The PBNI SDK

PowerBuilder Native Interface

The PBNI SDK

When you install PowerBuilder, the Software Development Kit (SDK) for PBNI is installed in the PowerBuilder 12.50\SDK\PBNI directory. The SDK tools, pbsig125 and pbx2pbd125, are also installed in the Shared\PowerBuilder directory so that they are available in your path.

The SDK contains the components shown in the following table.

Table 1-1: Contents of the PBNI SDK

Component

Description

pbx2pbd125.exe

A tool that generates a PBD file from a PowerBuilder extension file. The extension file is a DLL file that must export a set of PBNI functions. The DLL is usually called a PBX and can be given the suffix .pbx.

pbsig125.exe

A tool that generates a set of strings representing the return type and arguments of each function in a PBL. Use these strings to call PowerBuilder functions from external modules.

include\pbni.h

A header file that defines the structures and interfaces used to build PowerBuilder extensions.

include\pbarray.h

A header file that contains helper classes that make it easier to create arrays and access data in them.

include\pbfield.h

A header file that contains helper classes that make it easier to access data in fields.

include\pbtraits.h

A header file used by pbarray.h and pbfield.h that provides specializations for the pbvalue_type enumerated types.

include\pbext.h

A header file that defines the functions that PowerBuilder extension functions must export.

include\pbevtid.h

A header file that maps the PowerBuilder event IDs to event names for use in visual extensions.

include\pbnimd.h

A header file that defines machine-dependent datatypes used in pbni.h.

include\pbrsa.h

A header file that defines interfaces and structures used to access DataWindow and DataStore data.

src\pbarray.cpp

A source file that must be added to your project if you want to use the following helper classes defined in pbarray.h:

  • PBArrayAccessor

  • PBObjectArrayAccessor

  • PBBoundedArrayCreator

  • PBBoundedObjectArrayCreator

  • PBUnboundedArrayCreator

  • PBUnboundedObjectArrayCreator

src\pbfuninv.cpp

A source file that must be added to your project if you want to use the following helper classes defined in pbni.h:

  • PBGlobalFunctionInvoker

  • PBObjectFunctionInvoker

  • PBEventTrigger

src\pbobject.cpp

A source file that must be added to your project if you want to use the following helper class defined in pbni.h: PBObjectCreator.

wizards\VCProjects 8.0

A Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 wizard that makes it easier for you to create PBNI projects.

wizards\VCProjects 7.1

A Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003 wizard that makes it easier for you to create PBNI projects.

wizards\VCProjects 7.0

A Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2002 wizard that makes it easier for you to create PBNI projects.

wizards\VCWizards

Files required by the Visual Studio wizards.

pbni125.hlp, pbni125.cnt

Help files for PBNI.