on the settings some degradation with the graphics may occur.

Does Ultimate Suite for PowerBuilder support Unicode?

All the Ultimate Suite for PowerBuilder Controls are able to display Unicode characters.

When I purchase a license will I have the source code (PBLs)?

Yes, Ultimate Suite for PowerBuilder is delivered with the source code.

Is Ultimate Suite for PowerBuilder compatible with PFC?

For the most part, they should work well together. The one thing you will have to look at is PFC sheet management if you choose to use PowerDock with TDI. If you use PowerDock with MDI or don't use PowerDock at all, there is no other issue.

How does the powermenu work together with PFC?

My frame window is today inherited from w_frame, but for powermenu to work it must be inherited from w_ribbonwindow.

You have to inject the w_ribbonwindow object into your applications window hierarchy. This is easily done by editing the source and changing the ancestor on a few windows. One thing to note is that menu management is different with the menu. If you have separate menus for your sheets, then a little extra work is needed to make that display properly.

In the trial version the pictures are a bit blurred. Will it be different with the purchased version?

The quality of the images that appear in the UI will depend on the quality of the images being used. The sample application uses some of the built in PB images which are 16x16. When scaled up in size, they don't look very good. If you use a high quality images, your application will look much nicer.

The Helpfile.chm doesn't open properly

Depending on the version of Windows you have you may need to modify the file properties (right click - security) to display it properly.

Why the canvas.pbd file is not necessary for newer versions of PowerBuilder?

Newer versions of PowerBuilder allow you to import a PBNI extension (PBX file) directly into a PBL. In the past (PB 11.x or older), it had to be built into a PBD and attached to the library list. U_canvase (which was in canvas.pbd) is now in the pbl.

Is there any way that we can use Powermenu features without having to inherit from w_ribbonmenu?

We use PFC framework and it requires our application to inherit the main window\frame from w_frame (which comes with PFC package). Is there any way that we can use Powermenu features without having to inherit from w_ribbonmenu?

You can "inject" the w_ribbonwindow between your PFC window and your main application frame. You would just have to change w_ribbonwindow to inherit from the PFC frame then change your main application window to inherit from w_ribbonwindow. One client is doing this with success.
You can also duplicate all the functions, events and objects in w_ribbonwindow on your main application window.
Note: it's valid for the permanent version not the trial

When I run my application from PowerBuilder all I see is white where the UI Controls should be rendered. Why is this?

The Ultimate Suite for PowerBuilder Controls rely on the PBNI object canvas.pbx to render graphics. Sometimes PowerBuilder loses track of where this file is. There are two things to do: 1) Make sure the canvas.pbx file is in the same directory as your application PBLs 2) If the canvas is in the same directory as your applicaton PBLs, move it to a directory that's in your PATH environment variable (e.g. the System32 folder).

If I use these controls, will I be able to compile the application using DLL’s (machine code), or just PBD(Pcode) files.

Yes, you can deploy using DLL's without any problems related to the UI controls.

For more information check out the PBTV webinar on How to Modernize the Look of your PowerBuilder Applications

Click to try or to get pricing information for Ultimate Suite for PowerBuilder.