The PowerBuilder Runtime Packager is a tool that packages the PowerBuilder files an application needs at runtime into a Microsoft Windows Installer (MSI) package file or a Microsoft merge module (MSM). Windows Installer is an installation and configuration service that is installed with recent Microsoft Windows operating systems. The MSM file must be incorporated into an application MSI file using a merge tool before the components it contains can be installed on a client computer.
You can use the MSM or MSI file generated by the Runtime Packager as part of an installation package that includes the other files that your application needs.
You must have Microsoft Windows Installer on your system in order to run the Runtime Packager successfully. The Installer is always available on Windows XP and later.
To get more information about Windows Installer, see the Microsoft documentation.
The Runtime Packager can be used with client applications installed on Windows systems and applications deployed to the .NET Framework. It does not package the files required if your application uses the DataWindow Web control for ActiveX, and it does not install most third-party components. See “Third-party components and deployment” for more information.
Make sure that you read the sections referenced in Table 36-2 that apply to your application for more information about where files that are not installed by the Runtime Packager should be installed.
To use the PowerBuilder Runtime Packager:
Select Programs>Sybase>PowerBuilder 12.5>PowerBuilder Runtime Packager from the Windows Start menu or launch the pbpack125 executable file in your Shared\PowerBuilder directory.
Select whether to generate the PowerBuilder runtime files in a standalone MSI file or in an MSM merge module.
Select a location for the generated MSI or MSM file.
If you are deploying a .NET target, select PowerBuilder .NET Components. Otherwise, select PowerBuilder Components.
Select the database interfaces your application requires.
The DLLs for the database interfaces you select are added to the package. For ODBC and OLE DB, the pbodb125.ini file is also added. For JDBC, the pbjdbc12125.jar and pbjvm125.dll files are also added. The Java Runtime Environment (JRE) is not added. See “Third-party components and deployment”.
Other ODBC or OLE DB files your application may require are not added. For information about deploying these files, see “ODBC database drivers and supporting files” and “OLE DB database providers”.
If your application uses DataWindow XML export or import or XML Web DataWindows, check the XML support check box.
The Runtime Packager adds PBXerces125.dll, xerces-c_2_6.dll, and xerces-depdom_2_6.dll.
If your application uses the XML services provided by the PowerBuilder Document Object Model or if it is an EJB client, select the PB DOM or EJB client check boxes.
The Runtime Packager adds the DLLs, PBXs, and JAR files required by the selected component. These components are not available for .NET targets.
If your application is a SOAP Web services client, select the SOAP Client for Web Service check box.
The Runtime Packager adds required files for both the EasySoap and .NET Web service engines when you select the SOAP Client for Web Service check box. For more information about required files for these services, see “PowerBuilder extensions”.
Web service DataWindows
You can also check the SOAP Client for Web Service box if
your application uses Web service DataWindows. Two of the files
added when you check this box, Sybase.PowerBuilder.WebService.Runtime.dll and Sybase.PowerBuilder.WebService.Runtime.RemoteLoader.dll,
are also required for Web service DataWindows.
If your application uses a rich text control or DataWindow, select the Rich Text Support check box.
The Runtime Packager adds the files listed for Rich Text support in Table 36-5
If your application saves DataWindow or graph data in Microsoft Excel 2007 format, select the MS Excel12 Support check box.
The Runtime Packager adds the PBDWExcel12Interop125.dll and Sybase.PowerBuilder.DataWindow.Excel12.dll files to the MSM or MSI package that you generate. It does not add the .NET Framework that is also required for Microsoft Excel 2007 support.
Click Create.
The Runtime Packager creates an MSI or MSM file that includes the files required by the components you selected, as well as the runtime DLLs for standard PowerBuilder applications or the runtime DLLs and .NET assemblies for PowerBuilder .NET applications listed in Table 36-3.
Base components selected |
Files |
|---|---|
PowerBuilder components (Default file name for runtime package is PBCLTRT125.msi) |
|
PowerBuilder .NET components (Default file name for runtime package is PBNETRT125.msi) |
PowerBuilder common files
Telerek RAD controls for .NET Web Forms applications
DataWindow .NET assemblies (deployed to GAC):
|
PowerBuilder .NET components (continued) |
PowerBuilder .NET assemblies (deployed to GAC):
Files for EAServer and Application Server Plug-in clients:
|
The MSI file is a compressed file that can be executed directly on any Windows platform. It registers any self-registering DLLs, adds the installation destination path to the Windows Registry, sets the system PATH environment variable, and adds information to the Registry for the Install/Uninstall page in the Windows Control Panel. It can also be used in some third-party installation software packages.
The MSM file is similar to an MSI file, but the MSM file must first be merged into an installation package before its components can be installed on a client computer.. A merge tool is required to merge the MSM file into an MSI installation package.
For .NET applications, the MSI file or the package with the merged MSM file installs the .NET assemblies into the Global Assembly Cache (GAC). The .NET Framework 2.0 or later must be installed on the target computer. If it is not, the installation stops and an error message displays.
After you run the MSI file or merged MSM package on a production server for .NET Web Forms applications or Web services, or on a client computer for .NET Windows Forms or smart client applications, you must restart the target system.
For more information about deploying .NET targets, see the first chapter in Deploying Applications and Components to .NET.
