PLBNET Runtime

 

PLBNET is a fully functional PL/B runtime that includes additional support for a new NETOBJECT data type. This runtime can only be executed under the Windows .NET Framework runtime. The minimum version 2.0 of the Windows .NET Framework is required for the PLBNET runtime.

 

The Windows .NET Framework is composed of two basic components:

  1. A program runtime environment is provided that allows .NET applications to be executed. This execution environment is required to execute the PLBNET runtime.

  2. A class library that provides a pre-coded set of solutions that include a large number of programming components. The components are referenced as namespace levels that may required multiple levels to identify a specify .NET class. Descriptions for specific class library components are available at the Microsoft Web Site with the following URL address:

    http://msdn2.microsoft.com

    Once at this Web Site, then select the 'Library' tab. This links to the 'MSDN Library' site. Now, follow the MSDN Library information tree to get to a .NET class library as follows:

    <.NET Development>
    <Class Library>
    <Select Specific Class Namespace> 

    3.  

    The PLBNET runtime supports and executes all existing PLB programs and GUI objects the same as the PLBWIN runtime. The user PLB applications do not have to be recompiled to execute under the PLBNET runtime. A new NETOBJECT data variable has been implemented to allow .NET class library programming components to be created.

Note the following:

  1. PLBCONET is a console version of PLBNET. It does not have a default window, but rather uses the console screen. It is otherwise identical to PLBNET and allows use of all the GUI features of the language. To create PLBCONET, use the MAKECONET utility.

  2. The PLBNET runtime supports a new NETOBJECT data variable. See the PLBCMP compiler section for the syntax required to create .NET objects.

  3. For this release of PLBNET, all controls that have a visual user interface can ONLY be created and added to a .NET form. The .NET controls can not be created for a native WINDOW object.

  4. Some .NET objects require that unnamed parameters must be provided to CREATE the object. In this case, the unnamed parameters are identified using the syntax '*$={param}' format. See the PLBCMP description for more details.

  5. For a given .NET object, multiple constructors can exist that have different parameter types required to create the object. Therefore, the parameter data variable types can determine the specific operations to be performed for a .NET object. Thus, the PLB data type for any one parameter/property must match the expected .NET data type required for a .NET object. The .NET description in the class library provides all of the expected .NET data types that are required. If a PLB data variable type can not be converted to/from an expected .NET data type, an object error is generated. If there is not a direct conversion of a PLB data variable to a required .NET data variable type, a user application may need to create a VARIANT or NETOBJECT data variable with a data type that matches the .NET requirements.

    6.  

    The following shows how a simple PLB data variable converts to/from a .NET data variable type.

     

     

    PLB Data Type

    .NET Data Type

    DIM

    System.String

    FORM(without decimal pt)

    System.Int32

    FORM(with decimal pt)

    System.Double

    INTEGER (1 byte)

    System.Byte

    INTEGER (2 byte)

    System.UInt16

    INTEGER (3 byte)

    System.Int32

    INTEGER (4 byte)

    System.Int32

    VARIANT (VT_BSTR)

    System.String

    VARIANT (VT_BOOL)

    System.Boolean

    VARIANT (VT_I1)

    System.SByte

    VARIANT (VT_UI1)

    System.Byte

    VARIANT (VT_I2)

    System.Int16

    VARIANT (VT_UI2)

    System.UInt16

    VARIANT (VT_I4)

    System.Int32

    VARIANT (VT_UI2)

    System.UInt32

    VARIANT (VT_R4)

    System.Single

    VARIANT (VT_R8)

    System.Double

     

  6. It is possible that an expanded set of .NET data variable types can be created and used as NETOBJECT or VARIANT objects. In this case, the NETOBJECT or VARIANT objects can be created explicitly or implicitly by program operations and they can be used without converting the .NET data variables to a PLB data variable. For example, using the "System.DateTime" .NET data variable, it is possible to create this object as a NETOBJECT and then perform .NET operations on the object without having to convert it to a PLB data variable form.

  7. To provide the SQLite database engine functionality for the PLBNET runtime, the SQLite database engine is implemented as a DLL. The PLBNET runtime can then use the SQLite functions available in the PLBNETSUP DLL. The PLBNETSUP DLL must be located in the same directory where the PLBNET runtime is located.

 

 

See Also: PLBWIN Runtime Requirements, PLBWIN INI File Format, PLBWIN Keywords, Compiler and Runtime Options

 


Compiler and Runtime Options