Forms ConceptsTriggers

– Fired when Internal/External events occur– Replace, supplement or initiate default

processing– Initiate “External” events, to make Forms

behave as if user performed action E.g. Simulate User key-press

TriggersTrigger

– Forms trigger– Database trigger

TriggersForms Trigger

– Fires in response to Forms EventsDatabase Trigger

– Fires in response to Database EventsTHESE ARE COMPLETELY

INDEPENDENT OF EACH OTHER!!!

The Forms Application

Form Builder builds Forms, Menus and Libraries

Application consists of at least one Form

Can also include one or more Menu and Library modules

Oracle provides default Menu

File Types Forms Modules

– .FMB; Forms Source– .FMX; Forms Executable

Menu Modules– .MMB; Menu Source– .MMX; Menu Executable

Libraries– .PLL; PL/SQL Source and Executables– .PLX; PL/SQL Executable Only

The Forms Application What You See

exitenter

File Edit View Query Block Record Insert Help Whatever

Are you really sure you want to do this?

Canvas

ViewControl Item

Base-TableItem

Menu

WindowYes No

The Forms Application

What you see;– Window– Menu– Canvas/View– Items

Base-block items Control-block items

– Database records

Forms ComponentsHighest Level of Hierarchy- Forms- Menu- Built-in Packages- Database Objects

Forms ComponentsWindows- Displays canvases.- Form can have multiple windows.- Modal; user must respond and dismiss window before doing anything in another window.- Modeless; user can move to another window.

Forms ComponentsCanvas-Views- Visual element of Forms. This is how you display all those Items.- Canvas; Background on which text and items are placed.- View; Visible portion of canvas.- Form can have multiple canvases.- Canvases can be stacked, scrolled.

Forms ComponentsBlocks- Base-Table Block corresponds to Database Table; set of items representing database table columns. An ‘instance’ of a Base-Table Block corresponds to a Database Record.- Control Block is usually a collection of control items (e.g. Buttons, Check-Boxes, Radio Groups), but can also be collection of Display Items (read-only text), Text Items (‘variables’), images, etc.

Forms ComponentsBlock Properties

Forms ComponentsItems- Base-Table Items are text items that correspond to Database Columns. Forms creates them automatically.- Control Items can be Buttons, Check-Boxes, Radio Groups, Display Items (read-only text), Text Items (‘variables’), images, etc.

Forms ComponentsItem Properties

Forms ComponentsVisual Attributes- Collection of display properties.- Refer to Named Visual Attribute in Items to standardise appearance. Change in NVA will affect all Items referring to it.

Property Classes- Collection of ANY properties.- When items refer to Property Class, only properties that make sense for that item will be used.

Forms ComponentsTriggers- At Form, Block or Item level- Lower level triggers fire before higher level triggers- If same trigger-type occurs at different levels, only lowest will fire

TriggersCan be coded at Form, Block, and/or Item

LevelSome Triggers apply to multiple levels of

hierarchy, others are specific– When creating new trigger, List of Values

presents list of appropriate triggersEach Trigger-type executes only onceLowest level Triggers fired first

Forms ComponentAlerts- Window that displays message- Modal; User must respond- One, two or three buttons- Three types;

- Stop (stop sign)- Caution (exclamation)- Information (‘i’ symbol)

- Use SHOW_ALERT built-in function

Forms ComponentsLOVs- Allows user to select from specific set of values.- Displays Record Group.

Forms ComponentsEditors- Editor; simple text-editor dialog box for entering lines of text into Text Item.- Can create editors with different appearances for different text fields.

Forms ComponentsParameters- Used as a Form variable. - Pass values between Forms.

Forms ComponentsProgram Units- PL/SQL Procedures and Functions used in this Form.

Forms ComponentsAttached Libraries, Libraries & Built-in Packages- PL/SQL procedures and functions.- Attached Library; Reference collected routines.- Library; Maintain and reference collected routines.- Built-in Packages; Oracle supplied procedure and functions.

Forms ComponentsObject Groups- Package reusable objects for later copying or reference.- E.g. Your Form includes an alarm clock to wake the user after ten minutes inactivity. This includes Triggers, Procedures, a Window, some graphics, etc. You can package these objects together to conveniently include this functionality in other forms.

Tour of Form Builder

Starting forms– Virtual session

Connecting to the database

Client

What Is Forms Looking For

FormsRuntime

FormsServer

(Compiled Objects)

Database

RegistryFORMS_PATHConnect

THANK YOU