Installation checklist – PB Docs 2021

Install the PowerBuilder runtime
DLLs.

You should install all of these DLL files (which
contain the PowerBuilder execution system) locally on each user
computer. They are needed to run PowerBuilder applications
independently (outside the development environment). This
applies to applications generated in machine code as well as
those generated in Pcode.

For details on installing
the runtime DLLs, see PowerBuilder runtime
files.

Handling maintenance
releases

If you are using a maintenance release of
PowerBuilder in your development environment, make sure you
provide users with the runtime DLLs from that maintenance
release.

Install the database interface(s).

You should install on each user computer any
database interfaces required by the application, such as the
ODBC interface and other native database
interfaces.

For details on installing any database
interfaces you need, see Deploying
Applications and Components. For more information about
database interfaces, see Connecting to Your Database.

Configure any ODBC drivers you
install.

If you install the ODBC interface (and one or more
ODBC drivers) on user computers, you must also configure the
ODBC drivers. This involves defining the specific data sources
to be accessed through each driver.

For details on
configuring ODBC drivers, see the section called “Using the ODBC Interface” in Connecting to Your Database.

Set up network access if needed.

If the application needs to access any server
databases or any other network services, make sure each user
computer is properly connected.

Configure the operating (windowing)
system.

A particular application might require some special
adjustments to the operating or windowing system for performance
or other reasons. If that is the case with your application, be
sure to make those adjustments to each user
computer.

Copy the executable application.

Make copies of the files that make up your
executable application and install them on each user computer.
These files can include:

Handling maintenance
releases

If you plan to revise these files on a
regular basis, you might want to automate the process of copying
the latest versions of them from a server on your network to
each user computer.

You might consider building this
logic right into your application. You might also make it copy
updates of the PowerBuilder runtime DLLs to a user’s
computer.

Copy any additional files.

Make copies of any additional files that the
application uses and install them on each user computer. These
files often include:

In some cases, you might want to install
particular files on a server instead of locally, depending on
their use.

Copy any local databases to be
accessed.

If the application needs to access a local
database, copy the files that comprise that database and install
them on each user computer.

Make sure that you also
install the appropriate database interface and configure it
properly if you have not already done so.

Install any other programs to be
accessed.

If the application needs to access any external
programs, install each one in an appropriate location — either
on every user computer or on a server.

Also, perform
any configuration required to make those programs work properly.
For example, you might need to register ActiveX controls. For
more information, see Deploying ActiveX
controls.

Ensure that the application can find the files it
needs.

Make sure you install the various files that your
application uses on paths where it can find
them:

Update the system registry with values for the
application.

If you rely on the Windows registry to manage
certain information needed by the application, such as the
application path, be sure to update the registry with such
values.

Set up the application’s icon.

To enable users to start the application, use the
windowing system on each user computer to display the executable
file’s icon where you want.

Alternatively, users can
also start the application in any other manner provided for
native applications under their windowing system.