Implementing OAuth 2.0 Authorization with PowerBuilder 2019 R2

Introduction

PowerBuilder supports getting secured data from the OAuth 2.0 authorization server. The Bearer access token is supported, and the following grant types are supported:

• Authorization Code
• Implicit Flow
• Client Credentials
• Extension (or Refresh Token)
• Resource Owner Password

This document provides an example on how to set up OAuth 2.0 authorization workflow using the Authorization Code grant type in a PowerBuilder application.

How to Define Events for RibbonBar Controls

Learning to define user events for items in the RibbonBar control feels like a lot of trial and error.
Different items support different events. Same event type requires different parameters.
My aim with this article is to take "... and error" out of your RibbonBar coding.
For each ribbon item type you get user event definitions that work.

Each ribbon item has its own XML element (here: Print Title is a CheckBox).
Each item binds specific user events via properties (here: Clicked on CheckBox binds to ue_PrintTitle)
Each user event must have the correct parameter list (here: Clicked event for CheckBox always requires al_handle while no other parameters allowed)
Each item type has its own PowerScript class and functions to obtain the object (here: Obtain class = RibbonCheckBoxItem via function GetCheckBox)
 

Enhanced JSON handling

Why enhance JSON handling?

Reading and writing JSON in PowerBuilder is simple using PowerBuilder’s RESTClient object; however, the JSON needs to be in a two-dimensional format. But there are times when the JSON you are working with has multiple nested levels, especially if working with data from an external interface not under your control.

The PowerBuilder objects JSONParser and JSONGenerator can be used to parse or generate such JSON with multiple nested levels.  However, a key caveat is that the JSONParser and JSONGenerator require the JSON data to be accessed through “handles”.  For example, the getItemObject() returns a handle rather than the full JSON object.  Compared to an object-based approach, this handle-based approach requires more coding by the developer.

Powerbuilder 2019 on Linux

Did you know that Powerbuilder 2019 could run on Linux ?

Since Powerbuilder 2019 is now in 64 bit, it is now a lot easier to run on Linux using wine64

REST Enhancements in PowerBuilder 2019

REST support was added to PowerBuilder in 2017 R2 and enhanced in 2017 R3.  PowerBuilder 2019 contains additional significant enhancements to REST support, including the following:

• RetrieveOne method – For REST methods return one row
• Submit method - sends request and returns data in one operation
• SetRequestHeader behavior modified
• GZIP compression handled automatically
• Send[Method]Request, where method can be Get, Put, Post, Patch, Delete
• Get and Set OAuth token methods
• Get and set JWT token methods

JSON Enhancements in PowerBuilder 2019

Support for the JSON format was added in the PowerBuilder 2017 R2 release and then enhanced in 2017 R3.  PowerBuilder 2019 contains even more enhancements in this area, particularly with regard to:

1. Enhanced JSONParser
2. Enhanced JSONPackage
3. DataWindows Row Level Import/Export
4. New ModelStore JSON Format

Enabling Drag & Drop from Outlook

Enabling Drag & Drop from Outlook to PB using a 3rd Party (free) DLL

While trying to find a solution on how to be able to do a drag & drop from outlook into PB, I did find a DLL library from a 3rd party. The DLL was free to use (source code available to purchase) and it worked bot in x32 and x64 environments.

The reason why I'm posting this is that while searching from the internet for a solution, I didn't find that many useful pages. After two days of searching, I stumbled on this and thought thet other PB users can benefit from this.

The link to the DLL site is here https://www.catsoft.ch/#download

and on the page look for "Drag & Drop in PowerBuilder"

I have now other association to the 3rd party, other than that I use the DLL. I also askes permission for the posting from the 3rd party.

I'm happy with the DLL, and the users of our product also like the possibility to drag & drop emails or just a sibgle attachemnt, directly from Outlook to the PB application.

Kari

NULL Handling in C# vs. PowerScript/SQL

C# handles NULL quite different than PowerScript and SQL.
Same code in PowerScript and C# may have different outcome.

Tile Menu Style using Datawindow Object

Have you ever wanted Windows Tile Menu Style on your application? this datawindow object can give you way to have it.
Just add row data to set Image, Text and size of the tile.

PowerBuilder Modern Mobile App UI Framework

Download this Mobile UI Framework that also works on desktop and Web with Appeon from the link on my blog :
zulmach.wordpress.com