Migrate PowerBuilder to Web | DataWindow Rescue
To migrate a PowerBuilder client-server application to the web, you re-implement the PowerScript logic and DataWindow screens on a modern web framework, keep your existing database, and deliver a browser-based app that scales to many concurrent users. We do not machine-convert PowerBuilder into web pages. We analyse how your app and its DataWindows behave, rebuild them cleanly for the web, and connect to or migrate your data with no loss.
Why PowerBuilder is a liability now
PowerBuilder powered a generation of data-heavy client-server business apps, but the classic two-tier model now shows its age. Fat clients must be installed and patched on every PC, DataWindow-heavy screens are tied to Windows, and the developer pool has shrunk dramatically. Keeping a mission-critical app on an aging PowerBuilder runtime is a real business risk.
- Fat-client deployment: every workstation needs the runtime installed and kept in sync.
- Two-tier limits: direct database connections from each client scale poorly and expose your data.
- Windows-bound: DataWindow apps do not run on mobile or from the browser.
- Scarce expertise: few developers still maintain PowerScript, raising your long-term cost.
Our migration approach: rebuild the logic, keep the data
Your DataWindows and PowerScript encode a lot of business value: complex queries, validation, and reporting. We preserve that knowledge rather than the code. We re-implement your logic and screens on a modern, multi-tier web architecture, so the new app is secure, maintainable, and genuinely web-native instead of a ported fat client.
Your database stays central. PowerBuilder apps usually sit on a solid server database already, and we can keep it and point the new web app at it. To weigh the options, see our comparison of web versus installed software, and note that this work is part of our legacy software rescue service. For data-heavy back-office apps, our ERP software guide shows what a modern rebuild can deliver.
What you get
- Web and mobile: one responsive app in the browser, on desktop and phone.
- Real concurrency: 50 or more users on a modern multi-tier back end.
- Role-based access: granular permissions and a complete audit trail.
- Automatic backups: scheduled, tested backups managed centrally.
- No client installs: updates ship server-side, so every user is always current.
How the project runs
We deliver remotely with English-language support at every step, and we are honest about the model: no invented local office and no fake certifications, only a disciplined engineering process.
- Audit: we review your PowerScript, DataWindows, and database to map every feature.
- Rebuild: we re-create the workflows and reports as a modern web application.
- Data migration: we keep or migrate your database and verify every record.
- Training and handover: we train your team and support the go-live.
When you need capabilities beyond the original, our custom software development service can extend the new app.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you reuse our old PowerBuilder code?
We reuse the logic in your PowerScript and DataWindows, not the code itself. We rebuild it cleanly for the web, because automated PowerBuilder-to-web conversion produces fragile output.
Will we lose any data?
No. We either keep your current database or migrate it fully, verifying every record against the original before go-live.
How long does a migration take?
A focused app can move in a few weeks, while a large DataWindow-heavy system takes a few months. You get a firm timeline once the audit is done.
Do we keep our existing database?
Usually yes. PowerBuilder apps often run on a capable server database, and we can keep it and connect the new web app to it, or migrate it if that serves you better.
