1 Chapter 5: Introduction To Form Builder

2 Forms  Why Do We Use Form Builder?  Why Don’t We Use SQL Only?!

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

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

5 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

6 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.

7 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

8 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

9 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

10 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

11 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

12 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

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

14 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

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

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

17 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

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

19 Object Navigator  Forms Builder Toolbar.  Form Module.  Hierarchical Display.

20 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

21 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

22 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

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

24 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

25 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

26 Guidelines For Configuring Form Windows 1. Change the window title 2. Allow user to minimize the window 3. Do not allow the user to maximize the window 4. Do not allow the user to resize the window 5. Include horizontal and vertical scrollbars if items appear beyond window boundaries 6. Make the form window fill the Forms Runtime window

27 Configuring Form Windows Window Title Minimize/ Maximize buttons Window size

28 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.

29 Modifying Form Properties Every form object has a Property Palette that allows you to configure form properties Property Nodes Property List

30 Intersection Property Palette Used to change property of several items to the same value Intersection/Union button appears as Name appears as *****

31 Frame Properties Update Layout Automatically 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 Manually 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

32  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 Multiple-Table Forms

33 Master block Detail block Master-Detail Forms

34 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

35  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 Complex Master-Detail Relationships

36 Master Detail Master Detail Complex Master-Detail Relationship Example

37 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.

38 Formatting Character Text Items Place embedded characters in double quotes

39 Format Mask Examples Value Format Mask Result ### $ 7945$ ”-” SYSDATE Day-MON-YY Friday-NOV-06

40  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) Form Triggers

41  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 Using Form Triggers

42  Create a block-level WHEN-CREATE- RECORD trigger  Trigger PL/SQL code: SELECT sequence_name.NEXTVAL INTO :block_name.item_name FROM DUAL; Using Sequences in Forms

43  List of legal values that can be selected for use in a form field LOV display LOV command button Form Lists of Values (LOVs)

44 1. Use the LOV Wizard to:  Specify the LOV display records using a SQL query  Format the LOV display  Attach the LOV to a form text item 2. Change the LOV and record group name in the Object Navigator Creating an LOV Using the LOV Wizard

45 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’

46  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 Creating a Command Button to Open the LOV Display

47  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; LOV Command Button Trigger

48 Alternate Form Input Items Radio buttons Check boxes

49  Limits user to one of two or more related, mutually exclusive choices Radio Buttons

50  Related radio buttons are part of a radio group Radio group Individual related radio buttons Radio Groups

51 1. Create the form using the Data Block and Layout Wizards 2. Open the item Property Palette, and change the Item Type value to Radio Group 3. Draw and format the radio buttons on the canvas 4. Modify the radio button properties 5. Modify the radio group properties Creating a Radio Group

52 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 Important Radio Button Properties

53 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 Important Radio Group Properties

54 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

55 Check Box Example

56 1. Create the form using the Data Block and Layout Wizards 2. Open the item Property Palette, and change the Item Type value to Check Box 3. Modify the item properties Creating a Check Box

57 Value when Checked: data value of the item when the box is checked Important Check Box Properties Label: description that appears next to the check box on the canvas 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