Forms Concepts Triggers 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 These are the touchpoints where the developer can modify the default processing. Example; Button pressed/ Mouse down, mouse up, mouse click Example; Navigation from block a to block b; --validate item, leave item, validate record, leave record, leave block a, enter block b, enter record, enter item, ready block for input, ready record for input, ready item for input -> clicking on x-box is an event for which there is no default process. You have to add it in a trigger. (see no_event example) -> can execute user named trigger (not recommended) -> can simulate user interaction (do_key, go_item)

Triggers Trigger Forms trigger Database trigger Important to distinguish between Forms Trigger and Database Trigger. A Forms trigger only applies to the Forms application. A Database trigger will fire regardless of regardless of the application that is modifying the data in the database. Another type of Trigger….

Triggers Forms Trigger Database Trigger Fires in response to Forms Events Database Trigger Fires in response to Database Events THESE ARE COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT OF EACH OTHER!!! Important to distinguish between Forms Trigger and Database Trigger. A Forms trigger only applies to the Forms application. A Database trigger will fire regardless of the application that is modifying the data in the database.

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 Menu Modules Libraries .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 Point out that .pll OR .plx could be used -- both have executables.

The Forms Application What You See Menu File Edit View Query Block Record Insert Help Whatever Canvas Are you really sure you want to do this? Window Yes No Note that a record is not identified. You might be able to see a record on the screen, but it is really an internal concept most closely related to the Block. enter exit Base-Table Item Control Item View

The Forms Application What you see; Window Menu Canvas/View Items Base-block items Control-block items Database records

Forms Components Highest Level of Hierarchy - Forms - Menu - Built-in Packages - Database Objects

Forms Components Windows - 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 Components Canvas-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 Components Blocks - 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 Components Block Properties

Forms Components Items - 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 Components Item Properties

Forms Components Visual Attributes Property Classes - 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 Components Triggers - 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

Triggers Can be coded at Form, Block, and/or Item Level Some Triggers apply to multiple levels of hierarchy, others are specific When creating new trigger, List of Values presents list of appropriate triggers Each Trigger-type executes only once Lowest level Triggers fired first

Forms Component Alerts - 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 Components LOVs - Allows user to select from specific set of values. - Displays Record Group.

Forms Components Editors - 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 Components Parameters - Used as a Form variable. - Pass values between Forms.

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

Forms Components Attached 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 Components Object 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 Connecting to the database Virtual session Connecting to the database

What Is Forms Looking For Client Forms Runtime Connect Registry FORMS_PATH Database Forms Server (Compiled Objects)

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