Transcript Chapter5
Enhanced Guide to Oracle 10g
Chapter 5:
Introduction To Form Builder
1
Forms
Why Do We Use Form Builder?
Why Don’t We Use SQL Only?!
2
Forms
Application with a graphical user
interface that looks like a paper
form
Used to insert, update, delete and
view database data
3
Primary Form Uses
Viewing/retrieving records
Inserting/updating/deleting
records
Counting the number of records a
query will retrieve
4
Data Block Forms
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
on web browser as a web page.
They are displayed in Forms
Services Window.
The form specification is
translated into Java Applet.
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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Form Modes
Normal
You can view records and sequentially step
through records
Enter Query
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
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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
Window
Canvas
Block of items
Check
Credit Card
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Object Navigator
Forms Builder Toolbar.
Form Module.
Hierarchical Display.
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Creating a Data Block Form
Steps:
1. Create the data block using the
Data Block Wizard
2. 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
Visual view: hierarchical relationships
between objects
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Guidelines For Configuring
Form Windows
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Change the window title
Allow user to minimize the window
Do not allow the user to maximize the
window
Do not allow the user to resize the window
Include horizontal and vertical scrollbars if
items appear beyond window boundaries
Make the form window fill the Forms
Runtime window
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Configuring Form Windows
Window
Title
Minimize/
Maximize buttons
Window
size
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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 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.
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Modifying Form Properties
Property
Nodes
Every form object has a Property
Palette that allows you to configure
form properties
Property List
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Intersection Property Palette
Used to change property of several
items to the same value
Intersection/Union button appears as
Name appears as *****
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Frame Properties
Update Layout
Automatically
Manually
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
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
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Multiple-Table Forms
Data block forms can display data from
multiple tables that have a master-detail
relationship
Master record has multiple related detail
records
Examples:
One ITEM record has multiple related INVENTORY
records
One CUSTOMER might have multiple CUST_ORDER
records
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Master-Detail Forms
Master block
Detail block
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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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Complex Master-Detail
Relationships
A master block can have multiple detail blocks
An item can be in multiple customer orders, and have
multiple shipment records
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
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Complex Master-Detail
Relationship Example
Master
Detail
Detail
Master
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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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Form Triggers
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)
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Using Form Triggers
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
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Using Sequences in Forms
Create a block-level WHEN-CREATERECORD trigger
Trigger PL/SQL code:
SELECT sequence_name.NEXTVAL
INTO :block_name.item_name
FROM DUAL;
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Form Lists of Values (LOVs)
List of legal values that can be selected
for use in a form field
LOV
command
button
LOV
display
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Creating an LOV Using the
LOV Wizard
1.
Use the LOV Wizard to:
2.
Specify the LOV display records using
a SQL query
Format the LOV display
Attach the LOV to a form text item
Change the LOV and record group
name in the Object Navigator
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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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Creating a Command Button
to Open the LOV Display
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
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LOV Command Button Trigger
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;
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Alternate Form Input Items
Radio buttons
Check boxes
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Radio Buttons
Limits user to one of two or more
related, mutually exclusive choices
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Radio Groups
Related radio
buttons are part of
a radio group
Radio group
Individual related
radio buttons
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Creating a Radio Group
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Create the form using the Data Block and
Layout Wizards
Open the item Property Palette, and change
the Item Type value to Radio Group
Draw and format the radio buttons on the
canvas
Modify the radio button properties
Modify the radio group properties
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Important Radio Button
Properties
Name: how the
button is
referenced
within the form
Label: description that
appears next to the
button on the canvas
Radio Button Value:
associated data value
in the database
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Important Radio Group
Properties
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
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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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Creating a Check Box
1.
2.
3.
Create the form using the Data Block
and Layout Wizards
Open the item Property Palette, and
change the Item Type value to Check
Box
Modify the item properties
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Important Check Box
Properties
Label: description that
appears next to the check
box on the canvas
Value when Checked: 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
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