ORACLE FORMS 6I

Enterprise application developers need a declarative model-based

approach. Oracle Designer and Oracle Forms Developer provide this
solution, using Oracle Forms Services as the primary deployment option.

What Is Oracle Forms Developer?

A productive development environment for Internet business applications
Data entry
Query screens

It provides a set of tools that enable business developers to easily and
quickly construct
sophisticated database forms and
business logic with a minimum of effort.


Oracle Forms Services?

Oracle Forms Services is a component of Oracle9i Application Server for
delivering
Oracle Forms Developer applications to the Internet.
Oracle Forms Services uses a three-tier architecture to deploy database
applications:
1. The client tier contains the Web browser, where the application is
displayed and used.
2. The middle tier is the application server, where the application logic
and
server software reside.
3. The database tier is the database server, where enterprise data is
stored.

Form Builder Components

1. Object Navigator
The Object Navigator is a hierarchical browsing and editing interface that enables you
to locate and manipulate application objects quickly and easily.

Features include:
A hierarchy represented by indentation and expandable nodes.
Find field and icons, enabling forward and backward searches for any
level of node or for an individual item in a node.
Icons in the vertical toolbar replicating common File menu functions.
An icon next to each object to indicate the object type.

2. Property Palette
All objects in a module, including the module itself, have properties that you can see
and modify in the Property Palette.

Features include:
Copy and reuse properties from another object
Find field and icons, similar to Object Navigator

3. Layout Editor (or Layout Model)
The Layout Editor is a graphical design facility for creating and arranging interface
items and graphical objects in your application. When you use the Tool Palette and the
Toolbar available in the Layout Editor, you can design the style, color, size, and
arrangement of visual objects in the application.

4. PL/SQL Editor
The PL/SQL Editor is the integrated functionality of Oracle Procedure Builder that
exists within the Form Builder.

It provides:
Development of triggers, procedures, functions, and packages in Oracle
Forms Developer as well as the database
Development of libraries to hold PL/SQL program units
Statement-level debugging of PL/SQL at run time

Types of Blocks
In Form Builder there are two main types of blocks:
1. data blocks and
2. control blocks.

1. 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

2. 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.


What Is a Window?
A window is a container for all visual objects that make up a Form Builder application.
It is similar to an empty picture frame.

What Is a Canvas?
A canvas is a surface inside a window container on which you place visual objects
such as interface items and graphics.

What Is a Content Canvas?

A content canvas is the base canvas
that occupies the entire content pane of the window in which it displays. The content
canvas is the default canvas type.

Form Builder provides three other types of canvases
which are:
Stacked canvas
Toolbar canvas
Tab canvas
When you create a canvas, you specify its type by setting the Canvas Type property.
The type determines how the canvas is displayed in the window to which it is
assigned.

What Is a Stacked Canvas?
A stacked canvas is displayed on top of, or stacked on, the content canvas assigned to
a window.

What Is a Toolbar Canvas?
A toolbar canvas is a special type of canvas that you can create to hold buttons and
other frequently used GUI elements.

The Three Toolbar Types
Vertical toolbar: Use a vertical toolbar to position all your tool items
down the left or right hand side of your window.
Horizontal toolbar: Use a horizontal toolbar to position all your tool
items and controls across the top or bottom of your window.
MDI toolbar: Use an MDI toolbar to avoid creating more than one
toolbar for a Form Builder application that uses multiple windows.


What Is a Tab Canvas?
A tab canvas is a special type of canvas that enables you to organize and display
related information on separate tabs.

What Is a Trigger?
A trigger is a program unit that is executed (fired) due to an event.
You can use triggers to add or modify form functionality in a procedural way
Every trigger that you define is associated with a specific event.

events include the following:
Query-related events
Data entry and validation
Logical navigation or physical mouse movement
Operator interaction with items in the form
Internal events in the form
Errors and messages

Trigger Characteristics
You write Form Builder triggers in PL/SQL.
These triggers are mostly fired by events within a form module

Trigger Components
There are three main components to consider when you design a trigger in Form
Builder:
Component Description
1. Trigger type - Defines the specific event that will cause the trigger to fire
2. Trigger code - The body of PL/SQL that defines the actions of the trigger
3. Trigger scope - The level in a form module at which the trigger is defined
determining the scope of events that will be detected by the trigger


Trigger Scope
The scope of a trigger is determined by its position in the form object hierarchy, that
is, the type of object under which you create the trigger.

There are three possible levels:

1. Form level - The trigger belongs to the form and can fire due to events across the
entire form
2. Block level - The trigger belongs to a block and can only fire when this block is the
current block
3. Item level - The trigger belongs to an individual item and can only fire when this
item is the current item


Trigger Type

The trigger type determines which type of event fires it. There are more than 100 builtin
triggers, each identified by a specific name.

Trigger Prefix Description
1. Key- Fires in place of the standard action of a function key
2. On- Fires in place of standard processing (used to replace or bypass a
process)
3. Pre- Fires on an event that occurs just before an action (for example, before
a query is executed)
4.Post- Fires just after an action (for example, after a query is executed)

5.When- Fires in addition to standard processing (used to augment functionality)

Trigger Code
The code of the trigger defines the actions for the trigger to perform when it fires.
Write this code as an anonymous PL/SQL block by using the PL/SQL Editor.


Using Smart Triggers
Smart Triggers item expands to a list of common triggers that are appropriate for the
selected object.

Using Variables in Form Builder
In triggers and subprograms, Form Builder generally accepts two types of variables for
storing values:

1. PL/SQL variables: These must be declared in a DECLARE section, and
remain available until the end of the declaring block. They are not
prefixed by a colon. If declared in a PL/SQL package, a variable is
accessible across all triggers that access this package.
2. Form Builder variables: Variable types maintained by the Form Builder.
These are seen by PL/SQL as external variables, and require a colon (:)
prefix to distinguish them from PL/SQL objects (except when their
name is passed as a character string to a subprogram). Form Builder
variables are not formally declared in a DECLARE section, and can
exist outside the scope of a PL/SQL block.

Form Builder Variables
The following variables are available for the storage and manipulation of values:
Form Builder Variable Type Description

1. Item (text, list, check box, and so on)
Scope: Current form and attached menu
Use: Presentation and interaction with user
2. Global variable
Scope: All modules in current session
Use: Session-wide storage of character data
3. System variable
Scope: Current form and attached menu
Use: Form status and control
4. Parameter
Scope: Current module
Use: Passing values in and out of module
DESIGN FORM AS FOLLOWS



EXECUTE CODE:
GO_BLOCK('EMP');
EXECUTE_QUERY;

LAST : FIRST:
GO_BLOCK('EMP'); GO_BLOCK('EMP');
LAST_RECORD; FIRST_RECORD;

NEXT:
GO_BLOCK('EMP');
NEXT_RECORD;

PREVIOUS
GO_BLOCK('EMP');
PREVIOUS_RECORD;

EXIT:
EXIT_FORM;








T_EMPNO POST_TEXT_ITEM

SELECT ENAME,JOB,SAL,DEPTNO INTO
:T_ENAME,:T_JOB,:T_SAL,:T_DEPTNO FROM EMP WHERE
EMPNO=:T_EMPNO;

DESIGN FORM AS FOLLOWS



ADD CODE

DECLARE
N NUMBER;
BEGIN
SELECT MAX(EMPNO) INTO N FROM EMP;

IF N IS NULL THEN
:T_EMPNO:=1001;
ELSE
:T_EMPNO:=N+1;
END IF;
END;

SAVE CODE

INSERT INTO EMP(EMPNO,ENAME,JOB,SAL,DEPTNO)
VALUES(:T_EMPNO,:T_ENAME,:T_JOB,:T_SAL,:T_DEPTNO);
COMMIT;
CLEAR_FORM;





MODIFY

UPDATE EMP SET
ENAME=:T_ENAME,JOB=:T_JOB,SAL=:T_SAL,DEPTNO=:T_DEPTNO WHERE
EMPNO=:T_EMPNO;
COMMIT;
CLEAR_FORM;

DELETE

DELETE FROM EMP WHERE EMPNO=:T_EMPNO;
COMMIT;
CLEAR_FORM;

FIND

IF :T_EMPNO IS NULL THEN
:T_EMPNO:=7654;
ELSE
SELECT ENAME,JOB,SAL,DEPTNO INTO
:T_ENAME,:T_JOB,:T_SAL,:T_DEPTNO FROM EMP WHERE
EMPNO=:T_EMPNO;
END IF;

CLEAR

CLEAR_FORM;

EXIT

EXIT_FORM;

T_JOB POST_TEXT_ITEM

if :T_JOB='CLERK' THEN
:T_SAL:=1200;
ELSif :T_JOB='MANAGER' THEN
:T_SAL:=2200;
ELSE
:T_SAL:=3200;
END IF;

LOV

- FOR FINDING RECORDS CREATE AN LOV



- CALLING LOV WHEN YOU CLICK ON FIND BUTTON

DECLARE
N BOOLEAN;
BEGIN
N:=SHOW_LOV('LOV11');
END;

ALERTS


CREATE AN ALERT TO CALL WHEN EVER YOU TRY TO EXIT FROM FORM



- IN EXIT BUTTON WRITE FOLLOWING CODE

DECLARE
N NUMBER;
BEGIN
N:=SHOW_ALERT('ALERT28');
IF N=ALERT_BUTTON1 THEN
EXIT_FORM;
ELSE
GO_BLOCK('BLOCK3');
END IF;
END;
WORKING WITH PROGRAM UNITS

CREATE A PROCEDURE TO CALL WHEN YOU CLICK ON EXIT BUTTON



NOW WRITE FOLLOWING CODE

PROCEDURE CLOSEFORM IS
N NUMBER;
BEGIN
N:=SHOW_ALERT('ALERT28');
IF N=ALERT_BUTTON1 THEN
EXIT_FORM;
ELSE
GO_BLOCK('BLOCK3');
END IF;
END;

- NOW CALL THE PROCEDURE IN EXIT BUTTON
CLOSEFORM;
WORKING WITH MENUS

DESIGN FOLLOWING FORM


NOW CREATE MENU



OPEN MENU AND DESIGN MENU AS FOLLOWS




- WRITE THE CODE FOR THE MENU ITEMS

EXECUTE CODE:
GO_BLOCK('EMP');
EXECUTE_QUERY;

LAST : FIRST:
GO_BLOCK('EMP'); GO_BLOCK('EMP');
LAST_RECORD; FIRST_RECORD;

NEXT:
GO_BLOCK('EMP');
NEXT_RECORD;

PREVIOUS
GO_BLOCK('EMP');
PREVIOUS_RECORD;

EXIT:
EXIT_FORM;


- NOW CLOSE MENU AND
- SAVE THE MENU IN C:\MYMENU
- NOW COMPILE MENU [CTRL+T]
- NOW SET EMP MODULE PROPERTY AS





- NOW RUN THE FORM
- YOU CAN SEE YOUR MYMENU WILL DISPLAY