Data Types

Open Text Team Developer data types are too different from .NET primitives and cannot be replaced automatically and safely without seriously damaging the ported application.

Since Team Developer was originally built as a SQL front-end system, its data types are actually more similar to ADO.NET special Sql types defined for the SQLServer client.

In fact it is quite common in .NET, when dealing with SQL functionality or when building complex features, to build also specialized data types. A specialized data type is simply a class (or struct) that implements operators and casting.

In the PPJ Framework we have built a replacement for all the Team Developer types. Each type is built around native .NET types and is capable of interacting seamlessly with any .NET primitive or native type, as well as any ADO.NET connection.

Nevertheless, we also port SAL types to native and primitive .NET types whenever possible and safe. For example, all constants, ActiveX/COM interfaces, and external declarations are generated using primitive and native types.

Data Type Equivalence

The new types built in the PPJ Framework behave similarly to equivalent types in Team Developer.

SAL Data Type	Ported Data Type	Based on .NET type
String	SalString	System.String
Number	SalNumber	System.Decimal
Date/Time	SalDateTime	System.DateTime
Boolean	SalBoolean	System.Decimal
Window Handle	SalWindowHandle	System.Windows.Forms.Control
File Handle	SalFileHandle	NA
Sql Handle	SalSqlHandle	NA
Sql Session Handle	SalSqlSessionHandle	NA

All PPJ basic types are nullable and support INullable, IComparable, IConvertible, IFormattable.