Working in the Forms Developer Environment

Objectives After completing this lesson, you should be able to do the following: Describe Forms Builder components Navigate the Forms Builder interface Identify the main objects in a form module Customize the Forms Builder session Use the online help facilities Identify the main Forms executables Describe the Forms module types Set environment variables for design and run time Run a form from within Forms Builder Introduction Overview This lesson provides you with an overview of Forms Builder, including a high-level description of its components and object hierarchy. Using this knowledge, you can plan and implement the structure of your form applications.

Forms Builder Key Features With Forms Builder you can: Provide an interface for users to insert, update, delete, and query data Present data as text, image, and custom controls Control forms across several windows and database transactions Use integrated menus Send data to Oracle Reports

Forms Builder Components: Property Palette Copy and paste properties Fast search feature

Forms Builder Components: Layout Editor Toolbar Tool palette Demonstration Go to the Layout Editor. Point out the major tools in the toolbar. Demonstrate some of the major tools in the Tool palette. Draw a rectangle and an ellipse, and also show how to draw a square and a circle by holding down the [Shift] key when using the rectangle and ellipse tools. Demonstrate selecting multiple objects and show how to group various objects. Demonstrate resizing, moving, aligning, coloring, and deleting objects. Demonstrate using the Text tool and changing the font style and size. Demonstrate how to pin a tool by double-clicking a tool.

Forms Builder Components: PL/SQL Editor With the PL/SQL Editor you can: Use PL/SQL in Forms. Enter and compile code.

Getting Started in the Forms Builder Interface Start Forms Builder Connect to the database: Menu: Select File > Connect Or Toolbar: Click Connect

Blocks, Items, and Canvases Block A Block B

Forms Builder Components Items: These are interface objects that present data values to the user or enable the user to interact with the form, depending upon the item type. There are several different types of items. Items are logically grouped into blocks and visibly arranged on canvases. Blocks: A block is the intermediate building unit for forms. Each form consists of one or more blocks. A block is the logical owner of items, and each item in a form belongs to a block. Items in one block are logically related; for example, they may correspond to columns in the same database table or may need to be part of the same navigation cycle. Blocks therefore provide a mechanism for grouping related items into a functional unit for storing, displaying, and manipulating records.

Forms Builder Components (continued) Canvases: A canvas is a “surface” where visual objects, such as graphics and items, are arranged. A form module can have several canvases (like the pages of a paper form). A canvas can display items from one or more blocks. To see a canvas and its items, you must display the canvas in a window. By default, all canvases in a form appear in the same window (which could mean you see only one canvas at a time), but you can assign separate windows for each canvas so that several canvases can be viewed at once.

Navigation in a Form Module When you run a form, you principally navigate by way of items and blocks, not by canvases. Each item has a sequenced position within its block, and each block has a sequenced position in the form. When a user requests to move to the next item in a block, focus will be set on the next item in sequence, wherever that may be. If the next item is on a different canvas, Oracle Forms Developer displays that canvas automatically. Similarly, users can request to move to the next block (or previous block). If the first item in this block resides on another canvas, then that canvas is displayed automatically.

Data Blocks A B C Master Data Block 2 A B C D Table 3 4 1 Detail Data Block 5 X Y Z X Y Z 6 Table

Types of Blocks In Forms Builder there are two main types of blocks: data blocks and control blocks. Data Blocks When you build database applications with Forms Builder, many of the blocks will be data blocks. A data block is associated with a specific database table (or view), a stored procedure, a FROM clause query, or transactional triggers. If it is based on a table (or view), the data block can be based on only one base table, even though the data block can be programmed to access data from more than one table and data sources. By default, the association between a data block and the database enables the user to automatically access and manipulate data in the database. However, to access data from other tables (nonbase tables), you need to write triggers.

Types of Blocks Data Blocks When you build database applications with Forms Builder, many of the blocks will be data blocks. A data block is associated with a specific database table (or view), a stored procedure, a FROM clause query, or transactional triggers. Control Blocks A control block is not associated with a database, and its items do not relate to any columns within any database table. Its items are called control items. For example, you can create many buttons in your module to initiate certain actions and to logically group these buttons in a control block.

Master Versus Detail Blocks To support the relationship between data blocks and their underlying base tables, you can define one data block as the detail (child) of a master (parent) data block. This links primary key and foreign key values across data blocks, and synchronizes the data that these data blocks display. Forms Builder automatically generates the objects and code needed to support master-detail relationships. As the designer, you need only request it. Note: If your application requires it, you can also create independent data blocks in which there is no relationship between the two data blocks.

Forms and Data Blocks Block 1 Block 1 Block 1 Form C Block 2 Open Form Form A Form B Multiple Form Modules Block 4 Single Form Module

Form Module Hierarchy Module Database Table Blocks Column Trigger Item Frame Item Program Canvas Program Units Item units Trigger Technical Note Trigger Window

Multi-Block and Multi-Form Applications A form module is made up of one or more blocks. A data block is based on a database object, such as a table or a view. A data block can contain both data items and control items. A frame can be created to arrange data block items. Each item in a block must appear on a canvas, and each canvas must appear in a window. A form module can have one or more canvases and windows. Using triggers, you can add functionality to your form. Triggers can be written at different levels in a form module. User-named program units enable you to write additional PL/SQL code through procedures, functions, and packages.

Customizing Your Forms Builder Session

What Are Oracle Forms Developer Preferences? You can use preferences to customize some aspects of your Forms Builder session. To modify preferences, perform the following steps: 1. Select Edit > Preferences. 2. Specify any options that you require. Click OK to save changes, or Cancel to cancel changes.

Testing a Form: The Run Form Button With the Run Form menu command or button, you can: Run a form from Forms Builder Test the form in a three-tier environment The Run Form command takes its settings from Preferences: Edit > Preferences Runtime tab Set Web Browser Location if desired Set Application Server URL to point to Forms Servlet: http://127.0.0.1:8889/forms90/f90servlet

To Exit a session The correct way to exit a Forms session is to exit the form (File > Exit, or click Exit), then close the browser. If you close the browser without first exiting the form, your session may hang. You will notice this because you may not be able to recompile the same form, but will receive the error: FRM-30087: Unable to create form file. If this happens, you will need to open Task Manager and end the ifweb90 process manually.

Practice 3 Overview This practice covers the following topics: Becoming familiar with the Object Navigator Setting Forms Builder preferences Using the Layout Editor to modify the appearance of a form Setting run-time preferences to use OC4J to test applications Running a form application from within Forms Builder