Latest News from Berndt Hamboeck

XNA or Game Development for Everyone - Part 2

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 13:50:00 EST

In Part 1 we started to develop a small racing game using XNA Game Studio Express 2.0. We learned about the game loop and how it's implemented by the XNA (by using the Update and Draw methods) framework. We also created our first track on the screen and four cars started moving on the screen, but, sadly enough, they left the track and weren't seen again. What does that mean?

XNA, Game Development for Everyone

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 12:36:00 EDT

Maybe some of you remember a time when we created a sprite on a piece of graph paper and afterwards hacked zeroes and ones in so we could see something eventually move on a TV screen. I have to admit that those days have been gone for a long time and a lot of things have happened in IT since I developed simple games on my C64. And one of these new things is XNA Game Studio (the current version is 2.0).

XNA or Game Development for Everyone - Part 2

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:30:00 EDT

XNA, Game Development for Everyone

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EDT

SQL Anywhere 10 & DataWindow .NET 2.0 in an ASP Environment

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 11:00:00 EDT

Most of the applications we software developers build need to interact somehow with data from a database. The .NET Framework defined by Microsoft provides a rich set of objects to manage database interaction; these classes are collectively referred to as ADO.NET and the latest versions of DataWindow .NET (which is now version 2.01).

SQL Anywhere 10 & DataWindow .NET 2.0 in an ASP Environment

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 15:45:00 EDT

PBDJ Guest Editorial — Thanks All Around

Sat, 25 Mar 2006 09:00:00 EST

It's that time again - I was invited to be the guest editor for another issue of PBDJ. It's the second time now, and I want to say thank you to the many people who helped me a lot within the past year.

Pocket Sudoku

Mon, 27 Feb 2006 15:00:00 EST

It's amazing how popular Sudoku has become in the last few months. You'll find one in nearly every daily magazine here in Austria. When I started to jump on this train (yes, I solve at least one Sudoku a day), I thought it would be amazing if we could have a version written completely in our number-one development tool, PowerBuilder, or it's small brother PocketBuilder. Since I wanted to be able to carry it around with me, I decided to write it in PocketBuilder 2.04 (because of its wonderful new support for horizontal/vertical windows) so that it would also support one of my new gadgets - the MDA PRO. Let's first look a little bit at the history of Sudoki and how it's played and, last but not least, how the solution is implemented.

PowerBuilder Web Reporting From Scratch in Minutes

Thu, 26 Jan 2006 18:45:00 EST

A week ago one of my customers asked me to do a presentation on Sybase DataWindow.NET. We discussed what they would like to see (besides all the standard stuff all PowerBuilder shops want to see, such as a Master/Detail DataWindow in a client/server environment and, in a second step, these DataWindows within a browser), and they asked me to talk a little bit about distributing such a Web application in a production environment.

Sybase ASE 12.5 Performance and Tuning

Sun, 14 Aug 2005 11:45:00 EDT

Over the past few years, there have been a number of titles released on the Sybase enterprise database management system. Administrator's Guide to Sybase ASE 12.5, released late last year, was widely adopted by consultants, DBAs, and administrators of Sybase ASE.

Working with the Enterprise Portal

Wed, 29 Jun 2005 11:00:00 EDT

An enterprise portal is the converged 'hub' of multiple, complementary information management solutions, including document and content management, information search and retrieval, knowledge management, team collaboration, workflow, and business intelligence.

Administrator's Guide to Sybase ASE 12.5

Wed, 29 Jun 2005 11:00:00 EDT

This month we'll be looking at another book written by Jeff Garbus. This time the book is about Sybase ASE 12.5 systems administration and database administration, where systems administration is the function of installing, maintaining, operating, and controlling the Sybase ASE Server.

Working with the Enterprise Portal

Mon, 09 May 2005 12:00:00 EDT

SQL Anywhere Studio 9 Developer's Guide

Sat, 02 Apr 2005 11:00:00 EST

As a PowerBuilder developer I'm sure you have already used SQL Anywhere a few times, but did you know that SQL Anywhere owns over 70% of the mobile database market? This is because it's easy to use, easy to administer, and doesn't take up too much space.

Working with the Enterprise Portal

Sat, 02 Apr 2005 09:00:00 EST

Uncomfortable and Enthusiastic

Tue, 01 Mar 2005 00:00:00 EST

As I'm writing this editorial I have to say I'm a bit nervous. Not because I'm writing my first column as a guest editor for this issue of PBDJ (though this is something special for me and I want to say thank you to the people who made this possible), it's because I'm preparing for the annual TeamSybase meeting in San Francisco. I'll be meeting the best of the best, who support the products I love, and I'll also be meeting the managers of these products. This is indeed something special and I'm proud to be a part of this team.

Unwired Accelerator in Action

Tue, 01 Feb 2005 00:00:00 EST

Sybase doesn't just offer PocketBuilder for mobile development. Last month, we talked about Afaria and Unwired Accelerator, what they're good for and how they might be used. This month we'll take a closer look at Unwired Accelerator, install it and build a simple example with it. No coding will be required.

Pocket SQL Workbench

Sat, 01 Jan 2005 00:00:00 EST

One of my favorite PocketBuilder projects is an application that I started a long time ago, a TimeSheet application in which I can track the hours I spent on different client sites.

Pocket PC or Smart Phone?

Wed, 01 Dec 2004 00:00:00 EST

If you're starting to develop PocketBuilder applications, you'd probably like to see them on a real device, not only on the desktop or emulator, but which device to choose?

Double Your Money, or the Rule of 72

Fri, 01 Oct 2004 00:00:00 EDT

Last month I described the beginnings of my PBStock application, which I'm currently developing, but I didn't mention why I started to write this application. I wrote it because I was forced to try to get more for my money. It took awhile for me to understand that. You may realize it already.

Bullish or Bearish - Buy or Sell

Wed, 01 Sep 2004 00:00:00 EDT

You may already have invested some of your money in stocks or individual securities. You may have earned some money, or, as 90% of investors do, you may have lost some of your money.

An MP3 Machine

Sun, 01 Aug 2004 00:00:00 EDT

Last year at this time we were building an MP3 player using PowerBuilder. This year I'd like to go one step further and use the latest available technologies and versions of the tools provided by Sybase to build an MP3 jukebox.

Keep Your Mobile Data Synchronized

Thu, 01 Jul 2004 00:00:00 EDT

During the past few weeks when I was doing some Pocket PowerBuilder presentations and classes here in Europe, I came across the same problem several times: How can users keep their data synchronized between their mobile devices and the rest of the enterprise? As we shall see, there are several ways to do this, depending on what we have to keep synchronized.

POOM

Tue, 01 Jun 2004 00:00:00 EDT

As you may already know, Pocket Outlook is an application for managing diaries and commitments and it's included with all Pocket PC devices. From the beginning the Pocket Outlook tools, such as Calendar, Contacts, and Tasks, which you'll also find within the (flash) ROM of your device, did not provide all the functionality required by users, such as the search facility, so the decision was made to use an object store (a database) to store all timetable events, deadline information, and contacts there.

PowerBuilder and PowerDesigner 10

Sat, 01 May 2004 00:00:00 EDT

You may have already heard that PowerBuilder 10 will allow developers to use plugins. The first plugin offered will be PowerDesigner 10. Yes, we will be able to use PowerDesigner within our beloved PowerBuilder IDE. This may be the first step and we may see a lot more plugins follow once the specification on how to create your own plugins is released to the developer community.

Database Development

Thu, 01 Apr 2004 00:00:00 EST

I remember quite well the first time I started developing database applications. Back then I had heard a lot of different terms and names that I didn't understand, and I wasn't courageous enough to ask what those terms meant (yes, I was very young and shy). Now, several years later, everything is clear, so if you're in this same position and have just starting programming databases, this article may help you.

Secure Your Web Applications

Mon, 01 Mar 2004 00:00:00 EST

Today, the Internet has become a medium through which most people can connect. With the increasing number of users, the number of Web applications has also increased. Most of us PowerBuilder developers have already started or at least tried to write JSP pages and servlets that are running within Tomcat or EAServer, and some of these applications have found their way into the World Wide Web.

Understanding Unicode

Mon, 01 Mar 2004 00:00:00 EST

Pocket PowerBuilder and the upcoming version 10 of PowerBuilder are Unicode versions. But what does this mean? What is Unicode and why do we need it? This is what I'll discuss this month. But be warned, the main body of the Unicode standard is over 1,000 pages long, counting indexes and appendices, and there's even more supplemental information - addenda, data tables, related substandards, implementation notes, and so on, but I'll try to give you a brief overview, so let's start looking into the world of Unicode.

Adaptive Server IQ

Sun, 01 Feb 2004 00:00:00 EST

This month we'll do a bit of hands-on training on the warehouse solution provided by Sybase, so find an installation CD of this product immediately. Since Sybase doesn't offer an evaluation version, call your sales rep for a copy.

Enterprise Development

Fri, 09 Jan 2004 12:00:00 EST

Your company decides to implement a mobile application initiative and has chosen which database, handheld, and software packages to use. A new year has begun and new projects will be started, so now is the time to think about what we are doing, what our jobs are, and how we understand enterprise computing.

Dive into Your Data with a Warehouse - Processing solutions

Wed, 03 Dec 2003 14:00:00 EST

I'm sure many of you have experienced the same problems within your company as I've experienced at my work these past few months. We have a single database server serving every part of our information processing community within our company, from transaction to batch processing to analytical processing.

ASE, Replication Server and IQ

Wed, 12 Nov 2003 11:00:00 EST

A long time ago, after I had finished school and worked as a C++ developer, I started programming with PowerBuilder. I was not one of the best database developers; in fact, I was more than happy to create DataWindows without a Cartesian product. But over the years I learned a lot and lost my fear of the complexity of database servers.

XML-Based/PowerBuilder User Interface

Fri, 03 Oct 2003 14:00:00 EDT

While writing one of my PowerBuilder 9 book chapters, I suddenly had an idea. Wouldn't it be great to use PowerBuilder as a WAP front end?

Tips, Tricks & Recipes for Sybase ASE

Fri, 03 Oct 2003 14:00:00 EDT

In contrast with Rob Verschoor's previous book, The Complete Sybase ASE Quick Reference Guide, his new book, Tips, Tricks & Recipes for Sybase ASE, is a full-size book filled with a lot information that ASE administrators and ASE developers will find useful.

Sybase Training

Thu, 11 Sep 2003 16:00:00 EDT

I've heard it many times: training in general (not only Sybase classes) is so expensive. I agree, but believe me, it's worth every cent (I'll just be discussing the Sybase classes in this article).

Pocket PowerBuilder and WinCE APIs

Fri, 08 Aug 2003 10:00:00 EDT

One cool feature in Pocket PowerBuilder is that you can include functionality that's not provided by the tool: accessing the Windows CE Application Programming Interface (WinCE API).

PowerBuilder Goes MP3

Fri, 08 Aug 2003 09:00:00 EDT

In this article I'll show you how to play MP3 files with your own 'sound machine' written in PowerBuilder. But before we start to implement it, you should first understand what MP3 is.

Mobile and Wireless Design Essentials

Mon, 21 Jul 2003 11:00:00 EDT

It won't be long until a new product developed by Sybase hits the stores. Yes, I'm talking about Pocket PowerBuilder. For any professional (PowerBuilder) software developer, this should be reason enough to look behind the scenes of mobile and wireless development.

PowerBuilder and Colors

Sun, 01 Jun 2003 00:00:00 EDT

Have you ever looked at a rainbow and wondered how all the colors got there? Or wondered why grass looks green and your jeans blue? Well, if you sit in front of your computer as often as I do, you might not.

The PowerBuilder 9 IDE

Thu, 01 May 2003 00:00:00 EDT

Okay, I know you're already familiar with the PowerBuilder IDE. Yes, you're one of those people who knows where to find the system tree and how to turn it off. And you already know what the clip window is for (if you don't, look at it, it's a pretty cool feature - we used it in our 7-year-old application to document who made changes or bug fixes).

Sybase Enterprise Portal Evaluation Version

Tue, 01 Apr 2003 00:00:00 EST

The Sybase Enterprise Portal is ideal for organizations that are looking for a solution that allows developers to integrate existing enterprise content and applications as well as incorporate the tools that will enable them to access, manage, share, and understand them better.

Secure Your Passwords

Tue, 01 Apr 2003 00:00:00 EST

As architects of enterprise systems, we know that security should always be a concern when we transfer or store sensitive data. In the past, you might have cut corners because you assumed the corporate LAN provided some implicit level of protection. You might have rationalized that because only people with access to the LAN could see data being transferred across the wire - and surely no one at your company would try to steal sensitive data - your data was secure. Likewise, your internal applications might not have been passing sensitive information and you leveraged password protection on the operating system.

Is EAServer a Language-Neutral Platfom?

Sat, 01 Mar 2003 00:00:00 EST

In Part 1 (PBDJ, Vol. 9, issue 11), we discussed a lot of different languages that could be compiled to Java bytecode. This month I'll provide a real example by using Jython in EAServer. Botanists know that if you cross-pollinate two different strains of plants, you create a hybrid, a new plant that exhibits the strengths of both its parents. Jython is a programming hybrid, an implementation of the Python scripting language written in 100% Pure Java that runs under any compliant Java Virtual Machine (JVM).

DDDW Tips and Tricks

Sat, 01 Feb 2003 00:00:00 EST

The DropDownDataWindow (DDDW) edit style is one of PowerBuilder's outstanding features. Yes, I know there are a lot of new and exciting capabilities in the upcoming release of PowerBuilder, but in this article I'll try to solve some of the current problems with the existing features that are popping up in nearly every project I've seen.

Enterprise Development - Some thoughts

Wed, 01 Jan 2003 00:00:00 EST

'NetStart' your PowerBuilder Application

Wed, 01 Jan 2003 00:00:00 EST

One of the biggest problems in an enterprise is deploying the application. Usually you have to deliver a new release of your application to several hundred workstations. This may be a time-consuming and very cost-intensive task.

Dive into Your Data with a Warehouse - Processing solutions

Sun, 01 Dec 2002 00:00:00 EST

ASE, Replication Server and IQ

Fri, 01 Nov 2002 00:00:00 EST

Is EAServer a Language-Neutral Platform?

Fri, 01 Nov 2002 00:00:00 EST

There's a variety of programming languages worth taking a look at, many of which can be used in your EAServer and client/server projects.

Search the CIA Files with EAServer and Lucene

Fri, 01 Nov 2002 00:00:00 EST

What's a Web site without a search engine? If you want your Web site or your company Web site to be cutting edge, this article shows you how.