Oracle World # Web Forms: The Great Leap Forward A P Clarke

Oracle World # AGENDA The application The migration process This web stuff The migrated application Questions

Oracle World # The Application

Oracle World # The starting point Government agency – regulatory authority – issuing licences Core business system Richly-featured: – Third party workflow – Post Office Address validation – Complex technical calculations – Integration with MS Word and Excel Developer 1.6.1

Oracle World # Database Client/Server architecture OLE2Host Desktop drives OLE Containers ORA_FFI

Oracle World # Database Web-deployed architecture OLE2HostORA_FFI unix

Oracle World # Going back to the application… The following features will not work with web deployment… – Third party workflow – Address validation – D2KWUTIL – Calls to.DLL and.EXE files – Integration with MS Word – Production of Excel spreadsheets – Upload files – Reading registry …without making changes This is not an upgrade, it is a migration

Oracle World # Can we build it? Yes we can! …er, sort of The Migration Process

Oracle World # Forms 4.5 to 9i Forms Conversion – Migration Wizard – Forms Builder OTN Web Site Remember to start OC4J! Icons:.ICO bad,.GIF good

Oracle World # Reports 2.5 to 9i Reports Pretty straightforward RUN_PRODUCT is de-supported in 9i Forms – RUN_REPORT_OBJECT – WEB.SHOW_DOCUMENT

Oracle World # Porting to Unix Watch out for : – case sensitivity – embedded file names – directory separators O9iDS is less usable on Unix Not supported on terminal emulators unix

Oracle World # Client interaction Workflow  move to Java API Address validation  move to new product File upload  Forms demo PJC OLE Intergration  JACOB D2KWUTIL calls  ??? ORA_FFI calls  ??? HOST  ??? TEXT_IO  ???

Oracle World # This Web Stuff But where to find it? Zounds! This web stuff is harder than it looks. If only I had a handy utility to do all the tough stuff for me.

Oracle World # Introducing WebUtil Oracle Beta Pre-Production software Client side versions of old favourites – CLIENT_HOST – CLIENT_TEXT_IO – CLIENT_OLE2 – CLIENT_GET_FILE_DIR – CLIENT_TOOL_ENV – CLIENT_WIN_API_ENVIRONMENT New features – WEBUTIL_FILE_TRANSFER – WEBUTIL_HOST – WEBUTIL_C_API – WEBUTIL_CLIENTINFO – WEBUTIL_BROWSER All straight PL/SQL calls

Oracle World # Limitations of WebUtil Uses Pluggable Java Components Require PJC instantiations –Not useable in many triggers  Use timers –Can only use in Forms, not Reports or Menus  Create one-off Forms Cannot get a Windows handle Not always the best approach – CLIENT_TEXT_IO – CLIENT_OLE2

Oracle World # So, do I have to become a Java head? Must know how Java CLASSPATH works ORA_JAVA requires some familiarity with: – classes – inheritance May need to write your own Java class

Oracle World # Running on O9iAS Current client/server apps now need O9iAS – licensing – administration Getting this wrong can kill your project Complex configuration Need experienced O9iAS admin – Q: What killed the Reports Server? – A: Permissions on the /tmp directory

Oracle World # The Migrated Application

Oracle World # Migrated functionality Through ORA_JAVA – Third party workflow – Address validation Through WEBUTIL_C_API – Complex technical calculations – Terrain mapping Through CLIENT_OLE2 – Integration with MS Word – Production of Excel spreadsheets Through WEBUTIL miscellaneous – Upload files – Read registry

Oracle World # Lost functionality Help files Using Notepad to edit items Performance – Using Forms to launch apps – Using timers instead of W-N-F-I – CLIENT_OLE2 time lag IDENTIFIED EXTERNALLY DLL transactions

Oracle World # Intangible benefits Supported platform Easier deployment Standardisation of third party products

Oracle World # Any questions?