Mastering PowerBuilder

PFC Architecture

The PowerBuilder Foundation Class Library (PFC) is a combination of reusable & extendible classes and framework. PFC is the first class library that uses the service-oriented classes approach. PFC comes with enterprise PowerBuilder. If you are a PowerBuilder desktop user, you can purchase advanced developers kit in which PFC is included. The following is a list of some PFC features:

• PFC doesn�t use any obsolete functions.
• Takes advantage of version 5.0 syntax. (For example, CREATE USING, .OBJECT notation syntax for DataWindow, new syntax of triggering/posting an event/function, Parameterized events, AutoInstantiation, etc.)
• No hierarchical overloading. (Till version 5.0, there was no way of overloading a method without using inheritance. In version 5.0, you can overload a method in the same object level without using inheritance.)
• Unlike some class libraries where you only get the executables (PBDs), PFC comes with the source code.
• Includes extension layers that can be customized. As you know, no class library can meet your exact needs, and moreover, you need to customize either by modifying or enhancing some objects.

PFC is spanned over ten libraries.

Base Class Libraries	Extension Layer Class Libraries
PFCMAIN.PBL: Contains basic services	PFEMAIN.PBL
PFCAPSRV.PBL: Application Services	PFEAPSRV.PBL
PFCDWSRV.PBL: DataWindow Services	PFEDWSRV.PBL
PFCWNSRV.PBL: Window Services	PFEWNSRV.PBL
PFCUTIL.PBL: Utility Services	PFEUTIL.PBL

There are two more libraries PFCSECAD.PBL, PFCSECSC.PBL, that come with PFC. The first library contains security administration related services and the later contains Security system scanner application. These two libraries have no extension libraries.

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