Power Builder to Web Application Migration

Power builder is a client/server application development tool. It is relatively simpler to develop complex application with power builder. Due to easy to access web application and other reasons, companies are fast migrating to web application version using various languages like java/j2ee, php, .net so on and forth.

Re-platforming of power builder (PB) version of application to web application is NOT easy. Care has to be taken with proper design and prototyping. I have tried to list down a few points which might be helpful.

1. Single most important factor is designing. Designer has to understand the current features and implementation of the application. Also he/she has to be able to visualize the web application version and how to implement those features. Designer should try to keep user experience same as PB application. ALL SIMPLE POWER BUILDER features are actually complex when realizing in web application.
2. Prototyping is useful in visualizing the converted version of PB application. This is the best time to make changes as per client request. Also do not forget to take an approval from end user. Prototype is the best way to convey the user about the changes from PB. Also convinced them with simple to understand explanation.
3. Displaying list of records in the browser is the toughest job in migration project like this. PB can retrieve thousands of rows within a fraction of second while web application can not show these many records with same amount of time. Try to display minimum number of records with pagination. You may need to convince the user for that.
4. PB has an excellent and powerful concepts called data window. You can do anything and everything using Data Window. I doubt any programming language will have something like data window. So pay special attention to data window and extract all the properties pertaining to it. Take a close look at the sorting, column properties etc.
5. Finally compare the data being shown in both the version of application including default sort order, masking of fields, coloring etc.

I will be happy if readers can increase this list with there experience and skill. Comments are welcome.

Regards
Monu