Powerbuilder 10 Windows 8 compatibility

Question

Does anyone know if Powerbuilder 10 is compatible with Windows 8 (Both the IDE and the runtime module)?

It seems like 11.5 is officially supported, but I couldn't find any info on PB 10's compatibility on Windows 8.

If it isn't, any tips on the migration process from 10->Further version? (Anything particular we have to watch out for?)

Answer 1

You should have no problem with running PB10 applications on Windows 8, appart perhaps not being not fully compliant with Win8 standards (concerning the placement of application data files, access rights on files, and so on mostly related to UAC file virtualization).

Neither you should have big problems with running the IDE, but maybe some minor issues (I think about an issue on the retrieval argument editor on PB11.5 that could also address PB10).

Answer 2

This is one of those things where you just have to try it yourself. The number of PowerBuilder developers with Windows 8 is likely very small.

I am supposed to be getting a Surface Pro 2 when they come out Oct 22nd which will run Windows 8.1. Hopefully there won't be any issues.

Answer 3

I am not sure about PB10 but I have used PB 10.5 in Win8 with no problem.

Answer 4

We have serious issues with running a PB10 application on Windows 8 computers.

Application runs fine until user enters text in datawindow fields, the application "stopped working". The problem is that it happens randomly, 10 fields can be entered without a problem but at the next field the "stopped working" pops up en the application is closed the next time it might happen after entering 2 fields.

The same application runs already for years on many computers unders XP, Vista, Windows 7 without any issue.

Until now we still have no clou what is causing it. Also we have no idea where to start searching.

The application is developed andf deployed under XP.

Next week we are going to setup a development environment under Windows, hopefully this will give us some more light on the issue.

Answer 5

Two things you need to realize:

1. PB10 was built (and support development stopped) before before Win8 was conceived, so obviously Sybase couldn't do anything in PB to help with Win8 compatibility. You're relying on MS's ability to maintain a backward compatible environment. IME, they do a pretty good job (better than my experience upgrading in the Unix world, but I'd imagine YMMV), but it's never perfect.

2. PowerBuilder is powerful enough to allow you to build an application that will break under any operating system. PB10 may have been supported on XP, but I guarantee you that I could have written something that violated an XP rule, or corrupted memory, or whatever, and would have been broken under XP. (I've seen memory corruptions that didn't manifest themselves until after an OS upgrade or some other change; so "broken" may not even manifest symptoms yet.) Is that Sybase's fault? I don't think so. They're the rope manufacturer; if you hang yourself....

Bottom line is what's already been said: no matter what the manufacturer or anyone else says, the only answer worth anything is the results of your own testing. My "Hello World" app may run in Win8 just fine, but your app that taps into the TCP/IP stack, leverage protected mode calls, sending printing language codes directly to the point-of-sale bar code printer, etc....

Good luck,

Terry.