FORMS:

• Form is the basic module created by Oracle Forms.
• Oracle Forms is a collection of many objects.
• The form itself has a set of properties which describes the behavior of a form.

Some of the form properties are title of the form and which menu to use (File menu or DB menu)

DATABASE MODEL:

To build an application which is efficient the underlying data base models should be constructed in a solid manner. The underlying data base should be normalized first before building an application on top of it.

DDL Statements:

CREATE TABLE contacts(

contact_id NUMBER(9,0) NOT NULL,

last_name VARCHAR2(20) NOT NULL,

zip_code NUMBER(9,0),

first_name VARCHAR2(20),

middle_name VARCHAR2(20),

salutation VARCHAR2(10),                                                                                                   

address_line_1 VARCHAR2(40),

address_line_2 VARCHAR2(40),

city VARCHAR2(35),

state VARCHAR2(2),

email_address VARCHAR2(30));

CREATE TABLE contact_phones (

contact_id NUMBER(9,0) NOT NULL,

phone_number VARCHAR2(20) NOT NULL,

phone_number_type VARCHAR2(10) NOT NULL);

ALTER TABLE contacts ADD CONSTRAINT contact_id_pk PRIMARY KEY(contact_id);

ALTER TABLE contact_phones ADD CONSTRAINT contact_id_fk FOREIGN KEY(contact_id) REFERENCES contacts(contact_id);

ALTER TABLE contact_phones ADD CONSTRAINT contact_phone_number_type_ck CHECK (phone_number_type IN ('FAX','HOME','WORK','PAGER','CELLULAR'));

Navigation/BUILDING A FORM IN FORM BUILDER:

Let’s walk through the process of creating a form which is relatively simple. Let’s create a form which is synonymous to our Address Book/Directory.

After running the script it’s time to launch the Form Builder. Make sure that you select ‘Build a new form manually’ and ‘Display at startup’

A new module called “MODULE1” will be created automatically. We can change the form name by selecting the MODULE1, and using tools->property palette->Name and Title

The first Step after renaming the module is to navigate to the data block and select “table or view” as the data block.

To the right of this field is the button labeled Browse. On click of this button will enable us to establish a connection with the data base and select a table as a data block.

Drag the available column in the table to the data block items by pressing the >> button.

Select create data block this will automatically take you to layout wizard. Select the number of items to be displayed from the available list.

If required change the prompt name, width and height of the individual items in the data block.

 

The next option available is to set the Frame Title, the number of records displayed and the space between the records.

This will create a layout and displays the layout structure in the layout editor.

We can also change the alignment of various fields and format the fields using the menus available in the layout editor.

Let us re-visit the object navigator once the layout is created.

In a similar manner let’s create a child data block in the tabular form on the same canvas using the child table contact_phones.

Since the master child relationship exist at the database level between contacts and contact_phones, the wizard will prompt you to create a relationship between the data block.

The correct and exact relationships between the data block is automatically retrieved from the database.

Once the relationship between block are created then wizard will take us to the layout screen.

We can refrain from selecting the contact_id to the displayable items as its very one purpose is to maintain a relationship with the parent block.

This time a tabular form layout style should be selected as it is best suited to portray the master child relationship.

Minimum of three phone details for a customer can be seen at a time in our form

A master detail layout is created in the content canvas (CANVAS 2)

 Let’s us change the phone_number_type item from text item to list item using the property palette.

See the Phone number type field changed into a field with LOV in the layout.

By Default on Populate Details and On Check Master Delete triggers' will be created at the block level.

We are all set to compile the program.

COMPILING A FORM FROM UNIX:

Before compiling the form we need to ftp the form from the local machine to the respective application top of the remote machine in the binary mode.

For e.g.

Local Machine->CONTACT.fmb             AAR_TOP/Forms/US/CONTACTS.fmb

In 11i Environment:

f60gen module=<module_name.fmb> userid=USERID/PASSWORD output_file=<output_file_name.fmx> compile_all=yes

f60gen module=CONTACTS.fmb userid=USERID/PASSWORD output_file=CONTACTS.fmx compile_all=yes

In R12 Environment:

Frmcmp_batch module=<module_name.fmb> userid=USERID/PASSWORD output_file=<output_file_name.fmx> compile_all=yes

Frmcmp_batch module=CONTACTS.fmb userid=USERID/PASSWORD output_file=CONTACTS.fmx compile_all=yes

If the compilation is successful then the .fmx file will be created in the intended/specified location.

REGISTERING A FORM IN ORACLE APPLICATION:

Navigate to application developer responsibility and open the form function.

Specify the module name in the form field and appropriate application name which is under your responsibility. The user form name should be meaningful and if needed description can be provided. Text in the required application name as required. I have removed the application name in below screen shots for security purpose.

In the Application Developer-> Function register the form to a particular function.

To register the function to a particular menu you should be aware of the menu which is defined for the responsibility. So navigate to System Administrator->Responsibility->Define and query for the desired responsibility. Find the User Menu name for the responsibility and then add the function details to the appropriate menu.

Add our function Contact Detail to the menu derived from the responsibility.

Once the function is added to the menu a request will be sent automatically to recompile the menu group. Now the newly added form is visible under the particular responsibility, under the particular menu and under the particular function.