John Olson

Okay, so I've been promoting the inclusion of PB client/server articles, yet here I am writing about the Web DataWindow. Don't stop reading! This article applies to all PB developers, whether n-tier or client/server. That said, I now have to prove that this article is important to client/server developers.... Here's my angle: HTML has become a standard beyond Web development. People doing work unrelated to the Web, even nonprogrammers, need to learn the basics of HTML. Here's an example: I'm a consultant and I invoice my customers using QuickBooks. When I generate my invoices I deliver them as HTML files. Sure, I could deliver them as documents or PDFs, but that assumes the recipients have programs to support my document format (Word 2000) or a PDF viewer. What formats do I know they can read regardless of their software? I can think of only two that support graphi... (more)

Broadband is Coming?

Last year I wrote that as broadband became the standard for Internet access, important inhibitors to WWW offerings and use would be removed, resulting in a dramatic change in the WWW itself. I said that Web sites would become more powerful and feature-rich because speed would no longer be an overwhelming limiting feature. We were on the cusp of a dramatic change, but instead of its occurring quickly, over two to three years, the change has slowed and it seems that acceptance of broadband could take a decade or more. Rather than being a quick revolution, it's turning out to be a s... (more)

Modern Apps Are Hybrids

Another year has flown by and here we are, still cranking out PowerBuilder-related articles as regularly as ever. This past year we've heavily covered EAServer from the PB angle and have published at least half a dozen articles on each new product release - including PowerBuilder 8, PowerDesigner, and EAServer 4. This issue delves heavily in PowerJ4, but next month we'll be back to our normal PB/EAServer content. Hybrids Don't Always Make Sense Over time, Sybase's PowerBuilder customers have matured from just using a single tool to using a broad variety of tools. It's hard these d... (more)

Let Me Introduce You to ISUG?

Though it will be September by the time you read this, TechWave just ended a few hours ago. As with any conference, it had its high and low points, but for me the highs far outweighed the lows. I won't review TechWave in this editorial, but I do want to tell you about something that caught my attention. For full coverage please see Jerry Neppl's TechWave review in this issue. Just before the conference, a new TeamSybase position was created on the International Sybase User Group Board of Directors; its purpose is to improve communication and achieve even greater levels of cooper... (more)

PowerBuilder and TechWave 2002

For Sybase TechWave 2002 at the San Diego Convention Center, the PowerBuilder team has been getting ready to show off some of the next-generation capabilities currently under development for PowerBuilder 9.0. They've been busy developing Web, distributed, and client/server capabilities that will further your development needs. These new features are an indication of the brighter future that's in store for PowerBuilder as we move forward with its evolution. If you're at TechWave, be sure to swing by the PowerBuilder booth or Technology Boardwalk area in the exhibition hall to see ... (more)