Release Bulletin PowerBuilder® Desktop/Professional 11.5
Document ID: DC33823-01-1150-01
Last revised: September 5, 2008
Accessing current release bulletin information
A more recent version of this release bulletin may be available on the Web. To check for critical product or document information added after the product release, use the Sybase® Product Manuals Web site.
Accessing release bulletins at the Sybase Product Manuals Web site
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Go to Product Manuals.
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Select a product and language and click Go.
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Select the Release Bulletins link.
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From the list of individual documents, select the link to the release bulletin for your PowerBuilder® edition. You can either download the PDF version or browse the document online.
Product summary
Enclosed is Sybase PowerBuilder Desktop or Professional version 11.5, which is compatible with the following platform and operating system configurations:
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Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 3
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Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition with Service Pack 3
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Microsoft Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 2
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Microsoft Windows Vista Business Edition with Service Pack 1
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Microsoft Windows Server 2008 (support for deployment)
PowerBuilder 11.5 builds 32-bit applications, but supports deployed applications in both 32-bit and 64-bit environments on the Vista operating system. For information about using PowerBuilder Help on the Vista operating system, see “Using Windows Help files on Vista” in the first chapter of the Users Guide in the HTML Help.
DataDirect database drivers Beginning with the PowerBuilder 11.0 release, the PB DataDirect ODBC drivers and OLE DB data providers from DataDirect Technologies were removed from the PowerBuilder setup program. If you want to use these drivers and data providers, you must obtain them from DataDirect Technologies.
Special installation instructions
The Installation Guide on the Getting Started CD and the Sybase Product Manuals Web site describes how to install the software.
If you installed a beta release of PowerBuilder 11.5, use the Windows control panel’s Add or Remove Programs dialog box to remove it and ensure that all beta versions of PowerBuilder 11.5 DLLs and .NET assemblies are removed from your system before you install PowerBuilder 11.5 GA.
Changed functionality in this version
New Features PowerBuilder 11.5 describes features added in this version. You can view this book on the Sybase Product Manuals Web site. Select PowerBuilder from the list of products and click Go, then select PowerBuilder 11.5 and select this title.
The New Features section of the PowerBuilder Help file also describes features added in this release. To view this Help, from the PowerBuilder menu, select Help>Welcome to PowerBuilder 11.5.
Known problems
.NET Windows Forms issues (Professional Edition only)
Calling Web service from .NET applications does not work with partial trust
You must currently use "Unrestricted=true" for the WebPermission setting in a Windows Forms project that calls a Web service or uses a Web Service DataWindow®. Otherwise, even if you add the Web Service URI to the WebPermission Web site list, a security exception is thrown. [CR 499840]
CAS PrintingPermission level does not affect DataWindow print button
If you place the Print (15) Action button on a DataWindow object in a Windows Forms application, the printing action is not restricted even though you remove the PrintingPermission setting or set it to NoPrinting or SafePrinting. [CR 534278]
Duplicate toolbars in Windows Forms MDI applications
In standard PowerBuilder applications, you can prevent duplicate toolbars from displaying in MDI applications by setting the Application object’s ToolbarFrameTitle property to its ToolbarSheetTitle property. However, if you deploy the same applications in .NET Windows Forms projects, the duplicate toolbars still display when you open a response window or a sheet window from a frame window menu.
Also, if you open multiple sheets in these Windows Forms applications, it is possible that duplicated toolbars will display. [CR 538382, 535917]
Animation times settings for windows in Windows Forms applications
If you set the AnimationTime property on a window to a large value (for example 5000), there can be a delay when you open the window in the deployed application. This problem has been observed only on computers with Windows Server 2008. [CR 534455]
Slow performance while debugging Windows Forms applications
To maximize performance for the incremental build feature, PowerBuilder creates .NET modules for each PowerBuilder class. A side effect of this enhancement is that it also affects debugger performance. For example, when you debug a Windows Forms application, the All Variables view is slow to open and display the application variables. Other debugging operations can also be slowed, depending on the number of modules and global variables in the application being debugged. [CR 451470]
DataWindow gradient and transparency properties
SaveAs and Print methods do not work well with transparency settings
If you set the Transparency property for a DataWindow column, text, or GroupBox object, the text in the object appears blurry and displays in a bold font in the PDF file that you generate with a SaveAs call or in a copy of the DataWindow that you print with a print method call. [CR 528766]
Using solid brush mode with transparency slows PDF save process
If you use a solid color with a level of transparency other than zero on a DataWindow, DataWindow band, or control (Button, Column, Text, drawing object, and so on) and try to save to a PDF file, the save process takes considerably more time than when no transparency is used. [CR 538090]
Stray color line displays when using Repetition Count with gradients
This issue applies to static text and column objects. If you set the Brushmode to Horizontal, Vertical, Angle, or ScaleAngle, then set Repetition Mode to By Repetition Count and set the Repetition Count to greater than 1, a stray line displays on one of the object edges. [CR 529340]
Transparent color does not work correctly on remote desktop
If you run a PowerBuilder application on a remote computer using Remote Desktop Connection, the transparent color for pictures in a DataWindow object does not display correctly. When you develop a PowerBuilder application using Remote Desktop Connection, the same issue occurs at design time if you select the Make Color Transparent menu item. [CR 539530]
Transparent color and gradient settings in Summary bands
If you set the color for a Summary band to Transparent and use a gradient, the Summary band does not display the gradient properties, but remains transparent to the background color of the DataWindow object. This issue occurs in all DataWindow presentation styles and with all gradient brush modes. [CR 538201]
Transparent color setting for pictures ignored when saving rows to PDF
If you include PNG pictures in a DataWindow and save its rows to a PDF file, the transparent color setting for the picture controls is ignored in the saved file. For other types of pictures, such as BMPs, GIFs, or JPGs, the pictures are saved with their transparent color settings and display the same in the PDF as they do on screen. [CR 538248]
Setting text transparency in Crosstab DataWindow with a JPG image
If a Crosstab DataWindow contains a JPG image and a text object, setting the Text Transparency property for the text object on the Font tab of the DataWindow painter Properties view causes PowerBuilder to crash. However, if you set the Text Transparency on the same object at runtime using PowerScript code, the transparency setting works correctly. The crash at design time does not occur if the Crosstab DataWindow does not contain a picture control or if the picture controls it contains are not JPG images. [CR 540031]
Printing a DataWindow with gradient settings from Windows Vista
You cannot print a DataWindow with Angle, ScaledAngle and Radial gradient brush modes to a physical printer from a computer with the Vista operating system. This issue does not exist for print jobs that you send to a virtual printer, and it does not occur for computers using the XP operating system. [CR 541106]
DataWindow tooltip issues
InkPicture must be disabled for tooltip to appear
If you want to add a tooltip to an InkPicture in a DataWindow, the InkPicture must not be enabled. [CR 530824]
Tooltip colors cannot be customized on Windows Vista
On Windows Vista, you cannot change the color of the tooltip text or background unless you also change the display properties to use Classic themes. [CR 495074]
New 3D graph styles
New 3D graphs cannot be rendered on virtual platforms
VMWare virtual workstations do not fully support DirectX 3D graphics. If you try to use these graph styles on a virtual platform, PowerBuilder crashes. [CR 528885]
Older graphics adaptors do not display anti-aliased grid lines
In the new DirectX 3D graph styles, grid lines are designed to render with anti-aliasing. This is incompatible with older graphics adapters, so on these adapters the grid lines do not render with anti-aliasing. [CR 531837]
Visual anomalies in graphs with DirectX 3D rendering
Some graphics cards do not support multisampling with DirectX-enabled 3D graphs. Multisampling is used for anti-aliasing, making the edges of the 3D objects in your graphs appear less jagged. If a DirectX 3D graph does not display correctly on a runtime computer, you can turn off multisampling by creating a PB_Graph_Multisampling system environment variable and setting it to FALSE. If this does not work, you need to replace the graphics card to display DirectX 3D graphs correctly. [CR 530128]
Area3D DirectX graph with transparency settings displays irregular shadows
When you use an Area3D style graph with the DirectX 3D rendering and set the transparencies for a series or adjacent data points, shadows indicating the separation between data points might not display correctly. This could also give inaccurate impressions of the heights of certain data points. [CR 536659, CR 536661]
RichText edit style issues
New RichText edit styles are not saved in Database painter
If you right-click Edit Styles in the Extended Attributes view of the Database painter and select New from the pop-up menu, the Edit Style view displays. You can select RichText from the Style Type drop-down list, however, when you save the edit style, it changes back to the Edit edit style and you cannot change it back to RichText. You must use the DataWindow painter to add a RichText edit style. [CR 535473]
Setting AutoSizeHeight on RichText column can cause crash
At design time, if you select AutoSizeHeight for a DataWindow band and then select it for a RichText column, PowerBuilder might crash. This occurs when you only have .NET Framework 2.0 on your computer. If you install .NET Framework 3.5, the crash does not occur. [CR 542149]
RichTextCurrentStyleChanged event triggered incorrectly
The RichTextCurrentStyleChanged event is supposed to occur only when a column with the RichText edit style has focus and the selected text has mixed character styles, or when the character styles of the current text selection have changed. However, it sometimes occurs for selected text even when the characters in the text have the same character styles. [CR 539901]
N-Up DataWindow events with RichText column edit styles
The DoubleClicked and RightButtonDown events do not always pass the correct row of an N-Up DataWindow for which the event action occurs when the DataWindow includes columns with the RichText edit style. [CR 539544]
Clicking in a RichText column with PowerBuilder IDE is in background
If you click inside a RichText column in a runtime application while the PowerBuilder IDE is open in the background, the toolbar of the PowerBuilder IDE will flicker. This issue should not affect end users of PowerBuilder applications, since they typically would not also be running the PowerBuilder IDE. [CR 534874]
Toolbar displays only partially when the only editable columns have RichText edit styles
If you set the tab order to 0 for all columns except columns with RichText edit styles in a DataWindow, and select text in an editable RichText edit style column that is not in the first row, the rich text edit toolbar displays only partially, with part of the toolbar extending beyond the margins of the window or page containing the DataWindow. This does not occur if columns without the RichText edit style are editable. [CR 538833]
PNG support issues
Some PNG images cannot display in InkPicture controls
Alpha transparency and multilevel transparency PNG images do not display correctly in InkPicture controls and cause an exception to be raised. PNG images with color-type 2c (rgb color) or 6a (rgb color plus alpha channel), and PNG images with 16-bit bit depth having color-type 0, 2, 4, 6, fail to load in InkPicture controls, but these PNG image types do not cause an exception or error message to display. [CR 496187]
Large PNG images can cause flashing in Picture controls
PNG pictures paint slower than bitmaps and other picture types. Because of the way that PowerBuilder implements Picture controls, assigning large PNG images to these controls can cause the controls to flash when they are painted or repainted. The larger the picture, the more pronounced the flash. This painting issue does not affect Picture controls in .NET Windows Forms targets or other types of controls (such as the PictureButton control) in standard PowerBuilder targets. [CR 536633]
Exporting a DataWindow object containing PNG images to a PDF file
If you export a DataWindow object as a PDF file using the XSLFOP method, PNG images in the DataWindow are not saved in the generated PDF. You must use the Distill method to export the PNG images in a DataWindow object to a PDF file. [CR 537283]
License issues
Running PowerBuilder 11.2 and 11.5 using the same license server
If you install PowerBuilder 11.2 and 11.5 on the same computer and they use the same license server, you might encounter license issues if you try to run them simultaneously. If you start PowerBuilder 11.5 first, you might not be able to start PowerBuilder 11.2. If you start PowerBuilder 11.2 first, PowerBuilder 11.5 might start in grace mode and post a warning to indicate that you have 30 days to obtain a license. This issue is not reproducible on all license servers. [CR 542158]
Updating to a served license from a grace mode installation
In the PowerBuilder setup program, you can select the served license option without entering the license server name or port number. If you do this and continue with the installation, the setup program installs a grace period license allowing you to use PowerBuilder for 30 days before you update the license server information. However, in this case, using the Tools>Update License menu item to update to a valid server license might not work correctly unless you delete the pb115.lic grace period license from the local Sybase installation directories. Otherwise you must reinstall PowerBuilder, this time making sure to enter the valid license server information in the setup program. [CR 542171]
Other issues
Cannot install Sybase DataWindow PS Printer on Windows Vista
The PowerBuilder setup program installs the ADIST5.INF driver for the Sybase DataWindow PS Printer in the Sybase Shared\PowerBuilder\Drivers directory. However, this driver does not work on Vista. To install the Sybase DataWindow PS Printer, you can use the GHOSTPDF.INF driver that is installed with Ghostscript 8.x in the gs\gs8.x\lib directory. [CR 542436]
Line breaks do not display the same way in print as on screen
When you insert several lines of text in a large string column of a DataWindow, the text wraps appropriately. But when you print the DataWindow, the line breaks might not occur in the same locations as they do on screen. You can prevent dissimilar line breaks by creating a PB_ForcePrintLineBreakSame environment variable on the runtime computer and setting it to 1. However, this also can cause words at the end of a line to be clipped or truncated. If you set the environment variable to 0, the words in the column will not be truncated, but the line breaks in the printed copy will again occur in different locations than they do on screen. [CR 531741]
Images in CMYK format do not display correctly
Images defined in the CMYK format do not display well and are not supported in PowerBuilder applications. [CR 489723]
Surrogate pair characters are not supported in PowerBuilder
Surrogate pair characters are counted as two characters by PowerScript functions. Therefore, you can use only characters in the Basic Multilingual Plane of the UTF-16 Unicode character set in PowerBuilder applications. [CR 534865, 534869]
Changing the OriginalSize property after a SetPicture call
You can use the SetPicture function to assign an image stored in a blob to a picture control. But if you then change the OriginalSize property dynamically, the picture will no longer display. This issue exists in the Picture and PictureHyperLink controls. [CR 540778]
Product compatibilities
SQL Anywhere
PowerBuilder 11.5 has been tested with SQL Anywhere® 11.0 and the SQL Anywhere 11.0 Runtime Edition.
Microsoft .NET Framework
PowerBuilder 11.5 is compatible with Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 and later.
Java
PowerBuilder 11.5 is compatible with JDK 1.5.
Ghostscript
The DataWindow Save as PDF feature has been tested with AFPL Ghostscript version 8.60.
Third-party components and deployment
PowerBuilder applications have some dependencies on third-party components that are installed with PowerBuilder. Most of these components are not installed with the PowerBuilder Runtime Packager. You may redistribute some of these components with your application, but others must be obtained from the vendor.
For information about components that can be freely downloaded, see the free download terms document. A copy of this document is located in the Support directory on the DVD and on the Sybase Web site.
Apache files
You may redistribute Apache files included with PowerBuilder to your users. Any use or distribution of the Apache code included with PowerBuilder 11.5 must comply with the terms of the Apache License which is located in the free download terms document for PowerBuilder 11.5.
Version 0.20.4 of the Apache Formatting Objects Processor (FOP) is required if your application uses XSL-FO to save files as PDF. For more information about FOP, see the Apache FOP Web site.
The Apache Xerces files xerces-c_2_6.dll and xerces-depdom_2_6.dll are required for XML support for DataWindows and DataStores. For more information about Xerces, see the Xerces C++ Parser Web site.
Microsoft files
Visual C++ runtime and the Active Template Library
When you deploy the core PowerBuilder runtime files, you must ensure that the msvcr71.dll and msvcp71.dll Microsoft Visual C++ runtime libraries and the Microsoft .NET Active Template Library (ATL) module, atl71.dll, are present on the user’s computer or server. The PowerBuilder runtime files have a runtime dependency on these files and they are required for all applications and components that require the PowerBuilder runtime. You can obtain these DLL files from the DLL archive Web site. They are also available from the DLL archive Web site.
Files must be installed before running MSI file Some files installed by the MSI file generated by the PowerBuilder Runtime Packager have dependencies on these files. For example, atl71.dll must be installed on the user’s computer before the pbjvm115.dll file can be registered. Make sure these files are on the target computer before you run the MSI file generated by the Runtime Packager.
Ink picture libraries
Microsoft.Ink, Microsoft.Ink.dll, and Microsoft.Resources.dll are required if your application uses InkEdit and InkPicture controls. These files are part of the Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition Software Development Kit 1.7, which is available on the Microsoft Web site.
Microsoft has discovered some incompatibility issues between these DLLs and the .NET Framework 2.0. You can obtain an update to address these issues from Microsoft.
DirectX 9.0c runtime
PowerBuilder applications can use DirectX 3D rendering to display 3D graphs (Pie3D, Bar3D, Column3D, Line3D, and Area3D) with a more sophisticated look. You can use data item or series transparency with the DirectX graph styles to improve the presentation of data.
The DirectX 3D rendering depends on the DirectX 9.0c runtime. The first time you select the Render3D check box on the General tab of the Properties view for a 3D graph, PowerBuilder launches the DirectX installer. If you opt out of the installation, the Render3D property is ignored. End users of PowerBuilder applications must also have the DirectX 9.0c runtime installed on their computers to view the DirectX graph styles. You can download the DirectX 9.0c runtime from the Microsoft Web site at Microsoft Web site.
For computers with older graphics drivers, you can check whether DirectX is supported by running dxdiag.exe. This file is typically installed in the Windows\System32 directory. The Display tab of the DirectX Diagnostic Tool that opens when you run dxdiag.exe indicates whether Direct3D is enabled.
Sun Microsystems files
The Java Runtime Environment (JRE) is required for saving as PDF using XSL-FO. For a copy of third-party terms and conditions for the JRE, see the free download terms document.The JRE can be downloaded from the Sun Developer Network.
Documentation updates and clarifications
All books in the PowerBuilder collection on the Sybase Product Manuals Web site have been updated for PowerBuilder 11.5.
Migration information
You can migrate a PowerBuilder application from any version of PowerBuilder directly to any later version. Before you migrate to a later version, read this section and the following Technical Document to learn about changes in PowerBuilder that might affect your application: Migrating PowerBuilder Applications.
Back up your files and use the Migration Assistant to identify obsolete code before you migrate.
The applications that you build using this version of PowerBuilder must be deployed with the PowerBuilder runtime DLLs from this version.
Migrating .NET Windows Forms targets
If you deployed .NET Windows Forms projects from earlier releases of PowerBuilder, you must make sure to complete the following steps before redeploying the same projects from PowerBuilder 11.5:
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Uninstall earlier versions of PowerBuilder runtime files (system assemblies and win32 DLLs) on all deployment computers or servers
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Install the PowerBuilder 11.5 runtime files using the Runtime Packager or another tool, as described in the “Checklist for deployment” section of the Deploying Applications and Components to .NET book
Change in behavior of OpenTab
A change was made in PowerBuilder 10.2.1 Build 9716, PowerBuilder 10.5.1 Build 6505, and PowerBuilder 11.0 Build 5021, to correct an anomalous behavior when the SelectedTab property was applied at runtime to a tab whose Visible property was set to false.
As a result of this change, there is a change in the behavior of the OpenTab and OpenTabWithParm functions. In previous releases, calling the OpenTab or OpenTabWithParm function to open a user object as a tab page displayed the tab page even if the user object’s Visible property was set to false. In current releases, the user object’s Visible property must be set to true for the tab page to display.
ImportFile size limit
PowerBuilder 10.0 and later versions are Unicode enabled. If your application uses the ImportFile method to import very large text files (approximately 839,000 lines) into a DataWindow or DataStore, ImportFile returns the error code -15. Larger text files could be imported in ANSI versions of PowerBuilder.
Technical support
Each Sybase installation that has purchased a support contract has one or more designated people who are authorized to contact Sybase Technical Support. If you have any questions about this installation or if you need assistance during the installation process, ask the designated person to contact Sybase Technical Support or the Sybase subsidiary in your area.
Other sources of information
Use the Sybase Getting Started CD, the SyBooks™ CD, and the Sybase Product Manuals Web site to learn more about your product:
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The Getting Started CD contains release bulletins and installation guides in PDF format, and may also contain other documents or updated information not included on the SyBooks CD. It is included with your software. To read or print documents on the Getting Started CD, you need Adobe Acrobat Reader, which you can download at no charge from the Adobe Web site using a link provided on the CD.
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The SyBooks CD contains product manuals and is included with your software. The Eclipse-based SyBooks browser allows you to access the manuals in an easy-to-use, HTML-based format.
Some documentation may be provided in PDF format, which you can access through the PDF directory on the SyBooks CD. To read or print the PDF files, you need Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Refer to the SyBooks Installation Guide on the Getting Started CD, or the README.txt file on the SyBooks CD for instructions on installing and starting SyBooks.
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The Sybase Product Manuals Web site is an online version of the SyBooks CD that you can access using a standard Web browser. In addition to product manuals, you will find links to EBFs/Maintenance, Technical Documents, Case Management, Solved Cases, newsgroups, and the Sybase Developer Network.
To access the Sybase Product Manuals Web site, go to Product Manuals.
Sybase certifications on the Web
Technical documentation at the Sybase Web site is updated frequently.
Finding the latest information on product certifications
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Point your Web browser to Technical Documents.
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Click Certification Report.
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In the Certification Report filter select a product, platform, and timeframe and then click Go.
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Click a Certification Report title to display the report.
Finding the latest information on component certifications
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Point your Web browser to Availability and Certification Reports.
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Either select the product family and product under Search by Base Product; or select the platform and product under Search by Platform.
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Select Search to display the availability and certification report for the selection.
Creating a personalized view of the Sybase Web site (including support pages)
Set up a MySybase profile. MySybase is a free service that allows you to create a personalized view of Sybase Web pages.
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Point your Web browser to Technical Documents.
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Click MySybase and create a MySybase profile.
Sybase EBFs and software maintenance
Finding the latest information on EBFs and software maintenance
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Point your Web browser to the Sybase Support Page.
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Select EBFs/Maintenance. If prompted, enter your MySybase user name and password.
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Select a product.
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Specify a time frame and click Go. A list of EBF/Maintenance releases is displayed.
Padlock icons indicate that you do not have download authorization for certain EBF/Maintenance releases because you are not registered as a Technical Support Contact. If you have not registered, but have valid information provided by your Sybase representative or through your support contract, click Edit Roles to add the “Technical Support Contact” role to your MySybase profile.
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Click the Info icon to display the EBF/Maintenance report, or click the product description to download the software.
Accessibility features
This document is available in an HTML version that is specialized for accessibility. You can navigate the HTML with an adaptive technology such as a screen reader, or view it with a screen enlarger.
PowerBuilder 11.5 and the HTML documentation have been tested for compliance with U.S. government Section 508 Accessibility requirements. Documents that comply with Section 508 generally also meet non-U.S. accessibility guidelines, such as the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) guidelines for Web sites.
Note:You might need to configure your accessibility tool for optimal use. Some screen readers pronounce text based on its case; for example, they pronounce ALL UPPERCASE TEXT as initials, and MixedCase Text as words. You might find it helpful to configure your tool to announce syntax conventions. Consult the documentation for your tool.
For information about how Sybase supports accessibility, see Sybase Accessibility. The Sybase Accessibility site includes links to information on Section 508 and W3C standards.
For more information about accessibility features of PowerBuilder, see the chapter on building accessible applications in Application Techniques.
For a Section 508 compliance statement for PowerBuilder, go to the Voluntary Product Assessment Templates page.
