Introduction To Form Builder Part A Eyad Alshareef

Forms Application with a graphical user interface that looks like a paper form Used to insert, update, delete and view database data Eyad Alshareef

Primary Form Uses Viewing/retrieving records Inserting/updating/deleting records Counting the number of records a query will retrieve Eyad Alshareef

Data Block Forms Form associated with a specific Oracle database table (object) System automatically creates: Text fields associated with table fields Programs for inserting, modifying, deleting, and viewing data records Eyad Alshareef

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. Eyad Alshareef

Displaying Forms in a Web Browser Developer10g displays forms as Web pages In Web browser Form appears in Forms Services window within browser window Forms Services application displays menus and toolbar Provide general functions for all form applications Eyad Alshareef

Architecture of the World Wide Web Web browsers (IE, Mozilla, Foxfire) Web servers Web page Static (always displays the same information ) Dynamic (the content varies based on user inputs or data retrieved from external resources ) Forms Builder form Dynamic Web page Derives content from Oracle 10g database Eyad Alshareef

How Forms Builder Displays a Form in a Browser Java applet Self-contained Java program that runs in a web browser generic java runtime environment OC4J Instance Translates compiled .fmx file into Java applet Downloads Java applet to Web browser Eyad Alshareef

Using a Data Block Form Block Data block Text items Form menu Group of related form items Data block Corresponds to specific database table Contains objects that display values from table’s data fields Text items Form menu Contains selections to manipulate form Eyad Alshareef

Using a form to view table record Eyad Alshareef

Form Modes Normal Enter Query 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 Eyad Alshareef

Forms Services Window Form menu contains selections that allow you to manipulate the form Has a toolbar with buttons to insert, view, modify, and delete records At bottom of the window are lines that display information about form status Eyad Alshareef

Forms Services Window Eyad Alshareef

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 Eyad Alshareef

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 Eyad Alshareef

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 Eyad Alshareef

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 Eyad Alshareef

Scrolling Through Retrieved Records To view the next record, click the Next Record button To view the previous record, click the Previous Record button Eyad Alshareef

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 Eyad Alshareef

Closing a Form and Committing Changes To close a form: Click Exit button Click Action on the form menu and then click Exit Close browser window If unsaved changes exist, dialog box will prompt to save changes Eyad Alshareef

Creating Data Block Form Eyad Alshareef

Start Oracle Form Builder Eyad Alshareef

Start OC4J Instance Eyad Alshareef

Creating a new form Create a new module Create a data block Create a layout Eyad Alshareef

Data Block Form File Types .fmb Form design file, used by form programmer in Form Builder .fmx Form executable file, run by form users Eyad Alshareef

Creating a Data Block Form When creating a form for a table, Forms Builder automatically creates: Labels Text entry fields Insert, update and delete and select queries Eyad Alshareef

The Object Navigator Eyad Alshareef

The Object Navigator Displays Forms Builder objects and underlying components As hierarchical tree Forms Builder toolbar displays buttons Form module Object node + indicates lower-level objects - indicates node expanded fully Eyad Alshareef

Form Components Form module: form application Form window Title bar on top Horizontal and vertical scrollbars Can be resized, maximized, minimized Eyad Alshareef

Form Components Canvas Block Form items 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 Eyad Alshareef

Form Components Window Canvas Block of items Name Cash Check Credit Card Eyad Alshareef

Creating a New Data Block Form Create a new form module Create a new data block using: Data block wizard Manual process Using Data Block Wizard: Select table name Move editable fields from Available Columns list to Database Items list Use Layout Wizard to create form layout Eyad Alshareef

Layout Editor Use to customize form display Can add images and static text to enhance form appearance Eyad Alshareef

Layout Editor Eyad Alshareef

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 Eyad Alshareef

Data Block Wizard Welcome page Type page Table page Finish 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 Eyad Alshareef

Layout Wizard Canvas page Data Block page Items page Style 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 Eyad Alshareef

Layout Styles Form style Tabular style One record appears on the form at a time Tabular style Multiple records display on the form in a table Eyad Alshareef

Create a new form based on MODULE1 Go to File/New/Form – a new module is added to your object navigator window Click on MODULE2 and rename it into STUDENT Eyad Alshareef

Create a data block based on a table Right click on the STUDENT module and select Data Block Wizard Click next on the Data Block Wizard welcome page Eyad Alshareef

Creating a data block (cont’s) Select Table/view option Select a table by clicking on Browse button Eyad Alshareef

Selecting a table (cont’d) When you click browse, you will be prompted to log in Login into your usual account and select table STUDENT from the displayed list Eyad Alshareef

Select database items Move all the attributes into selected attributes pane using arrow buttons Eyad Alshareef

Name your data block Eyad Alshareef

Select the “… then call the Layout wizard” option Eyad Alshareef

Creating a layout Layout wizard allows you to create a form layout Click next on the welcome page and select content canvas type Eyad Alshareef

Select items to be displayed Modify the labels (prompts) and widths of corresponding text boxes if necessary Eyad Alshareef

Select a layout Select form layout Name the frame Select the number of students to be displayed Eyad Alshareef

Complete and view the form Complete and view the form design Eyad Alshareef

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 Eyad Alshareef

Creating a Form to Display Multiple Records Tabular layout Display multiple records on same form Select Tabular on Style page of Layout Wizard Eyad Alshareef

Creating a Form to Display Multiple Records Use tabular layout to edit multiple table records at the same time Eyad Alshareef