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Resolved Alternative Language to migrate from PB

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  1. Louis Arena
    Louis Arena
  2. PowerBuilder
  3. Tuesday, 6 September 2022 14:38 PM UTC

I have been building an application since 2001.  This application runs the entire business from POS, HR, Acounts Payable, Punch Clock, Management Reports, C/S, Cash Control, Commissions, etc.  Additionally, it makes several calls to outside 3rd parties, such as Dropbox, Credit Card processing, HubSpot, email verifier, and to our custom mobile app.  We have shown our system to other tax businesses who absolutely love it.  They have nothing like it.  However, when they ask what language, we use they are shocked that it is in PowerBuilder.  They know it is an older language.  But it has been maintained and new functionality is constantly added.  Additionally, I can build an entire new process, such as Accounts Payable in 2 to 3 days.

 

Here is my question, if you had to rewrite your PB application in a newer language what language would that be?  Also, what real benefit would you get from migrating to a new code base?

 

Thanks

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Responses (3)
Sivaprakash BKR
Sivaprakash BKR Accepted Answer Pending Moderation
  1. Thursday, 8 September 2022 11:23 AM UTC
  2. PowerBuilder
  3. # 1

Testing time for PB Developers !

What market demands on one side, what we could do with PB is another side.  If customers don't specify technology/language, there we have our hand.  Here we also tried to switch from PB few years back.  We analyzed Java and Windev then.   We tried developing a project in Windev, but didn't complete it as we felt that it's not like PB.  Though the UI's in Windev were better than that of PB, somewhere at some point of time we see a road block.  One must learn to develop application in Windev way.  Also need to handle a lot of bugs that remain unresolved for so many versions (years).  

Also time taken... performance... 
PB could easily display a 1000 pages report, in a couple of second and application remains responsive.
Power of Data window.  Nothing equivalent in any other languages.

In spite of all these, convincing our customers for PB remains as a real challenge.  They consider PB as a dead language. 
They want to hear the current buzz words.  Also the app should work on Mobile, Tablets, browsers.

It's also a challenge for Appeon to 

to keep in-tact the current PB developers
also bring-in new developers.

Current PB developers need products that will utilize their PB knowledge/libraries and yet develop powerful web, mobile, windows, Linux, mac apps.
New comers need a product that will make them to develop all apps in shorter span of time with the latest technologies. 

Atlast all we need is a good business. 

Happiness Always
BKR Sivaprakash

 

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PowerObject !
PowerObject ! Accepted Answer Pending Moderation
  1. Thursday, 8 September 2022 05:10 AM UTC
  2. PowerBuilder
  3. # 2

PowerBuilder is rapid and cost-effective - there is nothing like PowerBuilder and DataWindow!

Now, with .NET and C# integration, PowerServer and Cloud-Native Architecture, it is also future-proof!

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Armeen Mazda @Appeon
Armeen Mazda @Appeon Accepted Answer Pending Moderation
  1. Tuesday, 6 September 2022 15:26 PM UTC
  2. PowerBuilder
  3. # 3

There is much lower cost and lower risk thing you can do to overcome legacy perception of your system... invest fraction of the time it would take to rewrite and modernize your project with the new features of PB 2022.  Apply UI Themes and spend time to update your application UI to mimic today's modern apps.  Deploy your application with PowerServer so it is Internet-accessible app with centralized deployment.  When customers ask what kind of app it is, you can spin your solution as a .NET based cloud app since PowerServer server-side is 100% C# code running .NET 6.  But if your app is cloud app and UI doesn't look like 1995, I doubt your customers would be wondering how you developed it.  Just my .02 cents.

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Louis Arena
  1. Louis Arena
  2. Tuesday, 6 September 2022 15:42 PM UTC
That was a great response. I am using PB21, waiting on PB22. It is more about him feeling he needs to sell the program to others because they want to hear it is developed in PHP, react native, Expo, all buzz words he hears that mean nothing to our app. I am fully aware of PowerServer and would use it but he will not want to spend the money! So this is the cheapest and best ROI he is getting and he wants to make it worse because he believes there is a better language to use. But I have yet to find a better BUSINESS development language.
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Chris Pollach @Appeon
  1. Chris Pollach @Appeon
  2. Tuesday, 6 September 2022 15:56 PM UTC
Hi Louis ... FYI: PB 2022 has now been released: https://www.appeon.com/company/news/appeon-releases-powerbuilder-2022.html

;-)
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