Using our proprietary automated tools and AI, we migrate PowerBuilder to modern .NET (Blazor / WinForms). Scoping and analysis are free.
We prepare a free analysis report, including source metrics.
Why organizations like yours are migrating now
In 2016, SAP transferred the future development and sales rights for PowerBuilder to Appeon of the US. Since then, PowerBuilder has fallen outside the core strategy of the major vendors, and the industry's momentum for new development has shifted to .NET and the cloud. Organizations still running PowerBuilder face the same walls: rising costs, aging OS dependencies, and a shrinking talent pool.
Older versions are already out of support, and PB 2022's extended support is expected to end—leaving security patching uncertain. Unpatched vulnerabilities steadily raise audit and data-breach exposure for core business systems.
PowerBuilder holds roughly 1% share among development languages (vs. 30%+ for .NET). A shrinking ecosystem imposes severe limits on NuGet, AI, and API integration—leaving AI adoption, web delivery, and cloud migration structurally out of reach.
Active PowerBuilder engineers are concentrated in their 50s and 60s, and new-graduate hiring is effectively zero. A specialist's retirement translates directly into a maintenance stop. The longer you wait, the more institutional knowledge is lost.
Dependence on scarce engineers and rising license fees push maintenance costs up an estimated 30% over three years. Building equivalent features is said to take 3–5× the effort of .NET—slowing your response to competitors and eroding ROI.
Two options
Most vendors propose a single path without explaining the alternatives. We explain two migration targets, matched to how your business runs.
On Demand One supports both roads. We'll tell you honestly which one fits your requirements.
What migration delivers
We combine application, reporting, and database into one integrated migration project—so you never end up half-migrated, with a modernized app still running on an aging foundation.
PowerBuilder applications are converted to Blazor / WinForms on .NET using our proprietary conversion tools and in-house ODO support library. Not a manual rewrite—business logic is preserved by automated conversion, never reconstructed from memory.
.PBL / .SRW / .SRU → .NET 8 / C#PbDataWindowAdapter abstracts DataWindow behavior, replaced by ComponentOne / DataGridView. Reports reproduce Freeform / Group / N-Up with pixel compatibility in ActiveReports. A dedicated specialist guarantees quality with side-by-side testing.
DataWindow → C1FlexGrid / ActiveReportsYour existing database can be reused as-is with EF Core + Dapper. Depending on requirements, upgrade to a newer Oracle LTS, or migrate to PostgreSQL to eliminate licensing costs. SJIS → UTF-8 encoding issues are resolved along the way.
Oracle DB → latest Oracle LTS / PostgreSQLApproach
Every vendor says “automation.” Here's what it actually means for your project.
From years of migration experience, we built PowerBuilder-specific conversion tools and our in-house ODO support library. Not a generic code translator—it understands PB-specific constructs like DataWindow, OCX, and the business layer, producing clean, maintainable .NET output.
Manual rewrites lose or misremember undocumented business rules. Automated conversion reads the source code and translates the logic directly—the same rules, in a new language, with no interpretation in between.
AI analyzes PB source and dynamically updates the conversion tools and ODO library. RPA repeatedly tests screens and business logic, and AI detects and auto-remediates vulnerabilities—reducing re-migration and raising delivery confidence.
Why not a manual rewrite
Manual rewrites fail at a high rate. Scope creep, missed business rules, and schedule overruns are inherent to the approach—not the exception.
Automated conversion removes the guesswork. The application is translated, not reimagined. The output is functionally equivalent to what you have today—on a platform supported for another 10–15 years.
Process
After the free analysis and estimate, we set the scope and the project begins.
Send us your PowerBuilder source files (.PBL / .SRW / .SRD / .SRU and more) and a masked database dump. We run our automated analysis, map every window, DataWindow, function, and batch, and deliver a complete scope report. No cost. No obligation.
.PBL .SRW .SRD .SRU + masked DB dump
A detailed project proposal with exact module counts, timeline, and constraints. You know the full cost before signing. A 2-month PoC tightens the estimate to ±10% or better.
We migrate domain by domain. At each checkpoint, we validate the converted application against the original—so issues surface early, not at the end.
The migrated application is delivered tested and running on .NET. Documentation is auto-generated. Your team inherits a modern, maintainable codebase—without PowerBuilder.
About On Demand One
On Demand One was founded in Tokyo in 2009 as a company dedicated to systems modernization. We didn't start as a generalist IT consultancy. From day one we built proprietary conversion tools—designed specifically for PowerBuilder and Oracle Forms, platforms most migration vendors avoid or handle by hand.
Across 50+ enterprise migrations, those tools are why we can scope a project in days rather than months, and why conversion is “measured,” not “estimated.”
“The application is translated, not reimagined.”
On Demand One Inc.
Tokyo, Japan · Founded 2009
PowerBuilder / Oracle Forms modernization
Extending on PowerBuilder 2025 only prolongs the PB stack—you'll face another replatform in 5–10 years. Intermediate versions aren't available, so a direct-upgrade “hop” plan breaks down. .NET 8 / 9 are Microsoft's official LTS with 10–15 years of stable operation, and C# / .NET talent is abundant and easy to hire.
Our conversion tools and ODO library convert windows, DataWindows, user objects, functions, and trigger logic into .NET code. Where a screen's structure is unusual, some manual adjustment may be involved.
For the free analysis, we need your PowerBuilder source files (.PBL / .SRW / .SRD / .SRU and more) and a database schema export (masking is fine). All files are handled under a mutual NDA. No access to your live system is required.
It depends on system size. As a guide, a 100-screen system takes roughly six months to a year (phased, domain-by-domain releases). The free analysis provides an exact schedule.
PbDataWindowAdapter absorbs DataWindow behavior, and ComponentOne / ActiveReports reproduce reports with pixel compatibility. A dedicated reporting specialist runs side-by-side testing to guarantee quality.
Your existing Oracle DB can be reused as-is with EF Core + Dapper. Depending on requirements, you can upgrade to a newer Oracle LTS, or optionally migrate to PostgreSQL.
We work under a mutual NDA before any files are shared. No access to your live system is required—analysis runs on source files only. Your source code is never used for anything other than the migration. Analysis reports and proposals are available in both Japanese and English.
Send us your PowerBuilder source code. We'll analyze the system, map every module and piece of logic, and send back an analysis report—free of charge.
We deliver the analysis report entirely through online communication.