Latest News from John Olson

Advanced WebDW HTML Generation

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EDT

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

n_ds DataStore Coupled to Parent Window in PFC 6.0+

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 EST

Last year, after migrating a client's application from PFC 5.0.02 to 6.5, then applying some enhancements to take advantage of new features, the program began giving the following PFC error message: "For certain functionality the PFC DataStore requires a reference to its parent window. One of these cases has been encountered. To let the DataStore know who its parent window is, call the of_SetParentWindow() function after the DataStore creation."

XML vs XML

Sun, 01 Aug 2004 00:00:00 EDT

If you are up-to-date on XML features in RDBMSs, then you know that ASE, Oracle, DB2, and SQL Server are leapfrogging each other in a race to add XML features to their relational databases. With each new release comes a new array of features. If I were to read a competitive analysis of the products, I'd have to ask what day it was written on in order to know which point release of each product is being covered. The products are changing that quickly.

The Only Constant Is Change Itself

Mon, 01 Mar 2004 00:00:00 EST

The only constant is change itself. That's certainly true for software development technologies, which are evolving at breakneck speed. As technologies change, tool companies like Sybase struggle to keep up with those technologies. Imagine the effort involved in planning, coding, and testing major releases every 10 to 14 months! It's incredible that we're already approaching the release of PowerBuilder 10.

Remember When...

Sun, 01 Feb 2004 00:00:00 EST

Remember when you first heard the term 'application server'? The concept was cutting edge and the products were vaporware. Companies that bought into the idea built their own application servers using whatever technology they could wrangle. Of course, each was proprietary and industry standards weren't even on the drawing board.

PBDJ's Tenth Year

Fri, 09 Jan 2004 12:00:00 EST

Believe it or not 2004 is the tenth year I'll be writing for PBDJ! I can't believe it myself. This magazine debuted back in 1994 when PowerBuilder was the hottest client/server software development tool in the world.

Everyone Works Better When Everyone Works Together

Wed, 03 Dec 2003 14:00:00 EST

Recently I was at a Sybase event and an IT supervisor/PB developer approached me and asked why the new features in PowerBuilder were almost entirely for Web and n-tier and only a few were for client/server development. First, tools that are purely for client/server development are dead and dying, though client/server development is alive and well.

Avoid Being Outsourced

Wed, 12 Nov 2003 10:00:00 EST

Products and markets have well-defined life cycles that vary in amplitude and length, but follow historical patterns. As Bob Hendry described in his editorial in last month's issue ('Is IT Outsourcing Worth It?' [Vol. 10, issue 10]), the IT outsourcing craze is in full swing.

What's in a Name?

Fri, 03 Oct 2003 14:00:00 EDT

While studying computer science at the University of California in Santa Barbara, I worked for a company named Inter-Continental Telex (ICT). The name implied a large corporation with offices in major cities around the world.

The TechWave Shuffle

Thu, 11 Sep 2003 16:00:00 EDT

For me TechWave is primarily about networking, schmoozing, and hanging out with friends and colleagues. Up at 7 a.m. and to bed at 1 a.m. with a lot of events in between.

Pocket PowerBuilder and TechWave

Fri, 08 Aug 2003 09:00:00 EDT

I first began attending the annual PowerBuilder conferences back in 1994 when PowerBuilder was a new and revolutionary development tool. TechWave 2003 will be my 10th annual PowerBuilder conference, which makes me feel a bit old. We still have the DataWindow and PowerScript, otherwise PowerBuilder doesn't look the same as it did 10 years ago.

Shifting Sands

Mon, 21 Jul 2003 11:00:00 EDT

Recently I was contemplating a situation at one of my company's projects and a parable that Jesus told came to mind. The parable goes like this. There are two men, one wise and one foolish. The wise man carefully chose a rock to build his house upon and the foolish man chose to build his upon the sand. When the rain fell, the floods came, and the wind blew, the wise man's house stood firm because it was built upon the rock. The foolish man's house, built on an unstable foundation, fell and 'great was its fall.'

Pocket PowerBuilder

Sun, 01 Jun 2003 00:00:00 EDT

My addiction began on Christmas 1997 when I received a PalmPilot as a gift. At first I fought it and continued to keep information in my head and even write some of it down in an ancient book called a 'datymr,' a rough translation being 'keeper of important stuff.' Those books have since become obsolete, replaced by electronic organizers that allow storage of thousands of pages of information, quick searches, and can be easily backed up in minutes.

The Future Keeps Getting Brighter!

Thu, 01 May 2003 00:00:00 EDT

A few days ago I attended the PowerBuilder 9.0 Launch Road Show, then spent the next two days at a TeamSybase meeting. These meetings are always a highlight of my year - we have about 12 hours of private, focused technical and marketing discussions with product engineers, managers, visionaries, and marketing and sales directors. Not only do we learn a lot about what is coming up, we also have the opportunity to influence the technology and marketing.

PB9 En Route

Tue, 01 Apr 2003 00:00:00 EST

The availability of PowerBuilder 9 was announced March 4 and the release was made available March 24. If you have an upgrade subscription or have prepurchased a copy, then you've probably already received it by the time you read this. I have the beta version, but haven't yet received the official final copy, though I'm currently watching my mailbox in hopeful anticipation of an imminent delivery. When I receive it, I'll put it to good use right away. I don't know what you're doing with PowerBuilder, but for what I'm doing, the new PB9 features are great!

Cause and Effect

Sat, 01 Mar 2003 00:00:00 EST

Do you remember where you were on March 30, 1981, when John Hinckley attempted to assassinate Ronald Reagan? What about on January 28, 1986, when the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff? When I was younger the question was, 'Where were you when Kennedy was shot?' Unfortunately, our generation has many more recent events we can ask that question about: the Beirut barracks bombing, the World Trade Center, and now the space shuttle Columbia.

Information Liquidity

Sat, 01 Feb 2003 00:00:00 EST

The dizzying whirlwind of terms we are bombarded with is...well...dizzying. Apparently, the age-old term 'data flow' was no longer capable of describing what we want to do with our data. Or maybe Sybase wants to take our data to the next level and make it really valuable, because we haven't been squeezing the last bits of efficiency and value out of it?

Ring in the New Year!

Wed, 01 Jan 2003 00:00:00 EST

2003 is going to be a great year. The economy is on a slow recovery, but it is recovering. That means more money for off-the-shelf and custom software, meaning more work for you, me, and others like us. Companies that have tightened their belts for a few years are starting to take another look at systems they shelved due to budget cuts. Hopefully, they'll untie those purse strings and help move the economy to an even faster recovery.

Third-Party Products

Wed, 01 Jan 2003 00:00:00 EST

My goal in this article is to raise your awareness of the products available and give you enough information to go on if you choose to investigate them. I'll also discuss some of the main issues involved in searching for and selecting off-the-shelf products. Finally, this article ends by listing a few dozen products you should find useful.

PBDJ's Tenth Year - New challenges ahead

Wed, 01 Jan 2003 00:00:00 EST

Everyone Works Better When Everyone Works Together

Sun, 01 Dec 2002 00:00:00 EST

A Time to Give

Sun, 01 Dec 2002 00:00:00 EST

Wow, another year has passed. Time flies when you're having fun or you're busy. I'm both. Having fun is always good but being busy is both a blessing and a curse. As a consultant, I have very little employment security. Even those employed by consulting companies are only as secure as their current project. Being out of work occasionally is to be expected and, sometimes, the unemployment period can be long.

PB9: Fish on Tour

Fri, 01 Nov 2002 00:00:00 EST

PB9 is looking good! Beta testing is underway and the release date is fast approaching. Officially, Sybase states that PB9 will be released in the first half of 2003, but all indications show that it will be in the first half of that broad time frame. Dave Fish, the primary PowerBuilder technical evangelist, is evangelizing at every opportunity.

Avoid Being Outsourced

Fri, 01 Nov 2002 00:00:00 EST

XML - the Universal Language of Business

Tue, 01 Oct 2002 00:00:00 EDT

I barely mentioned TechWave in my editorial last month, 'Let Me Introduce You to ISUG' (PBDJ, Vol. 9, issue 9), though it was fresh in everyone's minds. Instead, I focused on ISUG and its value to the Sybase customer community.

What's in a Name?

Tue, 01 Oct 2002 00:00:00 EDT

The TechWave Shuffle

Sun, 01 Sep 2002 00:00:00 EDT

For me TechWave is primarily about networking, schmoozing, and hanging out with friends and colleagues. Up at 7 a.m. and to bed at 1 a.m. with a lot of events in between.

Let Me Introduce You to ISUG?

Sun, 01 Sep 2002 00:00:00 EDT

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.

Advanced WebDV HTML Generation

Thu, 01 Aug 2002 16:00:00 EDT

Quite an Arsenal !

Thu, 01 Aug 2002 00:00:00 EDT

Technology is changing fast, and PowerBuilder is changing with it. Back when I was coding with PowerBuilder 2, HTML was still on the drawing board, and open application servers, XML, and other contemporary technologies hadn't even been thought of. Sybase's flagship development tool has changed a lot since then.

PowerBuilder and TechWave 2002

Thu, 01 Aug 2002 00:00:00 EDT

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.

Pocket PowerBuilder and TechWave

Thu, 01 Aug 2002 00:00:00 EDT

Shifting Sands

Mon, 01 Jul 2002 00:00:00 EDT

Repeat After Me:

Mon, 01 Jul 2002 00:00:00 EDT

Repeat after me: 'I am a teacher. I am in the business of teaching.' Okay, you said it, but do you believe it? You may not think of yourself in those terms, but it's the truth. We are all teachers, in our personal lives and in our jobs. We, you and me, are in the business of teaching. Are you doing your job?

If You Don't Speak Up You Won't Be Heard

Sat, 01 Jun 2002 00:00:00 EDT

Many terms are born out of reality, based on observable evidence. When I hear the term silent majority I think of a large crowd of people, sharing some commonality, moving along peacefully without fanfare or press coverage. Maybe the commonality is a belief, like a religious or moral conviction, or maybe it's immutable, like race or gender. Occasionally, one in the group will speak out, saying something that resonates with the crowd.

Pocket PowerBuilder

Sat, 01 Jun 2002 00:00:00 EDT

'Welcome to Chuck-A-Luck'

Wed, 01 May 2002 00:00:00 EDT

Welcome to Chuck-A-Luck, put your money down and watch the wheel go round...round and round it goes, where it stops nobody knows,' a mantra I learned well at the Santa Ynez Mission fiesta when I was a kid. Every August it was a week of fun and excitement in the small town where I grew up. I was fascinated by the Chuck-A-Luck man and the mantra he repeated hundreds of times a day.

The Future Keeps Getting Brighter!

Wed, 01 May 2002 00:00:00 EDT

PB9 En Route

Mon, 01 Apr 2002 00:00:00 EST

Two Heads Are Better Than One

Mon, 01 Apr 2002 00:00:00 EST

After careful consideration I've come to the conclusion that having two heads is better than having just one. While it may sound like I'm simply stating the obvious, in fact, most people have only one head.1 However, those who are blessed with two heads enjoy a measurable advantage over their single-headed rivals. This conclusion was affirmed in a headline-grabbing paper by two Princeton economists for the National Bureau of Economic Research entitled 'Are Two Heads Better Than One?'2

Olympic Planning

Fri, 01 Mar 2002 00:00:00 EST

Though I?m from California, I?ve been living in Utah for the last five years. We moved here for a project in 1996, intending to stay only until the project was over. That project ended over two years ago, yet we?re still living south of Salt Lake City. During the last five years we?ve had the opportunity to see the planning and preparation for the recent winter Olympics.

Cause and Effect

Fri, 01 Mar 2002 00:00:00 EST

Information Liquidity

Fri, 01 Feb 2002 00:00:00 EST

Feedback Loop

Fri, 01 Feb 2002 00:00:00 EST

I recently received feedback from a reader regarding the content and direction of PBDJ. He was concerned that the number of articles on PowerBuilder client/server was decreasing. He is correct.

Third-Party Products

Tue, 01 Jan 2002 00:00:00 EST

Ring in the New Year!

Tue, 01 Jan 2002 00:00:00 EST

Modern Apps Are Hybrids

Tue, 01 Jan 2002 00:00:00 EST

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.

A Time to Give

Sat, 01 Dec 2001 00:00:00 EST

Broadband is Coming?

Sat, 01 Dec 2001 00:00:00 EST

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.

New Life for a Product and an Economy

Thu, 01 Nov 2001 00:00:00 EST

Can Sybase breath new life into PowerJ? We'll know soon. Next month PowerJ 4.0 will be released. It will contain many new features and promises to be more stable than prior versions. Though the new features will be welcome, it's more important that the features already there can be trusted to work as they are intended to. That's my main hope.