Solution Explorer in PowerBuilder .NET

The Solution Explorer in PowerBuilder .NET works in many ways like the System Tree in PowerBuilder Classic, although for some functionality it appears more similar to the Solution Explorer in Microsoft Visual Studio.

The System Tree is typically the central point of action in PowerBuilder programming, providing access to all the objects in a PowerBuilder workspace.

The System Tree in PowerBuilder Classic displays objects in PowerBuilder libraries (PBLs), whereas in PowerBuilder .NET, PBLs have been converted to directories, and the Solution Explorer displays the contents of the PBL directories only as separate files. The implementation of the System Tree as a Solution Explorer extension in PowerBuilder .NET has or enables:

Integration with the Visual Studio shell "Find" subsystem
Provision of a more natural framework for opening editors
Replacement of an ad hoc framework for source control
Provision of a more natural framework for workspace and project persistence
Use of extensions for actions like code refactoring
Ability to drag and drop files from the Windows Explorer to targets and libraries
Listings of all assemblies used by a target in a single References folder
Ability to select a set of nodes to perform a common action, such as applying a comment or changing a common writeable property
Ability to host targets with multiple application objects and to set one of those objects as the current application object.

Some functionality operates similarly in the PowerBuilder Classic System Tree and in the PowerBuilder .NET Solution Explorer. Double-clicking an item in the Solution Explorer executes the default action for that item. Right-clicking an item shows the context menu for that item.

The Open and Open With context menu items in the PowerBuilder .NET Solution Explorer deliver the same functionality as the Edit and Edit Source context menu item labels in the PowerBuilder Classic System Tree. However, the Open With menu allows you to select the editor you want to use to view the object. The PowerBuilder .NET Solution Explorer also has separate Open Layout and Open Script context menu items for windows and visual user objects.

The following context menu items on a PowerBuilder Classic System Tree object are not available in the Solution Explorer in PowerBuilder .NET:

PBNI Extensions – PowerBuilder .NET library nodes do not have the Import PowerBuilder Extension context menu item for importing PBNI extensions.
Optimize – in PowerBuilder Classic, the Optimize menu item provides a way to clean up deleted objects and items that have been accumulated in target PBLs. This is not necessary in PowerBuilder .NET.
Migrate – the PowerBuilder Classic migrate capability assumes you can view a target in the System Tree that does not list objects in an expanded PBL format. In PowerBuilder .NET, objects are always listed in an expanded format, so the Migrate context menu item is not needed
The other use of the Migrate context menu is to regenerate Pcode from the sources for an object; this is also not needed in PowerBuilder .NET.
Regenerate – like the Optimize and Migrate context menu items, the Regenerate menu item is not needed in the PowerBuilder .NET Solution Explorer because objects are always listed in an expanded format.