Creating a PowerBuilder extension
To build a PowerBuilder
extension, follow these steps:
Step 1: Decide on a feature
to implement.
Step 2: Define the classes
and functions in the extension .
Step 3: Declare native classes
and global functions.
Step 4: Implement native
classes and global functions.
Step 5: Export methods to
create class instances.
These steps apply whether you are building a nonvisual or
a visual extension. The differences between building nonvisual and
visual extensions are described in “Creating and using a visual
extension”. This section focuses primarily
on nonvisual extensions.
Required methods
All PowerBuilder nonvisual extensions must export two methods: PBX_GetDescription and PBX_CreateNonVisualObject.
The use of these methods is described in “Step 2: Define the classes
and functions in the extension “ and “Step 5: Export methods to
create class instances”.
PowerBuilder visual extensions must export PBX_GetDescription and PBX_CreateVisualObject.
See “Creating and using a visual
extension”.
If the extension declares global functions, it must also export
the PBX_InvokeGlobalFunction method.
For every native class, you must implement two PBNI methods, Invoke and Destroy,
in addition to the methods the class will provide. The use of these PBNI
methods is described in “Step 4: Implement native
classes and global functions”.