.NET Assembly Targets
PowerBuilder includes a target type for creating .NET assemblies from nonvisual custom class objects.
You can create .NET Assembly targets from scratch or by using PBLs from an existing target that contain at least one nonvisual custom class object.
Creating a target from scratch
When you use the .NET Assembly target wizard to create a target from scratch, the wizard also creates an Application object, a project object that allows you to deploy the assembly, and a nonvisual object (NVO). However, you must add and implement at least one public method in the wizard-created NVO before it can be used to create a .NET assembly.
| Wizard field | Description |
|---|---|
| Project name | Name of the project object the wizard creates. |
| Library | Name of the library file the wizard creates. By default, this includes the current Workspace path and takes the name you enter for the project object with a PBL extension. |
| Target | Name of the target the wizard creates. By default, this includes the current Workspace path and takes the name you enter for the project object with a PBT extension. |
| Library search path | Lets you add PBLs and PBDs to the search path for the new target. |
| PowerBuilder object name | Name of the nonvisual object the wizard creates. By default this takes the name that you entered for a project object with an �n_� prefix. |
| Description | Lets you add a description for the project object the wizard creates. |
| Namespace | Provides a globally unique name to assembly elements and attributes, distinguishing them from elements and attributes of the same name but in different assemblies. |
| Assembly file name | Name of the assembly created by the wizard. By default, the assembly file name takes the namespace name with a DLL suffix. |
| Resource file and directory list | List of resource files, or directories containing resource files, that you want to deploy with the project.
You can use the Add Files, Add Directories, or Search PBR Files buttons to add files and directories to the list box. You can select a file or directory in the list and click the Delete button to remove that file or directory from the list. When you select a directory, the resource files in all of its subdirectories are also selected by default. However, you can use the Resource Files tab in the Project painter to prevent deployment of subdirectory files. For more information, see Resource Files and Library Files tabs. |
| Win32 dynamic library file list | Specifies any Win32 DLLs you want to include with your project. Click the Add button to open a file selection dialog box and add a DLL to the list. Select a DLL in the list and click Delete to remove the DLL from the list. |
| Setup file name | Name of the setup file the wizard creates. You can copy this MSI file to client computers, then double-click the files to install the .NET assembly on those computers. |
Creating a target from an existing target
When you use the wizard to create a .NET Assembly target from an existing target, the wizard prompts you for the same information as when you create a target from scratch, except that it omits the PowerBuilder object name and library search path fields. These fields are unnecessary because the existing target must have a usable nonvisual object and the library search path for the target is already set. The wizard does, however, present fields that are not available when you create a target from scratch.
| Wizard field | Description |
|---|---|
| Choose a target | Select a target from the list of targets in the current workspace. |
| Specify a project name | Select a name for the project you want to create. You must create a project object to deploy nonvisual objects as .NET components. |
| Choose a project library | Specify a library from the list of target libraries where you want to store the new project object. |
| Choose NVO objects to be deployed | Expand the library node or nodes in the list box and select check boxes next to the nonvisual objects that you want to deploy. |
| Use .NET nullable types | Select this check box to map PowerBuilder standard datatypes to .NET nullable datatypes. Nullable datatypes are not Common Type System (CTS) compliant, but they can be used with .NET Generic classes if a component accepts or returns null arguments or if reference arguments are set to null. |
| Only include functions with supported datatypes | Select this check box if you do not want to list functions that are not supported in the .NET environment. The functions will be listed in the Select Objects dialog box that you can open for the project from the Project painter. |
After you create a .NET Assembly target, you can create as many .NET Assembly projects as you need. You start the .NET Assembly project wizard from the Project tab of the New dialog box. The fields in the wizard include all the fields in the table for creating a project from scratch, except for the �PowerBuilder object name� and �Description� fields. They also include all fields in the table for creating a project from an existing target, except for the �Choose a target� field.
Whether you opt to build a new target from scratch or from an existing target, most of the project-related fields listed in these tables are available for modification in the Project painter.
- Modifying a .NET Assembly Project
You can modify a .NET Assembly project from the Project painter. - Supported Datatypes
The PowerBuilder to .NET compiler converts PowerScript datatypes to .NET datatypes. - Deploying and Running a .NET Assembly Project
After you create a .NET Assembly project, you can deploy it from the Project painter or from a context menu on the project object in the System Tree.