The .NET Assembly target wizard

You can create .NET assembly targets from scratch or by using PBLs from an existing target that contain at least one nonvisual custom class object.

Creating a target from scratch

When you use the .NET Assembly target wizard to create a target from scratch, the wizard also creates an Application object, a project object that allows you to deploy the assembly, and a nonvisual object. However, you must add and implement at least one public method in the wizard-created NVO before it can be used to create a .NET assembly.

For .NET Assembly targets you create from scratch, you must provide the information described in Table 12-1.

**Table 12-1: Wizard fields for a .NET Assembly target created from scratch**
Wizard field	Description
Project name	Name of the project object the wizard creates.
Library	Name of the library file the wizard creates. By default, this includes the current Workspace path and takes the name you enter for the project object with a PBL extension.
Target	Name of the target the wizard creates. By default, this includes the current Workspace path and takes the name you enter for the project object with a PBT extension.
Library search path	Lets you add PBLs and PBDs to the search path for the new target.
PowerBuilder object name	Name of the nonvisual object the wizard creates. By default this takes the name that you entered for a project object with an “n_” prefix.
Description	Lets you add a description for the project object the wizard creates.
Namespace	Provides a globally unique name to assembly elements and attributes, distinguishing them from elements and attributes of the same name but in different assemblies.
Assembly file name	Name of the assembly created by the wizard. By default, the assembly file name takes the namespace name with a DLL suffix.
Resource file and directory list	List of resource files, or directories containing resource files, that you want to deploy with the project. You can use the Add Files, Add Directories, or Search PBR Files buttons to add files and directories to the list box. You can select a file or directory in the list and click the Delete button to remove that file or directory from the list. When you select a directory, the resource files in all of its subdirectories are also selected by default. However, you can use the Resource Files tab in the Project painter to prevent deployment of subdirectory files. For more information, see “Resource Files and Library Files tabs”.
Win32 dynamic library file list	Specifies any Win32 DLLs you want to include with your project. Click the Add button to open a file selection dialog box and add a DLL to the list. Select a DLL in the list and click Delete to remove the DLL from the list.
Setup file name	Name of the setup file the wizard creates. You can copy this MSI file to client computers, then double-click the files to install the .NET assembly on those computers.

Table 12-1: Wizard fields for a .NET Assembly target created from scratch

Wizard field

Description

Project name

Name of the project object the wizard creates.

Library

Name of the library file the wizard creates. By default, this includes the current Workspace path and takes the name you enter for the project object with a PBL extension.

Target

Name of the target the wizard creates. By default, this includes the current Workspace path and takes the name you enter for the project object with a PBT extension.

Library search path

Lets you add PBLs and PBDs to the search path for the new target.

PowerBuilder object name

Name of the nonvisual object the wizard creates. By default this takes the name that you entered for a project object with an “n_” prefix.

Description

Lets you add a description for the project object the wizard creates.

Namespace

Provides a globally unique name to assembly elements and attributes, distinguishing them from elements and attributes of the same name but in different assemblies.

Assembly file name

Name of the assembly created by the wizard. By default, the assembly file name takes the namespace name with a DLL suffix.

Resource file and directory list

List of resource files, or directories containing resource files, that you want to deploy with the project.

You can use the Add Files, Add Directories, or Search PBR Files buttons to add files and directories to the list box. You can select a file or directory in the list and click the Delete button to remove that file or directory from the list.

When you select a directory, the resource files in all of its subdirectories are also selected by default. However, you can use the Resource Files tab in the Project painter to prevent deployment of subdirectory files. For more information, see “Resource Files and Library Files tabs”.

Win32 dynamic library file list

Specifies any Win32 DLLs you want to include with your project. Click the Add button to open a file selection dialog box and add a DLL to the list. Select a DLL in the list and click Delete to remove the DLL from the list.

Setup file name

Name of the setup file the wizard creates. You can copy this MSI file to client computers, then double-click the files to install the .NET assembly on those computers.

Creating a target from an existing target

If you select the option to use an existing target, the wizard creates only the .NET Assembly target and a .NET Assembly project. The target you select must include a PBL with at least one nonvisual object having at least one public method. The public method must be implemented by the nonvisual object or inherited from a parent. The AutoInstantiate property of the nonvisual object must be set to false.

System Tree display All objects from an existing target display in the System Tree for the .NET Assembly target created from the existing target, except for any project objects that are incompatible with the new target. Although visual objects, as well as the application object, are not used in a .NET Assembly target, you can view them in the System Tree under the new target’s PBLs.

When you use the wizard to create a .NET Assembly target from an existing target, the wizard prompts you for the same information as when you create a target from scratch, except that it omits the PowerBuilder object name and library search path fields. These fields are unnecessary because the existing target must have a usable nonvisual object and the library search path for the target is already set. The wizard does, however, present fields that are not available when you create a target from scratch. Table 12-2 describes these additional fields.

**Table 12-2: Additional fields for the existing target wizard selection**
Wizard field	Description
Choose a target	Select a target from the list of targets in the current workspace.
Specify a project name	Select a name for the project you want to create. You must create a project object to deploy nonvisual objects as .NET components.
Choose a project library	Specify a library from the list of target libraries where you want to store the new project object.
Choose NVO objects to be deployed	Expand the library node or nodes in the list box and select check boxes next to the nonvisual objects that you want to deploy.
Use .NET nullable types	Select this check box to map PowerBuilder standard datatypes to .NET nullable datatypes. Nullable datatypes are not Common Type System (CTS) compliant, but they can be used with .NET Generic classes if a component accepts or returns null arguments or if reference arguments are set to null.

Table 12-2: Additional fields for the existing target wizard selection

Wizard field

Description

Choose a target

Select a target from the list of targets in the current workspace.

Specify a project name

Select a name for the project you want to create. You must create a project object to deploy nonvisual objects as .NET components.

Choose a project library

Specify a library from the list of target libraries where you want to store the new project object.

Choose NVO objects to be deployed

Expand the library node or nodes in the list box and select check boxes next to the nonvisual objects that you want to deploy.

Use .NET nullable types

Select this check box to map PowerBuilder standard datatypes to .NET nullable datatypes. Nullable datatypes are not Common Type System (CTS) compliant, but they can be used with .NET Generic classes if a component accepts or returns null arguments or if reference arguments are set to null.

After you create a .NET Assembly target, you can create as many .NET Assembly projects as you need. You start the .NET Assembly project wizard from the Project tab of the New dialog box. The fields in the wizard include all the fields in Table 12-1 except the “PowerBuilder object name” and “Description” fields and all the fields in Table 12-2 except the “Choose a target” field.

Whether you opt to build a new target from scratch or from an existing target, most of the project-related fields listed in Table 12-1 and Table 12-2 are available for modification in the Project painter. For more information, see “Modifying a .NET Assembly project”.