1 Chapter 5: Introduction To Form Builder. 2 Forms Why Do We Use Form Builder? Why Don’t We Use SQL Only?!

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Enhanced Guide to Oracle Enhanced Guide to Oracle 10g10g

Chapter 5:Introduction To Form Builder

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Forms

Why Do We Use Form Builder? Why Don’t We Use SQL Only?!

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Forms

Application with a graphical user interface that looks like a paper form

Used to insert, update, delete and view database data

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Primary Form Uses

Viewing/retrieving records Inserting/updating/deleting

records Counting the number of

records a query will retrieve

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Data Block Form

Is a form associated with a specific Oracle database table

System automatically creates: Text fields associated with table

fields Programs for inserting,

modifying, deleting, and viewing data records

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Data Block Forms

ORACLE 10g forms are displayed in a web browser as a web page.

They appear in the Forms Services Window within the browser window.

The form specification is translated into Java Applet (those are displayed in web browsers) using a Web server process called OC4J Instant (details: page 264, next slide too).

They are Dynamic Web Pages.

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Steps of running the form

Design the form and write its code (.fmb file)

Compile the form (.fmx file)When you run the form: OC4J Instance process

converts the compiled file into java applet

Java applet form starts on the web browser

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Using a Data Block Form

A block is a group of related form items (text fields, option buttons,…).

A data block is a specific DB table, and contains objects (text fields, option buttons) that display values from the table’s data fields.

A single-block form: is the form that displays data from only one table.

A multiple-block form: is the form that displays data from multiple DB tables.

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Using a Data Block Form

To start Form Builder: Start, All programs, Oracle Developer Suit-OraHome,

Forms Developer, Forms Builder Open an existing for (.fmb) or design yours and save it

(the path name or the form name should not contain spaces).

To run the form, click Program on the menu bar, Run Form.

If you are asked to install the Jinitiator, click yes and accept all default values.

Jinitiator application iniitializes the Java applet in the web browser.

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Expected Errors

If the error “FRM-90928” appears, it means that the path name or the form name contains space.

If the web page does not appear and the browser diplays the characters http://%%20 or similar. Then the form builder should be configured correctly to use your web browser. (see page 266 to know how to configure it).

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Form Modes When the form is running in the Forms Services

window in the web browser it can be one of two modes:

Normal Mode You can view records and sequentially step through

records and change data. Enter Query Mode

You can enter search parameters in form fields and then retrieve the associated records

To place the form in Enter Query mode, click the Enter Query button on the toolbar.

Execute the query or cancel it to return to Normal mode.

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Inserting New Records In Normal mode, click the Insert

Record button to insert a new blank record

Type the data values in the form fields

Click the Save button to save the values in the database

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Retrieving Records Click the Enter Query button to

place the form in Enter Query mode Type a search condition Click the Execute Query button

to retrieve selected records If you click , do not enter a search

condition, and then click , all table records will be retrieved

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Form Search Types Exact search: only retrieves

records that exactly match the entered search condition

Restricted search: retrieves records that fall within a range of values

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Restricted Search Operators _: wildcard replacing a single

character %: wildcard replacing multiple

characters >, <: greater than, less than >=, <=: greater than or equal to,

less than or equal to <> or !=: not equal to

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Scrolling Through Retrieved Records To view the next record, click the

Next Record button To view the previous record, click

the Previous Record button

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Updating and Deleting Records Retrieve the record to be

updated or deleted To update, change the data value

and click the Save button To delete, click the Remove

Record button

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Data Block Form File Types

.fmb Form design file, used by form

programmer in Form Builder .fmx

Form executable file, run by form users

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Form Components

Form module: form application

Form window Title bar on top Horizontal and vertical

scrollbars Can be resized, maximized,

minimized

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Form Components Canvas

Surface that displays form items Block

Object that contains form items Form items

Command buttons, radio (option) buttons, text items

Items in the same block can appear on different canvases

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Form Components

Name

Cash

Check

Credit Card

Window

Canvas

Block of items

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Object Navigator

Forms Builder Toolbar. Form Module. See Page 276,

next slde. Hierarchical Display.

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To create a new Form module or

Data block..

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Creating a Data Block Form

Steps:1. Create the data block using

the Data Block Wizard2. Create the form layout using

the Layout Wizard

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Data Block Wizard

Welcome page Type page

Select table or view on which to base the block source

Table page Select table associated with form Enforce Integrity Constraint Check Box

Finish page Option to use the Layout Wizard to

automate creating the layout

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Layout Wizard

Canvas page Select the canvas where the block is displayed

Data Block page Select the fields that are displayed on the layout

Items page Specify the column labels, heights and widths

Style page Specify to create a form- or tabular-style layout

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Layout Styles

Form style One record appears on the form at

a time Tabular style

Multiple records display on the form in a table

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Form Builder Wizards Are Re-entrant

You can select a block or layout, then re-enter it and modify its properties using the Wizard

A Wizard is in re-entrant mode when its pages appear as tabs

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Form Builder Object Navigator Window Shows form objects

Allows developer to access form objects Object Navigator has 2 views

Ownership view: shows form objects as a flat list (the form is presented as a top-level object, and then lists all form object nodes on the next level) . (fig. 5-8, slide 23)

Visual view: hierarchical relationships between objects ( form objects contain other objects: a form contains windows, a window contains canvases and a canvas contains data blocks).(fig. 5-27, next slide)

Details about ownership and visual views is in page 300.

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Guidelines For Configuring Form Windows

1. Change the window title2. Allow user to minimize the window3. Do not allow the user to maximize the

window4. Do not allow the user to resize the

window5. Include horizontal and vertical scrollbars if

items appear beyond window boundaries6. Make the form window fill the Forms

Runtime window

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Configuring Form Windows

Window Title

Minimize/Maximize buttons

Windowsize

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Example: create a Data Block using WIZARD

1. Click on the Data Block node under the MODULE form node.

2. Click the + sign or choose create from Edit on the menu bar.

3. The following window appears:4. Choose the first option, now5. Then the Ok 6. A Welcome page might appear,

if so click next7. The wizard window appears

as shown next slide:

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8. Make sure the table or view is selected, now. Then NEXT9. The tables window appears so as to choose the table

from your schema, which the data block is based on.10. You might need to connect to the DB, if you

are not doing yet. Choose the connect button or connect from file on the menu bar.

11. Select the table, pay attention to the user.12. After that choose the field you want to show.13. Type the data block name.14. Then choose “create the data block, and

then call the layout wizard, then FINISH.

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15. The form layout specifies how a given form looks to the user. So a welcome window might appear, click next.

16. Then a Canvas (the area where the form objects are located) window appear, choose the canvas and its type. For details about the types refer to page 285.

17. The Data block page appearso you can choose the fieldsthat will be displayed in the form. Fig. 5-18.

18. Then the items page appears,where the specifications and labels (prompts) can be determined.

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19. You can change the prompts (labels that appears next to each field).

20. Then choose whether the layout style is FORM or Tabular.21. If form is chosen, then determine the title that appears on

the frame of the data block, the number of rows that appear in the form style is always one row at a time. If the tabular is chosen, then number can be more. The distance between record is determined in a tabular case. Choose whether to display the scroll bar.

22. Finish.23. The window should appear as in next slide:

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24. You can import a static image to make your form looks better:1. Click on the layout editor window shown in the previous slide.2. From EDIT choose import image.3. Select the image you like.4. Adjust its place on the window.

25. To run the form so as to see the data of the table:1. Run the form using the button

or from Program on the menu bar choose run form.

Important:If the “FRM-10142” error appears, then run the OC4J instant of the formIf the HTML code appears instead of the form on your browser then do

the following”from IE chose tools Internet Options Advanced Look for Security value then Check the “allow active controls to run in files on my computer”.

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Lesson B

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Creating a Form Based on a Database View

View can be derived from one or more database tables

Form based on a view only allows you to display data from table(s)

Form could be used to insert, update, or delete data if the view is a simple view only.

How to do that ? Select Views from Figure 5-12, see slide 35 when you create the form using the wizard.

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Modifying Form Properties Every form object has a Property Palette that allows you to

configure form and its objects properties (page 322) How to open the property palette? From the Object navigator

chose windows node, select your window and right click the mouse, choose property palette. OR:

On the layout editor, right click and then select property palette. OR:

See page 323 for other two ways.

PropertyNodes Property List

Context bar

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Intersection Property Palette

Used to change property of several items to the same value (page 328)

Select the objects together and open the property palette. Intersection/Union button on the tool bar appears as When the objects have different values, it appears as *****, and the property node appears with a ? Before it.

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Frame Properties

The frame is that encloses a data block’s items.

Its update Layout can be: Automatically

Frame items are automatically repositioned based on their order in the Data Blocks list when you move or resize a frame, or modify the form layout using the Layout Wizard in reentrant mode

Manually Items are automatically when layout is

modified in Layout Wizard in reentrant mode

Items are not repositioned if you move or resize the frame

Locked Items are never automatically repositioned

frame

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Data block forms can display data from multiple tables that have a master-detail relationship in which

Master record can have multiple related (detail) records through foreign key relationship.

Examples: One FACULTY record can have multiple related

STUDENT records. The FACUTLY record is the master record, because a faculty member can have many student records, but a student can have only one related faculty record.

One CUSTOMER might have multiple CUST_ORDER records

Multiple-Table Forms

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1. When creating a form that contains a master-detail relationship, you always use the Data Block Wizard to create the master block, which is the block that displays the master records first.

2. Then start the wizard a second time, and create the detail block, which displays the detail records.

When creating the detail block, the master-detail relationship should be specified in the wizard on a page called Master_Detail page.

That page appears only when you create a data block that already contains one or more data blocks.

Multiple-Table Forms

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Master block

Detail block

Master-Detail Forms

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Creating a Master-Detail Form Create the

master block first

Specify the relationship on the Data Block Wizard Master-Detail page of the detail block

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A master block can have multiple detail blocks An item can be in multiple customer orders, and

have multiple shipment records A student has an advisor and also enrolled in courses. page

342.

A detail block can be a master block in a second master-detail relationship A customer can have multiple CUST_ORDER records One CUST_ORDER record can have multiple

ORDER_LINE records A faculty member can have many students and a student can

be enrolled in many classes. Page 342.

Complex Master-Detail Relationships

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Master

Detail MasterDetail

Complex Master-DetailRelationship Example

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Formatting Text Items Specify desired format mask in

text item Format Mask property If format mask makes value wider

than text item Data Width property, data appears as #####

E.g: make the format mask for the empno field in the form builder: 99”- - “ 99 and make the data length for the field 4.

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Formatting Character Text Items Place embedded characters in

double quotes

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Format Mask Examples Value Format Mask Result 7945 999 ### 7945 9999$ 7945$ 7945 99”-”99 79-45 34.28 99.9 34.3 34.28 99.999 34.280 SYSDATE Day-MON-YY Friday-NOV-06

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Lesson C

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PL/SQL procedure that runs in response to a user or system action Clicking a button Loading a form Exiting a form

Triggers can be associated with: An entire form (form level) A block (block level) A specific form item (item level)

Form Triggers

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Creating a trigger: select the form or form item event type the trigger code

Referencing a form item in PL/SQL code: :block_name.item_name

Triggers are compiled before a form is run

Using Form Triggers

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Create a block-level WHEN-CREATE-RECORD trigger

Trigger PL/SQL code:SELECT sequence_name.NEXTVAL

INTO :block_name.item_name

FROM DUAL;

Using Sequences in Forms

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List of legal values that can be selected for use in a form field

LOVdisplay

LOVcommandbutton

Form Lists of Values (LOVs)

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1. Use the LOV Wizard to: Specify the LOV display records

using a SQL query Format the LOV display Attach the LOV to a form text

item

2. Change the LOV and record group name in the Object Navigator

Creating an LOV Using the LOV Wizard

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Opening the LOV Display Place the insertion point in the text

item to which the LOV is attached Press CTRL+L, or from Edit menu

of the form choose the option ‘Display List’

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Create a command button on the canvas

Iconic button Displays an icon image from an .ico

file Complete path to .ico file must be

specified in button’s ICON property

Creating a Command Button to Open the LOV Display

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Create a trigger for the button that does the following:1. Places the form insertion point in the

text item to which the LOV is attached:

GO_ITEM(‘IN_VID’);

2. Executes the LIST_VALUES command:

LIST_VALUES;

LOV Command Button Trigger

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Alternate Form Input Items Radio buttons Check boxes

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Limits user to one of two or more related, mutually exclusive choices

Radio Buttons

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Related radio buttons are part of a radio group

Radio group

Individual relatedradio buttons

Radio Groups

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1. Create the form using the Data Block and Layout Wizards

2. Open the item Property Palette, and change the Item Type value to Radio Group

3. Draw and format the radio buttons on the canvas

4. Modify the radio button properties5. Modify the radio group properties

Creating a Radio Group

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Name: how the button is referenced within the form

Name: how the button is referenced within the form

Label: description that appears next to the button on the canvas

Label: description that appears next to the button on the canvas

Radio Button Value: associated data value in the database

Radio Button Value: associated data value in the database

Important Radio Button Properties

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Name: how the radio group is referenced within the form

Name: how the radio group is referenced within the form

Initial Value: data value of the radio button within the radio group that is selected when the form first appears

Initial Value: data value of the radio button within the radio group that is selected when the form first appears

Important Radio Group Properties

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Check Boxes Used to represent fields that

can have one of two values Check box caption is

interpreted as TRUE or FALSE If checked, caption is true If cleared, caption is false

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Check Box Example

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1. Create the form using the Data Block and Layout Wizards

2. Open the item Property Palette, and change the Item Type value to Check Box

3. Modify the item properties

Creating a Check Box

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Value when Checked: data value of the item when the box is checked

Value when Checked: data value of the item when the box is checked

Important Check Box Properties

Label: description that appears next to the check box on the canvas

Label: description that appears next to the check box on the canvas

Value when Unchecked: data value of the item when the box is checked

Value when Unchecked: data value of the item when the box is checked

Check Box Mapping of Other Values: check box status when form first opens, or when new blank record is added

Check Box Mapping of Other Values: check box status when form first opens, or when new blank record is added

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Thank you.

Documents

1 Chapter 5: Introduction To Form Builder. 2 Forms Why Do We Use Form Builder? Why Don’t We Use SQL Only?!