Oracle forms developer 10g vol1

Oracle Forms Developer 10g:
Build Internet Applications
Instructor Guide • Volume 1
D17251GC10
Edition 1.0
June 2004
D39560
®

Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.
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Author
Pam Gamer
Technical Contributors
and Reviewers
Alena Bugarova
Purjanti Chang
Laurent Dereac
Punita Handa
Mark Pare
Jasmin Robayo
Bryan Roberts
Divya Sandeep
Raza Siddiqui
John Soltani
Lex van der Werff
Editors
Nishima Sachdeva
Elizabeth Treacy
Publisher
Giri Venugopal

Preface
I Introduction
Objectives I-2
Course Objectives I-3
Course Content I-5
1 Introduction to Oracle Forms Developer and Oracle Forms Services
Objectives 1-2
Internet Computing Solutions 1-3
Plugging into the Grid 1-4
Oracle Enterprise Grid Computing 1-5
Oracle 10g Products and Forms Development 1-7
Oracle Application Server 10g Architecture 1-8
Oracle Application Server 10g Components 1-9
Oracle Forms Services Overview 1-10
Forms Services Architecture 1-11
Benefits and Components of Oracle Developer Suite 10g 1-12
Oracle Developer Suite 10g Application Development 1-13
Oracle Developer Suite 10g Business Intelligence 1-14
Oracle Forms Developer Overview 1-15
Oracle Forms Developer: Key Features 1-16
Summit Office Supply Schema 1-17
Summit Application 1-18
Summary 1-20
2 Running a Forms Developer Application
Objectives 2-2
Testing a Form: OC4J Overview 2-3
Testing a Form: Starting OC4J 2-4
Running a Form 2-5
Running a Form: Browser 2-6
The Java Runtime Environment 2-7
Starting a Run-Time Session 2-8
The Forms Servlet 2-11
The Forms Client 2-12
The Forms Listener Servlet 2-13
The Runtime Engine 2-14
What You See at Run Time 2-15
Identifying the Data Elements 2-17
Navigating a Forms Developer Application 2-18
Modes of Operation: Enter-Query Mode 2-20
Modes of Operation: Normal Mode 2-21
Retrieving Data 2-22
Retrieving Restricted Data 2-23
Query/Where Dialog Box 2-25
Inserting, Updating, and Deleting 2-27
Contents
iii

Making Changes Permanent 2-29
Displaying Errors 2-30
Summary 2-31
Practice 2 Overview 2-34
3 Working in the Forms Developer Environment
Objectives 3-2
Forms Builder Key Features 3-3
Forms Builder Components: Object Navigator 3-4
Forms Builder Components: Property Palette 3-5
Forms Builder Components: Layout Editor 3-6
Forms Builder Components: PL/SQL Editor 3-7
Getting Started in the Forms Builder Interface 3-8
Forms Builder: Menu Structure 3-10
Blocks, Items, and Canvases 3-12
Navigation in a Block 3-14
Data Blocks 3-15
Forms and Data Blocks 3-17
Form Module Hierarchy 3-19
Customizing Your Forms Builder Session 3-21
Saving Preferences 3-23
Using the Online Help System 3-24
Forms Developer Executables 3-25
Forms Developer Module Types 3-27
Defining Forms Environment Variables for Run Time 3-29
Defining Forms Environment Variables for Design Time 3-30
Environment Variables and Y2K Compliance 3-32
Forms Files to Define Run-Time Environment Variables 3-34
Testing a Form: The Run Form Button 3-35
Summary 3-37
4 Creating a Basic Form Module
Objectives 4-2
Creating a New Form Module 4-3
Form Module Properties 4-6
Creating a New Data Block 4-8
Navigating the Wizards 4-10
Launching the Data Block Wizard 4-11
Data Block Wizard: Type Page 4-12
Data Block Wizard: Table Page 4-13
iv

Data Block Wizard: Finish Page 4-14
Layout Wizard: Items Page 4-15
Layout Wizard: Style Page 4-16
Layout Wizard: Rows Page 4-17
Data Block Functionality 4-18
Template Forms 4-19
Saving a Form Module 4-20
Compiling a Form Module 4-21
Module Types and Storage Formats 4-22
Deploying a Form Module 4-24
Text Files and Documentation 4-25
Summary 4-26
5 Creating a Master-Detail Form
Objectives 5-2
Form Block Relationships 5-3
Data Block Wizard: Master-Detail Page 5-5
Relation Object 5-7
Creating a Relation Manually 5-8
Join Condition 5-9
Deletion Properties 5-10
Modifying a Relation 5-11
Coordination Properties 5-12
Running a Master-Detail Form Module 5-13
Modifying the Structure of a Data Block 5-14
Modifying the Layout of a Data Block 5-15
Summary 5-17
6 Working with Data Blocks and Frames
Objectives 6-2
Managing Object Properties 6-3
Displaying the Property Palette 6-4
Property Palette: Features 6-5
Property Controls 6-6
Visual Attributes 6-8
How to Use Visual Attributes 6-9
Font, Pattern, and Color Pickers 6-10
Controlling Data Block Behavior and Appearance 6-11
Navigation Properties 6-12
v

Records Properties 6-13
Database Properties 6-15
Scroll Bar Properties 6-18
Controlling Frame Properties 6-19
Displaying Multiple Property Palettes 6-21
Setting Properties on Multiple Objects 6-22
Copying Properties 6-24
Creating a Control Block 6-26
Deleting a Data Block 6-27
Summary 6-28
7 Working with Text Items
Objectives 7-2
Text Item Overview 7-3
Creating a Text Item 7-4
Modifying the Appearance of a Text Item: General and Physical Properties 7-6
Modifying the Appearance of a Text Item: Records Properties 7-7
Modifying the Appearance of a Text Item: Font and Color Properties 7-8
Modifying the Appearance of a Text Item: Prompts 7-9
Associating Text with an Item Prompt 7-10
Controlling the Data of a Text Item 7-11
Controlling the Data of a Text Item: Format 7-12
Controlling the Data of a Text Item: Values 7-13
Controlling the Data of a Text Item: Copy Value from Item 7-15
Controlling the Data of a Text Item: Synchronize with Item 7-16
Altering Navigational Behavior of Text Items 7-17
Enhancing the Relationship Between Text Item and Database 7-18
Adding Functionality to a Text Item 7-19
Adding Functionality to a Text Item: Conceal Data Property 7-20
Adding Functionality to a Text Item: Keyboard Navigable and Enabled 7-21
Adding Functionality to a Text Item: Multi-line Text Items 7-22
Displaying Helpful Messages: Help Properties 7-23
Summary 7-24
8 Creating LOVs and Editors
Objectives 8-2
Overview of LOVs and Editors 8-3
LOVs and Record Groups 8-6
Creating an LOV Manually 8-8
vi

Creating an LOV with the LOV Wizard: SQL Query Page 8-9
Creating an LOV with the LOV Wizard: Column Selection Page 8-10
Creating an LOV with the LOV Wizard: Column Properties Page 8-11
Creating an LOV with the LOV Wizard: Display Page 8-12
Creating an LOV with the LOV Wizard: Advanced Properties Page 8-13
Creating an LOV with the LOV Wizard: Assign to Item Page 8-14
LOV Properties 8-15
Setting LOV Properties 8-16
LOVs: Column Mapping 8-17
Defining an Editor 8-19
Setting Editor Properties 8-20
Associating an Editor with a Text Item 8-21
Summary 8-22
9 Creating Additional Input Items
Objectives 9-2
Input Items Overview 9-3
Check Boxes Overview 9-4
Creating a Check Box 9-5
Converting an Existing Item into a Check Box 9-6
Creating a Check Box in the Layout Editor 9-7
Setting Check Box Properties 9-8
Check Box Mapping of Other Values 9-10
List Items Overview 9-11
Creating a List Item 9-13
Converting an Existing Item into a List Item 9-14
Creating a List Item in the Layout Editor 9-15
Setting List Item Properties 9-16
List Item Mapping of Other Values 9-17
Radio Groups Overview 9-18
Creating a Radio Group 9-19
Converting Existing Item to Radio Group 9-20
Creating Radio Group in Layout Editor 9-21
Setting Radio Properties 9-22
Radio Group Mapping of Other Values 9-23
Summary 9-24
10 Creating Noninput Items
Objectives 10-2
Noninput Items Overview 10-3
vii

Display Items 10-4
Creating a Display Item 10-5
Image Items 10-6
Image File Formats 10-8
Creating an Image Item 10-9
Setting Image-Specific Item Properties 10-10
Push Buttons 10-12
Push Button Actions 10-13
Creating a Push Button 10-14
Setting Push Button Properties 10-15
Calculated Items 10-16
Creating a Calculated Item by Setting Properties 10-17
Setting Item Properties for the Calculated Item 10-18
Summary Functions 10-19
Calculated Item Based on a Formula 10-20
Rules for Calculated Item Formulas 10-21
Calculated Item Based on a Summary 10-22
Rules for Summary Items 10-23
Creating a Hierarchical Tree Item 10-24
Setting Hierarchical Tree Item Properties 10-25
Bean Area Items 10-26
Creating a Bean Area Item 10-27
Setting Bean Area Item Properties 10-28
The JavaBean at Run Time 10-29
Summary 10-30
11 Creating Windows and Content Canvases
Objectives 11-2
Windows and Canvases 11-3
Window, Canvas, and Viewport 11-4
The Content Canvas 11-5
Relationship Between Windows and Content Canvases 11-6
The Default Window 11-7
Displaying a Form Module in Multiple Windows 11-8
Creating a New Window 11-9
Setting Window Properties 11-10
GUI Hints 11-11
Displaying a Form Module on Multiple Layouts 11-12
Creating a New Content Canvas 11-13
Setting Content Canvas Properties 11-15
viii

Summary 11-16
12 Working with Other Canvas Types
Objectives 12-2
Overview of Canvas Types 12-3
The Stacked Canvas 12-4
Creating a Stacked Canvas 12-6
Setting Stacked Canvas Properties 12-8
The Toolbar Canvas 12-9
The MDI Toolbar 12-10
Creating a Toolbar Canvas 12-11
Setting Toolbar Properties 12-12
The Tab Canvas 12-13
Creating a Tab Canvas 12-14
Creating a Tab Canvas in the Object Navigator 12-15
Creating a Tab Canvas in the Layout Editor 12-16
Setting Tab Canvas, Tab Page, and Item Properties 12-17
Placing Items on a Tab Canvas 12-18
Summary 12-19
13 Introduction to Triggers
Objectives 13-2
Trigger Overview 13-3
Grouping Triggers into Categories 13-4
Defining Trigger Components 13-6
Trigger Type 13-7
Trigger Code 13-9
Trigger Scope 13-10
Specifying Execution Hierarchy 13-12
Summary 13-14
14 Producing Triggers
Objectives 14-2
Creating Triggers in Forms Builder 14-3
Creating a Trigger 14-4
Setting Trigger Properties 14-7
PL/SQL Editor Features 14-8
The Database Trigger Editor 14-10
Writing Trigger Code 14-11
ix

Using Variables in Triggers 14-13
Forms Builder Variables 14-14
Adding Functionality with Built-In Subprograms 14-16
Limits of Use 14-18
Using Built-In Definitions 14-19
Useful Built-Ins 14-21
Using Triggers: When-Button-Pressed Trigger 14-23
Using Triggers: When-Window-Closed Trigger 14-24
Summary 14-25
15 Debugging Triggers
Objectives 15-2
The Debugging Process 15-3
The Debug Console 15-4
The Debug Console: Stack Panel 15-5
The Debug Console: Variables Panel 15-6
The Debug Console: Watch Panel 15-7
The Debug Console: Form Values Panel 15-8
The Debug Console: PL/SQL Packages Panel 15-9
The Debug Console: Global/System Variables Panel 15-10
The Debug Console: Breakpoints Panel 15-11
The Debug Console 15-12
Setting Breakpoints in Client Code 15-13
Setting Breakpoints in Stored Code 15-14
Debugging Tips 15-15
Running a Form in Debug Mode 15-16
Stepping Through Code 15-17
Debug Example 15-18
Summary 15-20
16 Adding Functionality to Items
Objectives 16-2
Item Interaction Triggers 16-3
Coding Item Interaction Triggers 16-5
Interacting with Check Boxes 16-7
Changing List Items at Run Time 16-8
Displaying LOVs from Buttons 16-9
LOVs and Buttons 16-11
Populating Image Items 16-13
x

Loading the Right Image 16-15
Populating Hierarchical Trees 16-16
Displaying Hierarchical Trees 16-18
Interacting with JavaBeans 16-19
Summary 16-25
17 Run Time Messages and Alerts
Objectives 17-2
Run-Time Messages and Alerts Overview 17-3
Detecting Run-Time Errors 17-5
Errors and Built-Ins 17-7
Message Severity Levels 17-9
Suppressing Messages 17-11
The FORM_TRIGGER_FAILURE Exception 17-13
Triggers for Intercepting System Messages 17-15
Handling Informative Messages 17-17
Setting Alert Properties 17-19
Planning Alerts 17-21
Controlling Alerts 17-22
SHOW_ALERT Function 17-24
Directing Errors to an Alert 17-26
Causes of Oracle Server Errors 17-27
Trapping Server Errors 17-29
Summary 17-30
18 Query Triggers
Objectives 18-2
Query Processing Overview 18-3
SELECT Statements Issued During Query Processing 18-5
WHERE Clause 18-7
ONETIME_WHERE Property 18-8
ORDER BY Clause 18-9
Writing Query Triggers: Pre-Query Trigger 18-10
Writing Query Triggers: Post-Query Trigger 18-11
Writing Query Triggers: Using SELECT Statements in Triggers 18-12
Query Array Processing 18-13
Coding Triggers for Enter-Query Mode 18-15
Overriding Default Query Processing 18-19
Obtaining Query Information at Run Time 18-22
xi

Summary 18-25
19 Validation
Objectives 19-2
The Validation Process 19-3
Controlling Validation Using Properties: Validation Unit 19-5
Controlling Validation Using Properties: Validate from List 19-7
Controlling Validation Using Triggers 19-9
Example: Validating User Input 19-11
Using Client-Side Validation 19-13
Tracking Validation Status 19-16
Controlling When Validation Occurs with Built-Ins 19-18
Summary 19-20
20 Navigation
Objectives 20-2
Navigation Overview 20-3
Understanding Internal Navigation 20-5
Using Object Properties to Control Navigation 20-7
Mouse Navigate Property 20-9
Writing Navigation Triggers 20-10
Navigation Triggers 20-11
When-New-<object>-Instance Triggers 20-12
SET_<object>_PROPERTY Examples 20-13
The Pre- and Post-Triggers 20-15
Post-Block Trigger Example 20-17
The Navigation Trap 20-18
Using Navigation Built-Ins in Triggers 20-19
Summary 20-21
21 Transaction Processing
Objectives 21-2
Transaction Processing Overview 21-3
The Commit Sequence of Events 21-6
Characteristics of Commit Triggers 21-8
Common Uses for Commit Triggers 21-10
Life of an Update 21-12
Delete Validation 21-14
xii

Assigning Sequence Numbers 21-16
Keeping an Audit Trail 21-18
Testing the Results of Trigger DML 21-19
DML Statements Issued During Commit Processing 21-21
Overriding Default Transaction Processing 21-23
Running Against Data Sources Other than Oracle 21-25
Getting and Setting the Commit Status 21-27
Array DML 21-31
Effect of Array DML on Transactional Triggers 21-32
Implementing Array DML 21-33
Summary 21-34
22 Writing Flexible Code
Objectives 22-2
What Is Flexible Code? 22-3
Using System Variables for Current Context 22-4
System Status Variables 22-6
GET_<object>_PROPERTY Built-Ins 22-7
SET_<object>_PROPERTY Built-Ins 22-9
Referencing Objects by Internal ID 22-11
FIND_ Built-Ins 22-12
Using Object IDs 22-13
Increasing the Scope of Object IDs 22-15
Referencing Objects Indirectly 22-17
Summary 22-20
23 Sharing Objects and Code
Objectives 23-2
Benefits of Reusing Objects and Code 23-3
What Are Property Classes? 23-5
Creating a Property Class 23-6
Inheriting from a Property Class 23-8
What Are Object Groups? 23-10
Creating and Using Object Groups 23-11
Copying and Subclassing Objects and Code 23-13
Subclassing 23-14
What Are Object Libraries? 23-16
Benefits of the Object Library 23-18
Working with Object Libraries 23-19
xiii

What Is a SmartClass? 23-20
Working with SmartClasses 23-21
Reusing PL/SQL 23-22
What Are PL/SQL Libraries? 23-24
Writing Code for Libraries 23-25
Creating Library Program Units 23-26
Attach Library Dialog Box 23-27
Calls and Searches 23-28
Summary 23-30
24 Using WebUtil to Interact with the Client
Objectives 24-2
WebUtil Overview 24-3
Benefits of the WebUtil Utility 24-4
Integrating WebUtil into a Form 24-11
When to Use WebUtil Functionality 24-13
Interacting with the Client 24-14
Example: Opening a File Dialog on the Client 24-15
Example: Reading an Image File into Forms from the Client 24-16
Example: Writing Text Files on the Client 24-17
Example: Executing Operating System Commands on the Client 24-18
Example: Performing OLE Automation on the Client 24-19
Example: Obtaining Environment Information about the Client 24-22
Summary 24-23
25 Introducing Multiple Form Applications
Objectives 25-2
Multiple Form Applications Overview 25-3
Multiple Form Session 25-4
Benefits of Multiple Form Applications 25-5
Starting Another Form Module 25-6
Defining Multiple Form Functionality 25-8
Conditional Opening 25-10
Closing the Session 25-11
Closing a Form with EXIT_FORM 25-12
Other Useful Triggers 25-13
Sharing Data Among Modules 25-15
Linking by Global Variables 25-16
Global Variables: Opening Another Form 25-17
Global Variables: Restricted Query at Startup 25-18
xiv

Assigning Global Variables in the Opened Form 25-19
Linking by Parameter Lists 25-20
Linking by Global Record Groups 25-23
Linking by Shared PL/SQL Variables 25-24
Summary 25-26
Appendix A: Practice Solutions
Appendix B: Table Descriptions
Appendix C: Introduction to Query Builder
Appendix D: Locking in Forms
Appendix E: Oracle Object Features
Appendix F: Using the Layout Editor
xv

Oracle forms developer 10g vol1

Oracle Forms Developer 10g: Build Internet Applications Preface - 2

Profile
Before you begin this course
Before you begin this course, you should be able to:
• Create SQL statements.
• Create PL/SQL constructs, including conditional statements, loops, procedures and functions.
• Create PL/SQL stored (server) procedures, functions, and packages.
• Use a graphical user interface (GUI).
• Use a Web browser.
Prerequisites
Either
• Oracle Database 10g: SQL Fundamentals I
• or the following CBT Library:
– Oracle SQL: Basic SELECT statements
– Oracle SQL: Data Retrieval Techniques
– Oracle SQL: DML and DDL
• or Introduction to Oracle Database 10g for Experienced SQL Users (InClass)
• or Oracle Database 10g: Introduction to SQL (InClass)
And either
• Oracle Database 10g: Program with PL/SQL (InClass)
• or the following CBT Library:
– PL/SQL: Basics
– PL/SQL: Procedures, Functions, and Packages
– PL/SQL: Database Programming
• Or both:
– Oracle Database 10g: PL/SQL Fundamentals (InClass)
– Oracle Database 10g: Develop PL/SQL Program Units (InClass)
Suggested prerequisites
• Oracle Database 10g: SQL Fundamentals II (InClass) (if you attended the Oracle Database 10g:
SQL Fundamentals I (InClass))
• Oracle Database 10g: Advanced PL/SQL (InClass)
• Oracle Forms Developer 10g: Move to the Web (eStudy)
How this course is organized
Oracle Forms Developer 10g: Build Internet Applications is an instructor-led course featuring lecture
and hands-on exercises. Online demonstrations and written practice sessions reinforce the concepts and
skills introduced.

Related Publications
Oracle publications
Title Part Number
Oracle Forms Developer, Release 6i:
Getting Started (Windows 95/NT) A73154-01
Oracle Forms Developer and Reports Developer, Release 6i:
Guidelines for Building Applications A73073-02
Oracle Application Server Forms Services Deployment Guide B10470-01
10g (9.0.4)
Additional publications
Release notes: <ORACLE_HOMEdocwelcomerelease_noteschap_forms.htm

Typographic Conventions
Typographic conventions in text
Convention Element Example
Bold italic Glossary term (if there is
a glossary)
The algorithm inserts the new key.
Caps and
lowercase
Buttons,
check boxes,
triggers,
windows
Click the Executable button.
Select the Can’t Delete Card check box.
Assign a When-Validate-Item trigger to the
ORDERS block.
Open the Master Schedule window.
Courier new,
case sensitive
(default is
lowercase)
Code output,
directory names,
filenames,
passwords,
pathnames,
URLs,
user input,
usernames
Code output: debug.set (‘I”, 300);
Directory: bin (DOS), $FMHOME (UNIX)
Filename: Locate the init.ora file.
Password: User tiger as your password.
Pathname: Open c:my_docsprojects
URL: Go to http://www.oracle.com
User input: Enter 300
Username: Log on as scott
Initial cap Graphics labels
(unless the term is a
proper noun)
Customer address (but Oracle Payables)
Italic Emphasized words and
phrases,
titles of books and
courses,
variables
Do not save changes to the database.
For further information, see Oracle7 Server SQL
Language Reference Manual.
Enter user_id@us.oracle.com, where
user_id is the name of the user.
Quotation
marks
Interface elements with
long names that have
only initial caps;
lesson and chapter titles
in cross-references
Select “Include a reusable module component”
and click Finish.
This subject is covered in Unit II, Lesson 3,
“Working with Objects.”
Uppercase SQL column names,
commands, functions,
schemas, table names
Use the SELECT command to view information
stored in the LAST_NAME
column of the EMP table.

Typographic Conventions (continued)
Typographic conventions in text (continued)
Typographic conventions in code
Right arrow Menu paths Select File > Save.
Brackets Key names Press [Enter].
Commas Key sequences Press and release keys one at a time:
[Alternate], [F], [D]
Plus signs Key combinations Press and hold these keys simultaneously:
[Ctrl]+[Alt]+[Del]
Caps and
lowercase
Oracle Forms
triggers
When-Validate-Item
Lowercase Column names,
table names
SELECT last_name
FROM s_emp;
Passwords DROP USER scott
IDENTIFIED BY tiger;
PL/SQL objects OG_ACTIVATE_LAYER
(OG_GET_LAYER (‘prod_pie_layer’))
Lowercase italic Syntax variables CREATE ROLE role
Uppercase SQL commands
and functions
SELECT userid
FROM emp;

Introduction
Schedule: Timing Topic
15 minutes Lecture
15 minutes Total

Oracle Forms Developer 10g: Build Internet Applications I-2
I-2 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.
Objectives
After completing this lesson, you should be able to do
the following:
• Identify the course objectives
• Identify the course content and structure
Introduction
Overview
This lesson introduces you to the Oracle Forms Developer 10g: Build Internet
Applications course:
• The objectives that the course intends to meet
• The topics that it covers
• How the topics are structured over the duration of the course

Course Objectives
After completing this course, you should be able to do
the following:
• Create form modules including components for
database interaction and GUI controls.
• Display form modules in multiple windows and a
variety of layout styles.
• Test form modules in a Web browser.
• Debug form modules in a three-tier environment.
Course Objectives
Course Description
In this course, you will learn to build, test, and deploy interactive Internet applications.
Working in a graphical user interface (GUI) environment, you will learn how to create
and customize forms with user input items such as check boxes, list items, and radio
groups. You will also learn how to modify data access by creating event-related triggers,
and you will display Forms elements and data in multiple canvases and windows.

Course Objectives
• Implement triggers to:
– Enhance functionality
– Communicate with users
– Supplement validation
– Control navigation
– Modify default transaction processing
– Control user interaction
• Reuse objects and code
• Link one form module to another

Course Content
Day 1
• Lesson 1: Introduction to Oracle Forms Developer
and Oracle Forms Services
• Lesson 2: Running a Forms Builder Application
• Lesson 3: Working in the Forms Developer
Environment
• Lesson 4: Creating a Basic Form Module
• Lesson 5: Creating a Master-Detail Form
• Lesson 6: Working with Data Blocks and Frames
Course Content
The lesson titles show the topics that is covered in this course, and the usual sequence of
lessons. However, the daily schedule is an estimate, and may vary for each class.

Course Content
Day 2
• Lesson 7: Working with Text Items
• Lesson 8: Creating LOVs and Editors
• Lesson 9: Creating Additional Input Items
• Lesson 10: Creating Noninput Items

Course Content
Day 3
• Lesson 11: Creating Windows and Content
Canvases
• Lesson 12: Working with Other Canvas Types
• Lesson 13: Introduction to Triggers
• Lesson 14: Producing Triggers
• Lesson 15: Debugging Triggers

Course Content
Day 4
• Lesson 16: Adding Functionality to Items
• Lesson 17: Run-time Messages and Alerts
• Lesson 18: Query Triggers
• Lesson 19: Validation
• Lesson 20: Navigation

Course Content
Day 5
• Lesson 21: Transaction Processing
• Lesson 22: Writing Flexible Code
• Lesson 23: Sharing Objects and Code
• Lesson 24: Using WebUtil to Interact with the
Client
• Lesson 25: Introducing Multiple Form Applications

Introduction to Oracle Forms Developer
and Oracle Forms Services
30 minutes Lecture
30 minutes Total

Oracle Forms Developer 10g: Build Internet Applications 1-2
1-2 Copyright © 2004, Oracle. All rights reserved.
Objectives
the following:
• Define grid computing
• Explain how Oracle 10g products implement grid
computing
• Describe the components of Oracle Application
Server 10g and Oracle Developer Suite 10g
• Describe the features and benefits of Oracle
Forms Services and Oracle Forms Developer
• Describe the architecture of Oracle Forms
Services
• Describe the course application
Introduction
Overview
This course teaches you how to build effective and professional form applications using Oracle
Forms Developer.
This lesson identifies the key features of Oracle Application Server 10g, Oracle Developer Suite
10g, Oracle Forms Services, Oracle Forms Developer, and the course application model and
contents.
There are many terms used in this course that may be unfamiliar to you. For a glossary
containing definitions of many of these terms, see http://www.oracle.com/glossary.

Internet Computing Solutions
Application Type
and Audience
Enterprise applications,
Business developers
Java components,
Component developers
Product
Approach
Repository-based
modeling & generation,
Declarative
Oracle
Products
Oracle Designer,
Oracle Forms Developer,
& Oracle Forms Services
Two-way coding,
Java and JavaBeans
Oracle JDeveloper
Oracle Application Server 10g
Browser-based,
Dynamic HTML
Self-service applications &
content management,
Web site developers
Oracle Portal
Oracle Database Server
Dynamic Web
reporting, Drill,
Analyzing, Forecasting
Reporting and
analytical applications,
MIS & business users
Oracle Reports Developer,
Oracle Reports Services,
Oracle Discoverer, &
Oracle Express
Internet Computing Solutions
Oracle offers a range of tools and deployment options for Internet computing. Different types of
developers and applications require different toolsets.
• Enterprise application developers need a declarative model-based approach. Oracle
Designer and Oracle Forms Developer provide this solution. This course focuses on how
you can use Oracle Forms Developer to rapidly build scalable, high-performance
applications for the Internet and then deploy the applications with Oracle Forms Services.
• Component developers need different tools and methods. For these developers, Java is the
language of choice. Oracle’s solution is JDeveloper.
• For Web site developers and content publishers who want to build self-service dynamic
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) applications for Web sites, Oracle Portal provides an
easy-to-use development environment that resides entirely inside an Oracle database. Portal
provides a browser-based environment from development through deployment of an
application.
• For Management Information System (MIS) developers and end users, there is the Oracle
Business Intelligence toolset. Oracle Reports Developer, Oracle Reports Services, Oracle
Discoverer, and Oracle Express provide the whole range for reporting, analysis, and
trending facilities.

Plugging into the Grid
Grid computing is:
• Software infrastructure that uses low-cost servers
and modular storage to:
– Balance workloads
– Provide capacity on demand
• Made possible by innovations in hardware
• Powered by software
Plugging into the Grid
When you plug in a lamp, you have no knowledge of the source of the electricity that powers the
lamp. You don't know, or even care, where the generator is or how the electric grid is wired. You
only know that the bulb lights up on demand.
Grid computing is a concept similar to that of electricity. Its aim is to make computing power as
reliable, pervasive, and transparent as a utility.
Enterprise grid computing builds a critical software infrastructure that can run on large numbers
of small networked computers at a lower cost than running on large servers. Costs of
management and administration are also reduced. The workload is balanced among the
machines, and capacity can be added on demand, thus providing for efficient resource sharing.
This is made possible by recent hardware innovations, such as low-cost powerful processors,
blade servers, networked storage, and network interconnect technologies. But software powers
the grid by creating a single logical entity, such as a database or an application server, from a
cluster of machines, and by managing and administering groups of such systems as one.

Oracle Enterprise Grid Computing
Oracle's grid infrastructure products:
• Oracle Database 10g
• Oracle Application Server 10g
• Oracle Enterprise Manager 10g
Grid Control
Oracle Enterprise Grid Computing
In recognition of the significant new capabilities required to power grid computing, Oracle has
named its new technology products Oracle 10g, the first major name change since adding
Internet capabilities to Oracle8i. Oracle 10g provides the first complete, integrated software
infrastructure to power grid computing through every element of the grid—storage, databases,
application servers, and applications:
• Oracle Database 10g provides:
Real Application Clusters (RAC), which enables a single database to run across
multiple clustered nodes in a grid and features Cluster Workload Management to
quickly respond to fluctuations in grid workloads
Automatic Storage Management (ASM), which abstracts the details of managing
storage to provide sophisticated data provisioning and enables DBAs to manage disk
groups rather than many database files
Information provisioning, providing access to information when and where it is
needed
A self-managing database, thus reducing the maintenance and tuning tasks of DBAs

Oracle Enterprise Grid Computing (continued)
• Oracle Application Server 10g provides:
Application Server Clusters that can pool and virtualize run-time services; all services
can be distributed across multiple machines in a grid, and new application server
instances can be automatically added and started to deliver capacity on demand
Interaction with Oracle RAC to improve application reliability
Identity management features that provide centralized user administration, which is
even more important in a grid environment
Ease of application deployment: Enterprise applications do not need to be redesigned,
because when they are deployed on the Oracle Application Server 10g in a grid, the
applications benefit immediately from the transparent workload distribution, load
balancing, and scheduling necessary to coordinate work across multiple servers.
JDeveloper 10g, available in Oracle Developer Suite 10g, enables applications to
expose their behavior to other applications and to management tools through
standardized interfaces, so that they can communicate with other applications and
heterogeneous resources across a grid.
• Oracle Enterprise Manager 10g Grid Control is the complete, integrated, central
management console and underlying framework that automates administrative tasks across
sets of systems in a grid environment. It enables:
Grouping of multiple hardware nodes, databases, application servers, and other
targets into single logical entities
Software provisioning that automates installation, configuration, and cloning of
Oracle Application Server 10g and Oracle Database 10g across multiple nodes,
making it it possible to add capacity as needed or to easily patch and upgrade existing
systems
Ease of application deployment: Applications can be deployed once to a single
application server instance, registered with the central repository, then automatically
deployed to all relevant nodes on the grid, with nodes being synchronized as changes
are made.
Application Service Level Monitoring by viewing the availability and performance of
the grid infrastructure as a unified whole so that performance or availability issues
can be traced throughout the entire application, and the root cause can be determined
by drilling down into the infrastructure
Note: For additional information about Oracle’s enterprise grid computing solution, see the Grid
Technology Center on OTN: http://otn.oracle.com/tech/grid/index.html.

Oracle 10g Products and Forms
Development
Forms Services Forms Developer
Oracle 10g Products and Forms Development
Oracle Database: Manages all of your information, such as Word documents, Excel
spreadsheets, XML, and images. Oracle tools such as Forms can automatically reuse the
database structure and its integrity constraints, which reduces the amount of manual coding.
Oracle Application Server: Runs all of your applications, including Java, wireless, portals, and
business intelligence. Using Oracle Application Server, you can deploy and manage in a single
application server all applications developed with Oracle Developer Suite. The Oracle
Application Server contains Oracle Forms Services, which you use to deploy your Forms
applications.
Oracle Developer Suite: Leverages the infrastructure offered by Oracle Application Server and
Oracle Database, enabling developers to quickly and easily build scalable, secure, and reliable e-
business applications. The suite provides a complete and highly productive development
environment for building applications. Oracle Forms Developer, which you use to build Forms
applications, is part of Oracle Developer Suite.

Architecture
Oracle Application Server 10g Architecture
Oracle Application Server 10g has a layered architecture including the following services:
• Communication Services: Communication management for a variety of protocols
• Application Runtime Services: J2EE Container that provides a common runtime
environment for Applications developed as JSPs, Servlets,EJBs, and Web Services
• System Services: A common set of runtime services that are necessary for J2EE
Applications and Web Services, such as request dispatch and scheduling, resource
management, resource pooling,clustering, fault monitoring, transaction management, and
messaging
• Management Services: A common set of systems management services to monitor the
status, performance and faults of the system; to monitor resource consumption and usage;
to manage a single instance or cluster of instances; to centrally administer security for users
and applications; and to provide a comprehensive directory service framework to manage
users
• Connectivity Services: Provide connectivity to a variety of systems
• Solutions: A comprehensive set of solutions all built on the infrastructure described above
including Enterprise Portals, Enterprise Integration, Business Intelligence, Wireless, and
ISV Solutions

Components
Oracle Application Server
Forms Services
Oracle Application Server Components
With the components of Oracle Application Server, you can:
• Extract and analyze business intelligence: Clickstream, Personalization, Reports
Services, Discoverer
• Integrate your business: InterConnect, Workflow, Unified Messaging, Internet File
System
• Create personalized portals: Oracle Portal
• Deploy dynamic Web applications: XDK, Web Services, Forms Services, OC4J, HTTP
Server
• Manage and secure your Web infrastructure: Enterprise Manager, Security, Internet
Directory.
Instructor Note
The overviews of Oracle Application Server and Oracle Developer Suite should not be presented
in detail, but merely to show where Forms Services and Forms Developer fit into the product set.
For further information on Oracle Application Server architecture and components, see the
Oracle Application Server products page on OTN: http://otn.oracle.com/products/ias/index.html.

Oracle Forms Services Overview
A component of Oracle
Application Server that
deploys Forms applications
to Java clients in a Web
environment
Oracle Application Server
Forms Services
What Is Oracle Forms Services?
Oracle Forms Services is a component of Oracle Application Server for delivering Oracle Forms
Developer applications to the Internet. Oracle Forms Services automatically provides the
infrastructure that is needed to successfully deliver applications on the Internet through built-in
services and optimizations.
Oracle Forms Services uses a three-tier architecture to deploy database applications:
• The client tier contains the Web browser, where the application is displayed and used.
• The middle tier is the application server, where the application logic and server software
reside.
• The database tier is the database server, where enterprise data is stored.

Forms Services Architecture
JRE
Application
logic layer
Data manager/
PL/SQL engine
User interface
layer
Forms Listener
Servlet
Forms Servlet
Forms Runtime
Client Tier Database Tier
Middle Tier:
Application Server
Incrementally
downloaded
File containing
application code
Net
Services
Java applet
DB
Forms Services Architecture
Forms Services consists of four major components: the Java client (Forms Client), the Forms
Listener Servlet, the Forms Servlet, and the Forms Runtime Engine. You learn about these
components in Lesson 2, Running a Forms Developer Application.
When a user runs a forms session over the Web, a thin, Java-based Forms applet is dynamically
downloaded from the application server and automatically cached on the Java client machine.
The same Java applet code can be used for any form, regardless of size and complexity.
Although Forms Services uses a Java applet for displaying the form on the client browser, the
developer does not need to know Java in order to develop and deploy a Forms application.
Instructor Note
See Oracle Application Server Forms 10g (9.0.4) Technical Overview for additional information
on Forms Services.

Benefits and Components of Oracle
Developer Suite 10g
•OWB
•Discoverer
•Reports
•JDeveloper
•Forms
•Designer
•SCM
Business Intelligence
Application Development
Benefits of Oracle Developer Suite 10g
The Oracle Developer Suite:
• Combines the power of Oracle application development tools and Oracle business
intelligence tools.
• Provides a standards-based, Java and XML integrated development environment and
supports the full application development life-cycle.
• Provides flexible and scalable solutions for data warehousing and business Intelligence.
• Optimized for Oracle Database and Oracle Application Server 10g

Oracle Developer Suite 10g
Application Development
Application Development Features of Oracle Developer Suite 10g
Oracle Developer Suite provides the following features for application development:
• Modeling: Oracle Designer provides visual modeling, reverse engineering, and code
generation tools. Oracle Developer Suite also supports UML (Unified Modeling Language)
by utilizing visual tools for Activity and Class modeling within the JDeveloper component.
• Rapid Application Development (RAD): RAD capabilities in Oracle Developer Suite
feature integrated builders, re-entrant wizards, live previewers, and property inspectors.
The JDeveloper component provides additional productivity through Business Components
for Java (BC4J), a built-in J2EE framework.
• J2EE and Web Services: Oracle Developer Suite supports the latest J2EE 1.2 APIs,
including Enterprise JavaBeans (EJB), Java Server Pages (JSP), and Servlets. Web services
support SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol), WSDL (Web Service Definition
Language), and UDDI (Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration).
• Team Support: Oracle Software Configuration Management provides versioning,
dependency management, and impact analysis for all objects and file types.

Oracle Developer Suite 10g
Business Intelligence
Business Intelligence Features of Oracle Developer Suite 10g
Oracle Developer Suite 10g provides the following Business Intelligence features:
• Extract, transformation, and load (ETL): Oracle Warehouse Builder provides a
graphical interface for mapping and transformation. It also provides an extensible
framework for integrating a diverse set of data sources and integration with Business
Intelligence Tools.
• End user query and analysis: With Oracle Discoverer Administrator, you can create and
maintain a business-oriented view of the data that supports the Discoverer client tools:
Discoverer Plus and Discoverer Viewer (in Oracle Application Server), and Discoverer
Desktop (in Oracle Developer Suite).
• Enterprise Reporting: Oracle Reports Developer enables the developer to access any
data, to publish it in any format, and to send it anywhere. Supported formats include
HTML with CSS, PDF, RTF, Postscript, and XML.
Instructor Note
For further information on Oracle Developer Suite and components, see the Oracle Developer
Suite products page on OTN: http://otn.oracle.com/products/ids/index.html.

Oracle Forms Developer Overview
Oracle Forms Developer:
• Is a productive development environment
for Internet business applications
• Provides for:
– Data entry
– Queries
What Is Oracle Forms Developer?
Oracle Forms Developer is a productive development environment for building enterprise-class,
scalable database applications for the Internet. Oracle Forms Developer provides a set of tools
that enable business developers to easily and quickly construct sophisticated database forms and
business logic with a minimum of effort.
Oracle Forms Developer uses powerful declarative capabilities to rapidly create applications
from database definitions that leverage the tight integration with the Oracle database. The toolset
leverages Java technology, promotes reuse, and is designed to allow developers to declaratively
build rich user interfaces. Developer productivity is further increased through a single integrated
development environment that enables distributed debugging across all tiers, utilizing the same
PL/SQL language for both server and client.
Oracle Forms Developer’s tight integration with Oracle Designer enables you to use a productive
model-driven development approach. Oracle Forms Developer applications can be automatically
generated from business requirements designed in the Oracle Designer modeling environment.
These models are stored in the Oracle Repository. Code-level changes made within the Oracle
Forms Developer environment can be automatically reverse engineered back into the models,
preserving the integrity between the models and the application.

Oracle Forms Developer: Key Features
• Tools for rapid application development
• Application partitioning
• Flexible source control
• Extended scalability
• Object reuse
Oracle Forms Developer 10g: Key Features
Tools for Rapid Application Development: You can create and modify applications with little
or no code. Productivity is enhanced with wizard-based rapid application development and built-
in commands that perform common functions.
Application Partitioning: You can place individual PL/SQL program units on the database
server or in the application, whichever is most suitable. You can drag-and-drop objects between
modules and the database server.
Flexible Source Control: Oracle Software Configuration Manager (SCM) is integrated directly
in Forms Developer to provide source control options, such as checkin and checkout capability,
versioning, diff and merge utilities, and impact analysis.
Extended Scalability: The multi-tiered architecture enables you to scale applications from a
single user to tens of thousands of users, with no changes to the application. You can use server
functionality, such as array DML, database cursors, or bind variables, to improve scalability.
Object Reuse: Oracle Forms Developer offers an inheritance model that facilitates the
inheritance of attributes and code from one object to another and from one application to
another, through subclassing and object libraries.

Summit Office Supply Schema
Order Entry
Application
Introducing the Course Application
The Summit Office Supply Schema
The simplified table diagram shows the tables that are used throughout the course to build the
Forms application. These same tables are used in other Oracle courses as well.
Summit Office Supply is a company that sells office products to customers. Summit has a
number of employees in several departments. Some employees are sales representatives who
have a relationship with specific customers.
Customers place orders. Each order consists of one or more line items. Each line item represents
a product.
Many products have an associated image, in the form of an image file.
The company products are stored in a number of warehouses. The contents of the warehouses are
managed in the inventory.

Summit Application
CV_Customer Canvas
CUSTOMERS Block
CV_Order Canvas
ORDERS Block
ORDER_ITEMS Block
CV_Inventory Canvas
INVENTORIES
Table
CUSTOMERS
Table
ORDERS
Table
ORDER_ITEMS
Table
Customers
Form
Orders Form
INVENTORIES Block
The Summit Office Supply Application
The following example of a Forms Builder application will familiarize you with the main run-
time facilities of the product. You will also build your own version of this application during the
practices in this course.
The Summit company produces a range of office supplies that they sell to businesses and
individuals (their customers). The Summit application is an order-entry system that maintains
customer details, their orders, and the available stock (inventory).
The application consists of two main forms:
• Customers form: The Customers facilitates queries on existing customers and the
insertion, update, or deletion of customer records. When a customer is selected, the user
can open the Orders form to enter or view orders for that customer. The form consists of a
single block, the Customers block, a single record block, whose base table is Customers.

The Summit Office Supply Application (continued)
• Orders form: Opened from the Customers form, the Orders form displays orders for a
customer and the line items that belong to each order. Orders may also be created,
modified, or deleted in this form. You can also display the stock available on the ordered
products. The form consists of three blocks:
Orders block: The Orders block is a single record master block for the form The base
table is Orders, but the block also displays associated information from other tables,
such as the name of the customer.
Order_Items block: The Order_Items block is the related detail block for an order,
showing its line items and the products ordered. This is a multirecord block whose
items are on the same canvas as those in the Orders block. The base table of the
Order_Items block is Order_Items, but the block displays information from other
tables, such as the product description.
Inventories block: The Inventories block is a multirecord block showing warehouse
stock for a product. Its items are on a separate canvas, which is assigned to its own
window. This block is linked to the current product in the Order_Items block, but the
two blocks can operate independently.
Instructor Note
Explain to students that the concepts of blocks, windows, canvases, and so on are presented in
later lessons. The descriptions above are just to give an overview of the application. Students
may want to refer back to this overview later when the concepts are presented.

Summary
In this lesson, you should have learned that:
• Grid computing makes computing power available
without regard to its source
• Oracle 10g products provide the software to
implement enterprise grid computing
• Oracle Application Server 10g provides services
for building and deploying Web applications
• Oracle Developer Suite 10g includes components
for application development and business
intelligence
Summary
Grid computing seeks to make computing power available on demand, without regard to where
the data or application resides or which computer processes the request. Oracle 10g products
(Database, Application Server, and Enterprise Manager Grid Control) provide the software
infrastructure to power enterprise grid computing.
Oracle Application Server provides a variety of services for building and deploying Web
applications, including the Oracle HTTP Server (OHS), Oracle Containers for J2EE (OC4J),
Reports Services, and Forms Services.
Oracle Developer Suite includes components for application development (JDeveloper,
Designer, Software Configuration Manager, and Forms Developer) and for business intelligence
(Warehouse Builder, Discoverer, and Reports).

Summary
• Benefits of Oracle Forms Services include:
– Optimized Web deployment of Forms applications
– Rich Java UI without Java coding
– Generic Java applet to deploy any Forms
application
• Oracle Forms Services consists of the Forms
client, the Forms Servlet, the Forms Listener
Servlet, and the Forms Runtime Engine.
• Benefits of Oracle Forms Developer include rapid
application development, application partitioning,
flexible source control, extended scalability, and
object reuse.
• The course application is a customer and order
entry application for Summit Office Supply.
Summary (continued)
Oracle Forms Services, a component of Oracle Application Server 10g, provides for the Web
deployment of Forms applications with a rich Java user interface. It uses the same generic applet
for any form.
The components of Oracle Forms Services all play a role in running an application. These
components are the Forms client (Java applet), the Forms Servlet, the Forms Listener Servlet,
and the Forms Runtime Engine.
Oracle Forms Developer is the component of Oracle Developer Suite 10g that enables you to
develop Forms applications. Benefits of Oracle Forms Developer include:
• Rapid application development: Create and modify applications with little or no code
• Application partitioning: Drag objects between modules and the database server
• Flexible source control: Integration with Software Configuration Manager (SCM)
• Extended scalability: Use of server functionality such as array DML, database cursors, or
bind variables
• Object reuse: Subclassing, object libraries

Running a Forms
Developer Application
50 minutes Lecture
25 minutes Practice
75 minutes Total

Objectives
the following:
• Start OC4J
• Describe the run-time environment
• Describe the elements in a running form
• Navigate a Forms application
• Describe the two main modes of operation
• Run a form in a Web browser
– Retrieve both restricted and unrestricted data
– Insert, update, and delete records
– Display database errors
Introduction
Overview
It is essential that you understand the environment of the form operator before designing
and building your own applications. In this lesson you run an existing application on the
Web in order to familiarize yourself with the run-time interface of the Oracle Forms
Developer.

Testing a Form: OC4J Overview
Oracle Application Server Containers for J2EE (OC4J)
is:
• Preferred to run Forms applications
• Included with Oracle Developer Suite to enable
testing
Testing a Form with OC4J
What Is OC4J?
Oracle Application Server Containers for J2EE (OC4J) is Oracle’s Java 2 Enterprise
Edition (J2EE) container that executes on any Java Virtual Machine (JVM), which is the
Java interpreter that is provided on each operating system and hardware platform. It is
implemented completely in Java, making it lightweight and easy to install. At the same
time, it provides complete support for J2EE applications, including servlets, Enterprise
JavaBeans, JavaServer Pages, and so on.
OC4J is ideally suited to run Forms applications. It is included in Oracle Developer Suite
to enable you to test your applications, if desired, on the same machine where you are
running Forms Builder. In other words, you do not need to install Oracle Application
Server to test your applications.

Testing a Form: Starting OC4J
• On NT, run batch file to start
OC4J: startinst.bat.
• OC4J starts in DOS window:
– Minimize window
– Closing window aborts OC4J
• Run batch file to stop OC4J: stopinst.bat.
Testing a Form: Starting OC4J
To use OC4J on Windows, start it by executing the batch file provided, called
startinst.bat. This file is located in the j2eeDevSuite subdirectory of the
Developer Suite home directory. If you will be testing your applications on your client
machine, it is a good idea to set up a shortcut to this batch file, and also to the batch file
called stopinst.bat, which stops the OC4J instance. Alternatively, you can call these
batch files from the Windows Start menu: Programs > Oracle Developer Suite – iDS10g >
Forms Developer > Start [Shutdown] OC4J Instance.
The batch file executes in a separate window; you can minimize this window if desired.
Do not close this window, or you will abort the OC4J instance.
When you no longer need to run OC4J you can execute the batch file called
stopinst.bat to stop the OC4J instance.

Running a Form
Oracle Forms Services deployment:
Browser URL
Java Applet
Running a Form
Deploying form applications to the Web is implemented by the three-tier architecture of
Oracle Application Server. Application logic and the Forms Services Runtime Engine
reside on the middle-tier application server. All trigger processing occurs on database and
application servers, while user interface processing occurs on the Forms client. End users
can run Forms Developer applications in a Web browser.
Users request an application in their Web browsers by entering a URL that points to the
application. Forms Services then generates an HTML file that downloads a Java applet to
the client machine. This small applet is capable of displaying the user interface of any
form, while the application logic is executed on the middle tier.

Running a Form: Browser
http://summit.com:8889/forms90/f90servlet
?form=customers.fmx&userid=username/password@database
&buffer_records=NO&debug_messages=NO&array=YES
&query_only=NO
http://summit.com:8889/forms90/f90servlet?form=customers.fmx&userid=
How do I
access this
application?
Running a Form: Browser
The URL to invoke an application must have the following format:
http://host[:port]/forms servlet or html file[parameters] (optional portions of URL
enclosed in brackets)
Summit’s URL consists of the following components:
Instructor Note
Mention to students that it is common to provide an HTML front end to allow the user to
choose the application to start, then construct the URL based on the user’s choice.
Protocol http
Domain summit.com
Port for HTTP Server
or OC4J
xxxx default for HTTP Server
8889 default for OC4J
Forms Servlet Alias
or static html file
/forms90/f90servlet
Parameters: this section begins with
“?”; parameters separated by “&”
(can be specified in the URL or
taken from configuration file)
form=customers.fmx
userid=username/password@database
buffer_records=NO
debug_messages=NO
....

The Java Runtime Environment
• The Forms applet runs in a Java Runtime
Environment (JRE) on the client machine.
• Types of JREs:
– Java-enabled browser (native)
– JInitiator (Oracle-supplied plug-in to Web browser)
that provides:
Incremental Java archive (JAR) file downloading
JAR file caching
Applet instance caching
Automatic Java security configuration
The Java Runtime Environment
The Web browser can run a Java applet because it provides a Java Runtime Environment
(JRE). However, not all Web browsers are able to natively run the Forms client. On
Windows platforms, Oracle provides a plug-in called JInitiator that provides an alternative
JRE capable of running the Forms applet.
JInitiator provides several benefits:
• It is able to incrementally download the Java ARchive files (JAR files) needed for
the Forms client, providing faster application startup.
• It caches the JAR files locally, so that they do not need to be downloaded again.
• It improves application performance within a browser session by applet instance
caching. When a user navigates from the current page in the browser, the running
Forms application is cached. When the user comes back to the page containing the
applet, the applet that was running is automatically fully restored, including all of
the data entered in the application.
• It is automatically configured to run the Forms application in trusted mode. This
enables the application to have access to resources that the Java sandbox model
normally prohibits it from using, such as print services.

Starting a Run-Time Session
URL http://summit.com:8889/forms90/f90
Static HTML files
OC4J
or HTTP Server
Forms Servlet
Forms Listener Servlet
Forms Runtime Engine
Web Browser
1
2
3
DBPLX filesMMX files
Forms Application Executables
FMX files
Web Server
Forms Services
Client Tier Middle Tier: Application Server
Starting a Run-time session involves the following steps:
1. The user accesses the URL that indicates that a Forms application should be run.
2. The Oracle HTTP Server or OC4J receives an HTTP request from the browser client
and contacts the Forms Servlet.
3. The Forms Servlet dynamically creates an HTML page containing all the
information to start the Forms session.

Static HTML files
OC4J
or HTTP Server
Forms Servlet
Web Browser
4
5Applet started 6
FMX files
Web Server
Forms Services
Middle Tier: Application ServerClient Tier
Starting a Run-Time Session (continued)
4. The Oracle HTTP Server or OC4J downloads a generic applet to the client after
checking that it has not already been downloaded. The client caches the applet so
that it can run future Forms applications without downloading it again.
5. The client applet contacts the Forms Listener Servlet to start the session. The Forms
Listener Servlet starts an instance of the Forms Runtime Engine on the Forms Server
(middle tier). If included in the HTML file, Forms Runtime command-line
parameters (such as form name, user ID and password, database SID, and so on) and
any user-defined Forms Builder parameters are passed to the process by the Forms
Listener Servlet.
6. The Forms Listener Servlet establishes a connection with the Runtime Engine,
which connects to the database if needed and loads application executable files.

Web Server
Static HTML files
OC4J
or HTTP Server
Forms Servlet
Forms Services
8
Web Browser
Middle Tier: Application Server
8
7
FMX files
Client Tier
Starting a Run-Time Session (continued)
7. The Forms applet displays the user interface of the application in the main window
of the user’s Web browser.
8. The Forms Listener Servlet, working through OC4J or the HTTP Server, manages
communication between the Forms applet and the Runtime Engine.
Technical Note
More information about the Oracle Forms Listener Servlet is available in the Oracle white
paper: Oracle Application Server Forms 10g (9.0.4) Technical Overview.
Instructor Note
Explain the process of using FTP to move a form from NT to the middle-tier server,
compiling the form, and then running it from a browser. As you present the next few
slides, explain to the students that the Forms Services run on the middle tier, and that this
is where the run time environment variables are set.

Forms Client
Base HTML files
Forms Servlet
Application Server
Static HTML files
HTTP Server or OC4J
The Forms Servlet
Dynamic
HTML file is
created
Desktop Client
URL PARAMETERS:
?form=customers.fmx
&userid=un/pw@db
&buffer_records=NO
...
URL Pointing to Forms Servlet
basejini.html
formsweb.cfg
http://summit.com:8889/forms90/f90servlet?form=customers.f
Web Server
Forms Services
The Forms Servlet
The Forms Servlet is a Java servlet that creates a dynamic HTML file by merging
information from the following sources:
• The Forms Web configuration file
• The Forms base HTML file
• The application’s URL parameters

The Forms Client
• Generic Java applet
• Responsibilities:
– Displays the form’s user interface
– Processes user interaction back to
Forms Services
– Processes incoming messages
from Forms Services Generic
Java applet
Forms Client
Desktop Client
The Forms Client?
The Forms Client is a generic Java applet. Forms Services dynamically downloads this
applet and automatically caches it on the client machine. The Forms Client consists of a
set of Java classes. At startup, only those Java classes that are necessary to initialize the
application are downloaded. Additional class files are downloaded dynamically, as
needed, to support additional user interface activity.
You do not have to deploy a separate Java applet for each application. The same generic
applet is used to run any Forms Services application, regardless of its size and complexity.
Responsibilities of the Forms Client
The Forms Client represents the user interface layer and has three primary functions:
• To render the Forms Services application display for the user
• To efficiently process user interaction back to Forms Services
• To process incoming messages from Forms Services and translate them into
interface objects for the end user efficiently

The Forms Listener Servlet
Java Servlet that:
• Creates Forms
Runtime process
for each client
• Stops the Runtime process at session end
• Manages network communications between client
and Forms Runtime process
• Communicates through Web server process
HTTP Server
or
OC4J
Middle Tier
HTTP/
HTTPS
Forms
Listener
Servlet
Forms
Runtime
Process
The Forms Listener Servlet?
The Forms Listener Servlet is a Java servlet that runs in a Web server equipped with a
servlet engine, such as OC4J. The Web server directs HTTP requests for the Forms
Listener Servlet directly to the servlet instances.
The Forms Listener Servlet is in charge of:
• Managing the creation of the Forms Runtime process for each client
• Managing the network communications that occur between the client and its
associated Forms Runtime process, through the Web server
This means that the client sends HTTP requests and receives HTTP responses from the
Web server process itself. Since the Web server acts as the network endpoint for the
client, there is no need to expose additional server machines and ports at the firewall.

The Runtime Engine
The Forms Runtime Engine:
• Is a process (ifweb90) that runs on the
Application Server
• Manages application logic and processing
• Communicates with the client browser and the
database
The Forms Runtime Engine?
The Forms Runtime Engine is a process on the Application Server that is started by the
Forms Listener Servlet. You cannot start the runtime engine directly.
The Forms Runtime Engine handles all the application logic and Forms functionality and
executes the code written into the application. It manages requests from the Forms Client
and sends metadata to the client to describe the user interface. It connects to and
communicates with the Oracle database via Oracle Net Services, the replacement for Net8
and SQL*Net.

What You See at Run Time
1
3
4
5 2
What You See at Run Time
At run time, you will see the following components:
1. Browser window
2. Java applet (contained within browser window)
3. Default menu (contained within applet)
4. Menu toolbar (contained within applet)
5. Console (contained within applet)
What is the Default Menu?
The Default menu, which is part of all Oracle Forms Developer applications, is an
alternative to keystroke operations. You can replace or customize the Default menu to
introduce your own functionality into a form module.
What is the Menu Toolbar?
The Menu toolbar contains buttons corresponding to menu items. At run time, it appears
above any user-defined toolbars. It executes the same code as menu items, and it is a
shortcut to menu commands that does not duplicate code or effort.

What You See at Run-Time (continued)
What is the Console?
The console is the generic name for the standard features that provide information at run
time. The console is displayed at the bottom of the window and consists of:
• The message line that displays both Forms and application-specific messages.
• The status line that displays a variety of indicators to reflect the current state of the
form module.
Instructor Note
Demonstration
Start an OC4J instance. In Forms Builder, open the form module Customers and run it
with the Run Form button. Point out the Browser window, Java applet, Default menu,
Menu toolbar, and Console components. Describe the elements of the URL in the
browser.
Select Help > Keys from the menu. Execute an unrestricted query. Execute a restricted
query to retrieve information about the customer with the ID of 212.
Leaving this browser session open, start another browser session; copy the URL from the
first session into the second. Add the following to the end of URL:
&lookAndFeel=generic (the default Look and Feel is “oracle”). Point out the
different appearance of the user interface, especially the rounded appearance of the
buttons and the new look of the Menu toolbar.
Terminate these run-time sessions by exiting the forms, and then closing the browser
windows. Be sure to advise students to always exit the form to terminate the applet before
closing the browser window.
Indicator Description
Record: n/m The nth record retrieved and displayed so far, out of m number of
total records that can be retrieved by the query.
Until the last record is fetched, m displays as “?”; after that, it
displays the number corresponding to the last record.
Enter-Query The current block is in Enter Query mode and no records have been
retrieved
List of Values A list of values (LOV) is associated with the current item.

Identifying the Data Elements
51 2 7 864 93 10
Identifying the Data Elements
A Forms application may contain many different kinds of data elements:
1. Prompts
2. Text Items
3. Boilerplate graphics
4. Check boxes
5. Boilerplate text
6. Display items
7. List items
8. Push buttons
9. Image items
10. Radio groups
Not Pictured:
• Hierarchical tree items
• Chart items
• Custom items

Navigating a Forms Developer Application
Methods of Navigation:
• Default menu
• Menu toolbar
• Mouse
• Buttons
• Function keys
Navigating a Forms Application
The Default Menu
The Default menu is automatically available in a form, unless it is disabled or replaced
with a customized menu. Select options from the menu by using the mouse or function
keys. At run time, use the menu to perform the following tasks:
• Move the cursor and navigate between data blocks, records, and items.
• Save or clear all changes.
• Execute queries.
• Insert new records or delete existing records.
• Invoke Help.
The Menu Toolbar
You can use the Default menu toolbar buttons to perform the following operations also
available through the Default menu:
• Save all changes.
• Exit the form.
• Navigate between data blocks or records.

Navigating a Forms Application (continued)
The Menu Toolbar (continued)
• Insert new records or delete existing records.
• Invoke Help to see properties of an item.
The Mouse
You can use the mouse to navigate and to perform many user operations in a bitmapped
environment without needing to learn the function keys. Use the mouse to perform the
following actions:
• Move the cursor.
• Select from a menu.
• Select from an LOV.
• Select or clear a check box.
• Select a button, including a radio button.
• Switch to an open window.
• Respond to an alert.
• Scroll records or lines by using a data block or item scroll bar.
• Manipulate a custom item.
Buttons
Web applications often use buttons as a means of navigation. You can click buttons with
the mouse. Use buttons to perform the following tasks:
• Move input focus.
• Display a list of values.
• Invoke an editor.
• Invoke another window.
• Commit data.
• Issue a query.
• Perform calculations.
• Exit the form.
Function Keys
In addition to navigating with the mouse, you can move from item to item in sequence
with function keys. Use function keys to perform the following tasks:
• Navigate between data blocks, records, and items.
• Insert new records or delete existing ones.
• Invoke Help.
To view a list of keys and the functions they perform, select Help > Keys, or press
[Ctrl]+K.
Instructor Note
Demonstration: From Forms Builder, run the ORDERS form. Point out the main data
elements. Show the different means of navigation.

Modes of Operation: Enter-Query Mode
Allows:
• Unrestricted and
restricted queries
• Query/Where dialog
box
• Record count by using
Query > Count Hits
Does not allow:
• Navigation out of
current data block
• Exiting run-time
session
• Certain functions
• Insert, update, delete
Modes of Operation
Forms Builder has two main modes of operation: Enter-Query mode and Normal mode.
The third mode of operation, Query mode, occurs while Forms is processing a query; the
user cannot interact with the form while processing is taking place.
Enter-Query Mode
Use Enter-Query mode to enter search criteria for a database query. In Enter-Query mode,
your keystrokes are interpreted as search criteria for retrieving restricted data.
What you can do in Enter-Query mode
• Retrieve all records
• Retrieve records by using selection criteria
• Retrieve records by using the Query/Where dialog box
• Obtain the number of records that will be retrieved before fetching them from the
database by using Query > Count Hits
What you cannot do in Enter-Query mode
• Navigate out of the current block
• Exit from the run-time session
• Use certain functions, such as
Next Record
• Insert new records
• Update existing records
• Delete records

Modes of Operation: Normal Mode
Allows:
• Unrestricted queries
• Insert, update, delete
• Commit (Save)
• Navigation out of
current data block
• Exiting run-time
session
Does Not Allow:
• Restricted queries
• Query/Where dialog
box
Normal Mode
Use Normal mode to insert and alter records in the database. In Normal mode, your
keystrokes are interpreted as either the entering of new records or the altering of existing
ones.
What you can do in Normal Mode
• Retrieve all records.
• Insert new records.
• Update records.
• Delete records.
• Commit (Save) records.
• Rollback (Clear) records.
• Navigate outside of the current data block.
• Exit the run-time session.
What you cannot do in Normal Mode
• Retrieve a restricted set of records.
• Invoke the Query/Where dialog box.

Retrieving Data
1
3
4
2
A B C D
1
2
Restricted query
A B C D
A B C D
1
2
3
4
Unrestricted query
A B C D
1
2
3
4
Retrieving Data
You can use a form module to retrieve information from the database without knowing
any SQL syntax. However, if you are an experienced SQL user, you may want to
supplement Oracle Forms Developer default processing with your own SQL predicates.
There are two general types of queries:
Performing an Unrestricted Query
You can retrieve unrestricted data by performing one of the following actions:
• Select Query > Execute.
• Press the appropriate function key.
• Click the Execute Query button.
Note: You cannot perform a query while you have unsaved updates, inserts, or deletes.
Either save or undo the changes before you continue with the query.
Query Type Description
Unrestricted
(global query)
The equivalent of selecting all the rows for all the represented
columns from the base table for the queried data block
Restricted The equivalent of selecting a restricted set of rows for all the
represented columns from the base table for the queried data block

Retrieving Restricted Data
• Do not use quotation marks with character and
date items.
• The LIKE operator is implied with % or _.
• Use hash (#) in front of SQL operators.
• Use Query/Where for complex query conditions.
• Use default date format (DD-MON-RR) in
Query/Where.
• Use quotes around literals in Query/Where.
Performing a Restricted Query
You can use any one of the following methods to perform a restricted query:
• Matching values
• Matching patterns (wildcards)
• A Query/Where dialog box for user entry of SQL predicates
Valid Search Criteria
Item Criterion Uses
Order ID 2356 Exact match
Customer ID %04 Implied LIKE operator
Order ID #BETWEEN 2350 AND
2360
BETWEEN operator
Order Status “CREDIT order paid”
selected from pop-up list
Exact match on item value (10)
Sales Rep ID :S Query Where dialog

Performing a Restricted Query (continued)
How to Perform a Restricted Query
You can perform a restricted query with the following steps:
1. Perform one of the following:
Select Query > Enter.
Click the Enter Query button.
Press the appropriate function key.
2. Enter-Query displays on the status line.
3. Enter search criteria into appropriate items.
Select Query > Execute.
Click the Execute Query button.
Note: Forms Builder constructs a select statement by using the AND operator for all
specified conditions.
Instructor Note
The default date format is dependent on the language/territory. In Oracle8i Release 2
(8.1.6), the default date formats were modified, replacing ’YY’ with ’RR’ and ’YYYY’
with ’RRRR’. For example, if NLS_LANG is set to Finland, then the default date
format will be DD.MM.RRRR.

Query/Where Dialog Box
• Invoke by:
– Entering :variable_name
– Executing query
• Used to write:
– Complex search conditions
– Queries with OR predicates
– ORDER BY clause
Using the Query/Where Dialog Box
In the Query Where dialog box you can enter complex search criteria by using raw SQL.
To use the Query/Where dialog box effectively requires knowledge of SQL. Use
Query/Where to perform the following tasks:
• Write complex search conditions.
• Write queries with OR predicates.
• Order the result of a query.
Note: Forms Builder logically uses the AND operator to append the Query/Where
conditions to any other search criteria (including those imposed by the form designer) and
constructs a SELECT statement. The Query/Where dialog box does not work in an item
whose name differs from the name of its corresponding database column.
Example
1. To restrict the query to orders with a Sales Rep ID (:S) of 11 or an Order ID (:O)
between 100 and 200, enter the following in the Query/Where dialog box:
:S = 11 OR :O between 100 and 200
2. To sort the data by Sales rep ID (:S), enter the following in the Query/Where dialog
box:
ORDER BY :S

Query/Where Dialog Box
:i
:n
:i = 104 OR :n BETWEEN ‘F’ and ‘H’
How to Use the Query/Where Dialog Box
To use the query/where box to enter query criteria:
Select Query > Enter.
Click Enter Query.
2. Enter a colon (:) followed by a unique character variable name in one or more items.
3. Perform one of the following: Select Query > Execute, click Execute Query, or press
the appropriate function key.
Note: You can select Query > Count Hits if you simply want to know how many
records will match your criteria.
4. The Query/Where dialog box is displayed.
5. Enter the search criteria by using variables, SQL, and logical operators. Click OK.
Note: To perform a query without any variables, type only the colon (:) and execute
the query. Doing so also displays the Query/Where dialog box.
If you enter an ORDER BY at run time, it overrides any ordering defined by the designer.

Inserting, Updating, and Deleting
Form module
Deletes
Updates
Inserts
Memory
Inserting, Updating, and Deleting Records
Upon entering a typical form module you are in Normal mode. This means that Forms
Builder regards anything that you type into a blank record as an insert and anything that
you type over an existing record as an update.
How to Insert a Record
To insert a record, perform the following steps:
1. Ensure that you have the cursor positioned on a blank record by performing one of
the following steps:
Scroll down until you find a blank record (always the last in the block).
Select Record > Insert.
Click Insert Record (green +).
2. Enter the data into the relevant items.

Inserting, Updating, and Deleting Records (continued)
How to Update a Record
To update a record, perform the following steps:
1. Select Query > Enter.
2. Enter the search criteria to retrieve the appropriate record.
3. Select Query > Execute to retrieve all records that satisfy your specific search
criteria.
4. Scroll through the records, stopping at the record to be updated.
5. Update the record.
How to Delete a Record
To delete a record, perform the following steps:
1. Select Query > Enter.
2. Enter the search criteria to retrieve the appropriate record.
3. Select Query > Execute to retrieve all records that satisfy your specific search
criteria.
4. Scroll through the records, stopping at the record to be deleted. Delete the record by
taking one of the following actions:
Select Record > Remove to clear the record and mark it for deletion.
Click Remove Record (red X) to clear the record and mark it for deletion.
Press the appropriate function keys.

Making Changes Permanent
• Select Action > Save to
make changes
permanent.
• Select Action > Clear
All to discard changes.
or
Toolbar
Menu
To commit or
rollback:
Deletes
Updates
Inserts
Memory
Making Inserts, Updates, and Deletes Permanent
To make any inserts, updates, or deletes permanent you must save (commit) them to the
database. To do this, take one of the following actions:
• Select Action > Save.
• Click Save in the menu toolbar.
Discarding Inserts, Updates, and Deletes
To discard any inserts, updates, or deletes, you must clear the records (rollback) instead of
saving. Perform a rollback by selecting Action > Clear All.
Exiting a Run-Time Session
You exit the run-time session by taking one of the following actions:
• Select Action > Exit.
• Click Exit.
• Press the appropriate function keys.
Note: By default, you cannot exit the form while you have unsaved updates, inserts, or
deletes. You need to either save or undo the changes before you can exit.

Displaying Errors
• Use to view Oracle errors
• Select Help > Display Error
• Shows Database Error window:
– SQL statement
– Error information
Displaying Errors
If an Oracle error is displayed on the message line while you are operating a form
application, you can view the underlying SQL code by selecting Help > Display Error.
Example
Here is the SQL statement in error and its corresponding error:
SELECT order_id, order_date, order_mode, order_status,
customer_id, sales_rep_id
FROM orders
WHERE (order_id in ('a','b'))
ORA-01722: invalid number
Note: Selecting Help > Display Error displays only those errors where the error on the
message line is preceded by ORACLE error.

Summary
• You can use OC4J on the development machine to
run a Forms application in a Web browser
• At run time:
– The Forms Client is downloaded
– The Forms Servlet creates a start HTML file
– The Forms Listener Servlet starts a run-time
session and maintains communication between it
and the Forms Client
– The Runtime Engine carries out application logic
and maintains a database connection on behalf of
the Forms Client
Summary
This lesson introduced the operator interface of Forms Builder. The following concepts
were covered in this lesson:
• Starting OC4J on the development machine
• The run-time environment for Forms:
Running a form in a Browser
Starting a run-time session: The Forms Servlet, the Forms Client, and the
• The data elements of a form

Summary
• When you run a form you see a Java applet
running in a browser and displaying a menu, menu
toolbar, console, and several kinds of data
elements.
• Users navigate a Forms application using the
menu, toolbar, the mouse, buttons, or function
keys.
• The two main modes of operation are Normal
mode and Enter-Query mode.
• Executing a query returns all records, unless the
query is restricted by search criteria.
Summary (continued)
• Elements of a running form
• Navigation methods
• Modes of operation:
Normal mode
Enter-Query mode
(There is also a Query mode that occurs when the form is fetching records; the
operator cannot interact with the form in Query mode.)
• Retrieving data by performing:
Restricted queries—you supply search criteria
Unrestricted queries—you supply no search criteria

Summary
• In normal mode you can insert, update, and delete
records and commit changes to the database.
• You display database errors from the menu
(Help > Display Error)
Summary (continued)
• Inserting, updating, and deleting records
• Saving or clearing changes
• Displaying database errors

Practice 2 Overview
This practice covers the following topics:
• Starting OC4J
• Running the course application:
– Querying records
– Inserting a record
– Updating a record
– Deleting a record
– Displaying a database error
Practice 2 Overview
In this practice session, you start OC4J to function as a Web server on your local machine.
You run the course application in a browser and execute both unrestricted and restricted
queries. You navigate through the application and use it to insert, update, and delete
records.
Note: For solutions to this practice, see Practice 2 in Appendix A, “Practice Solutions.”
Instructor Note
Stress to students that they would normally be running an application that is deployed to a
middle-tier application server. However, for this course the Oracle Application Server is
not installed, so they will use OC4J on their local machines to run the application.

Practice 2
1. Start an instance of OC4J.
2. Invoke Internet Explorer and enter the following URL:
http://<machine>:<port>/forms90/f90servlet?form=customers.fmx
Your instructor will tell you the machine name and port number to use.
3. Select Help > Keys from the menu.
4. Click OK to close the Keys window. Browse through the records that were returned
by the unrestricted query that executed automatically when the form started.
5. Execute a restricted query to retrieve information about the customer with the ID of
212.
6. Execute a restricted query to retrieve the customer whose first name is “Meenakshi”.
7. Try each of these restricted queries:
a. Retrieve all cities starting with San.
b. Retrieve all customers based in the USA with a low credit limit.
8. Display the customer details for Harrison Sutherland and click Orders to invoke the
Orders form module.
9. Click Image Off and notice that the image item is no longer displayed. Click Image
On and notice that the image item is displayed.
10. Query only those orders that were submitted online.
11. Move to the fourth record (Product ID 2322) in the Item block of Order 2355 and
click Stock.
The Inventory block is displayed in a separate window with stock information for
that item.
12. Close the Stock Levels window. For the customer Harrison Sutherland, insert a new
record in the ORDER block, as detailed below.
Notice that some items are already populated with default values. Enter the
following:
13. Insert a new record in the ITEM block with the following values:
Item Value
Online Unchecked
Status New Credit Order (poplist)
Sales Rep ID 151 (Enter the ID, or click the List
button and select David Bernstein)
Item Value
Product ID 2289 (Enter the ID, or click the List
button and select KB 101/ES.
Quantity 2

Practice 2 (continued)
14. Save the new records.
15. Update the order that you have just placed and save the change.
Note: You may receive a message indicating that there are no changes to save. This
message is generated by the Customers form, because both forms are saved at the
same time. Changes to the Orders form should be saved successfully, so you can
acknowledge the message and then ignore it.
16. Attempt to delete the order that you have just placed. What happens?
17. Delete the line item for your order and save the change.
18. Now attempt to delete your order and save the change.
19. Exit the run-time session and close the browser window.

Working in the Forms
Developer Environment
45 minutes Lecture
40 minutes Practice
85 minutes Total

Objectives
the following:
• Describe Forms Builder components
• Navigate the Forms Builder interface
• Identify the main objects in a form module
• Customize the Forms Builder session
• Use the online help facilities
• Identify the main Forms executables
• Describe the Forms module types
• Set environment variables for design and run time
• Run a form from within Forms Builder
Introduction
Overview
This lesson provides you with an overview of Forms Builder, including a high-level
description of its components and object hierarchy. Using this knowledge, you can plan
and implement the structure of your form applications.

Forms Builder Key Features
With Forms Builder you can:
• Provide an interface for users to insert, update,
delete, and query data
• Present data as text, image, and custom controls
• Control forms across several windows and
database transactions
• Use integrated menus
• Send data to Oracle Reports
Forms Builder Key Features
Forms Builder is a major component of Oracle Forms Developer. You can use Forms
Builder to quickly develop form-based applications for presenting and manipulating data
in a variety of ways.
Users of Forms Builder applications can:
• Insert, update, delete, and query data by using a variety of interface items
• Present data by using text, image, and custom controls, including JavaBeans and
Pluggable Java Components
• Control forms across several windows and database transactions
• Access comprehensive facilities by using integrated menus
• Send data directly to Oracle Reports
As the designer of Forms Builder applications, you can:
• Design forms that use a number of data sources, including Oracle databases
• Build applications quickly and easily by using powerful GUI development tools
• Design applications for Internet deployment
• Copy and move objects and their properties easily between applications
• Use design features such as wizards, the Layout Editor, Object Navigator, and
PL/SQL Editor

Forms Builder Components:
Object Navigator
• Client-side and
server-side
objects
displayed
hierarchically
• Toolbar
to create,
delete or
unload, expand
or contract
• Icons to
represent
objects
• Fast
search
feature
Forms Builder Components: Object Navigator
The interface components of the Forms Builder tool help to provide the flexibility and
productivity of the Oracle Forms Developer development environment.
The Object Navigator is a hierarchical browsing and editing interface. You can use the
Object Navigator to locate and manipulate application objects quickly and easily. Features
include:
• A hierarchy represented by indentation and expandable nodes
(Top-level nodes show module types, database objects, and built-in packages. All
other nodes and the objects they contain are indented to indicate that they belong to
these higher-level nodes.)
• Find field and icons, enabling forward and backward searches for any level of node
or for an individual item in a node
• Icons in the vertical toolbar replicating common Edit and View menu functions
• An icon next to each object to indicate the object type
Instructor Note
Mention these briefly. You can start Forms Builder to demonstrate each component as you
discuss it. Open an existing form, and briefly explain the features of the Object Navigator.

• Copy and paste
properties
• Fast search
feature
Property Palette
Forms Builder Components: Property Palette
All objects in a module, including the module itself, have properties that you can see and
modify in the Property Palette. Features include:
• Copy and reuse properties from another object
• Find field and icons, similar to Object Navigator
Instructor Note
Demonstration: Open the Property Palette for one of the objects in the form and point out
its features. Click a different object to show that the Property Palette changes to the
properties of the new object.

Toolbar
Tool
palette
Layout Editor
Forms Builder Components: Layout Editor
The Layout Editor (or Layout Model) is a graphical design facility for creating and
arranging interface items and graphical objects in your application. You can use the Tool
palette and the toolbar available in the Layout Editor to design the style, color, size, and
arrangement of visual objects in the application. The layout can include graphical objects
and images.
Instructor Note
Demonstration
• Go to the Layout Editor. Point out the major tools in the toolbar. Demonstrate some
of the major tools in the Tool palette.
• Draw a rectangle and an ellipse, and also show how to draw a square and a circle by
holding down the [Shift] key when using the rectangle and ellipse tools.
• Demonstrate selecting multiple objects and show how to group various objects.
• Demonstrate resizing, moving, aligning, coloring, and deleting objects.
• Demonstrate using the Text tool and changing the font style and size.
• Demonstrate how to pin a tool by double-clicking a tool.

With the PL/SQL Editor you can:
• Use PL/SQL in Forms.
• Enter and compile code.
PL/SQL Editor
Forms Builder Components: PL/SQL Editor
The PL/SQL Editor enables you to incorporate PL/SQL code objects into your form. Code
objects in Forms Developer include event triggers, subprograms (functions and
procedures), menu item commands, menu startup code, and packages. You enter and
compile code in the PL/SQL Editor. You will learn more about the PL/SQL Editor in later
lessons when you use it to code triggers in Forms Builder.

Getting Started in the Forms
Builder Interface
• Start Forms Builder
• Connect to the database:
– Menu:
Select File > Connect
Or
– Toolbar:
Click Connect
Getting Started in the Forms Builder Interface
Starting Forms Builder
To start Forms Builder, invoke it from the Windows Start menu: Programs > Oracle
Developer Suite – iDS10g > Forms Developer > Forms Builder.
When you invoke Forms Builder, you first see a Welcome dialog box. If you click Cancel
to dismiss the dialog box, you see the Object Navigator and an empty new module.
If you build applications that access database objects, you must connect to a database
account from the Forms Builder. Connect to a database if you need to:
• Compile code that contains SQL
• Access database objects in the Object Navigator
• Create Oracle Forms Developer objects that are based on database objects

Getting Started in the Forms Builder Interface (continued)
How to Connect to Oracle
1. Select File > Connect from the menu, or click the Connect icon in the toolbar.
2. Enter the database user and password in the Connect dialog box. If not connecting to
the default database, also provide the necessary connect string or database alias.
Note: Oracle Forms Developer automatically displays the Connect dialog box if you
try to perform a task that requires connection.
Instructor Note
• Invoke Forms Builder.
• Open an existing form. Use one of the forms from the existing prebuilt application.
In this lesson, an existing form is used to familiarize students with the Oracle Forms
Developer interface. Later students create new forms by using the wizards.
Forms Builder will probably prompt you to connect to the database when it tries to run the
form. Also show students the File > Connect menu option.

Forms Builder: Menu Structure
Navigating the Forms Builder Main Menu
The Forms Builder main menu contains options to enable you to create, modify, and
manage your form modules.
Common Menu Features
The following table describes some common features in GUI menus:
Native GUI Interface
The menu shown in the slide depicts the Windows NT environment. However, menus
appear with the same look and feel of your native GUI interface.
For example, in Motif, the Windows Print Dialog options appear as submenus of the Font
menu.
Feature Description
Underline Shortcut key: [Alt] + letter
Ellipsis (… ) Additional input, usually by using a dialog box
Menu option has a submenu
Windows menu List of open windows; select any window to make it active
Help List of help facilities: Online Help, Forms on OTN, About box

Navigating the Forms Builder Main Menu (continued)
Forms Builder Main Menu
Instructor Note
Show the Main menu options, and how they differ in context. For example, show how
different Layout menu options are enabled in the Layout Editor when objects are selected,
and how these menu options are not enabled in the Object Navigator.
Do not describe Help in detail; there are more details for these options later in this lesson.
Menu Item Description
File Common file utilities, such as open, save, connect, administration
Edit Cut, copy, paste, create, preferences, and so on
View Switch view in current window; options vary depending on context
Layout Common commands for use in Layout Editor
Program Includes compilation and commands related to code
Debug Invokes debugger functionality
Tools Access to wizards and other Forms Builder components

Blocks, Items, and Canvases
Canvas 1 Canvas 2
Items Items
Block A Block B
Forms Builder Components
Form modules make up the main “body” of an Oracle Forms Developer application. They
can consist of many types of objects, some of which are visible to the user at run time.
The three major objects in a form are:
• Items: These are interface objects that present data values to the user or enable the
user to interact with the form, depending upon the item type. There are several
different types of items. Items are logically grouped into blocks and visibly arranged
on canvases.
• Blocks: A block is the intermediate building unit for forms. Each form consists of
one or more blocks. A block is the logical owner of items, and each item in a form
belongs to a block. Items in one block are logically related; for example, they may
correspond to columns in the same database table or may need to be part of the same
navigation cycle.
Blocks therefore provide a mechanism for grouping related items into a functional
unit for storing, displaying, and manipulating records.

Forms Builder Components (continued)
• Canvases: A canvas is a “surface” where visual objects, such as graphics and items,
are arranged. A form module can have several canvases (like the pages of a paper
form). A canvas can display items from one or more blocks. To see a canvas and its
items, you must display the canvas in a window. By default, all canvases in a form
appear in the same window (which could mean you see only one canvas at a time),
but you can assign separate windows for each canvas so that several canvases can be
viewed at once.
Note: Items in one block do not need to be physically grouped. They can span many
canvases (and windows).
Instructor Note
A canvas is like a picture portrait, and a window is like a picture frame. Just as you need a
picture frame to display a picture portrait, you need a window to display a canvas and its
contents.

Navigation in a Block
Canvas 1 Canvas 2
Navigation in a Form Module
When you run a form, you principally navigate by way of items and blocks, not by
canvases. Each item has a sequenced position within its block, and each block has a
sequenced position in the form.
When a user requests to move to the next item in a block, focus will be set on the next
item in sequence, wherever that may be. If the next item is on a different canvas, Oracle
Forms Developer displays that canvas automatically. Similarly, users can request to move
to the next block (or previous block). If the first item in this block resides on another
canvas, then that canvas is displayed automatically.
Of course, if you can already see the item that you want to move to, then you may click on
it directly with the mouse. You can also program mechanisms into the application to
enable navigation in other ways.

Data Blocks
A B C
A B C
Master Data Block
D
X Y Z
Detail Data Block
X Y Z
Table
Table
4
3
6
2
1
5
Types of Blocks
In Forms Builder there are two main types of blocks: data blocks and control blocks.
Data Blocks
When you build database applications with Forms Builder, many of the blocks will be
data blocks. A data block is associated with a specific database table (or view), a stored
procedure, a FROM clause query, or transactional triggers.
If it is based on a table (or view), the data block can be based on only one base table, even
though the data block can be programmed to access data from more than one table and
data sources. By default, the association between a data block and the database enables
the user to automatically access and manipulate data in the database. However, to access
data from other tables (nonbase tables), you need to write triggers.
1 Base table source
2 Single-record data block
3 Trigger access
4 Nonbase table source
5 Multirecord data block
6 Record

Types of Blocks (continued)
Data Blocks (continued)
For a base table, Forms Builder can automatically perform the following actions:
• Creates items in the data block to correspond to columns in the table (These items
are data items or base table items.)
• Produces code in the form to employ the rules of the table’s constraints
• Generates SQL at run time (implicit SQL) to insert, update, delete, and query rows
in the base table, based upon the user’s actions
At run time, you can use standard function keys, buttons, menu options, or standard
toolbar options to initiate query, insert, update, or delete operations on base tables, and the
subsequent commit of the transaction.
Control Blocks
A control block is not associated with a database, and its items do not relate to any
columns within any database table. Its items are called control items. For example, you
can create many buttons in your module to initiate certain actions and to logically group
these buttons in a control block.
Master Versus Detail Blocks
To support the relationship between data blocks and their underlying base tables, you can
define one data block as the detail (child) of a master (parent) data block. This links
primary key and foreign key values across data blocks, and synchronizes the data that
these data blocks display.
Forms Builder automatically generates the objects and code needed to support master-
detail relationships. As the designer, you need only request it.
Note: If your application requires it, you can also create independent data blocks in which
there is no relationship between the two data blocks.
Single-Record Versus Multirecord Blocks
You can design a data block to show one record at a time (single-record block) or several
records at once (multirecord block). Usually, you create a single-record data block to
show master block data and a multirecord data block to show detail block data. In either
case, records in a data block that are currently not visible on the screen are stored in a
block buffer.

Forms and Data Blocks
Block 1
Block 4
Block 1
Block 2
Block 1
Block 1
Single Form
Module
Multiple Form Modules
Form A Form B
Open
Form
Open Form
Form C
Block 2
Block 3
Multi-Block and Multi-Form Applications
Typically, a Forms Builder application consists of more than one data block. With more
than one data block, you can do the following:
• Separate the navigation cycle of one group of items from another
• Map each data block to a different database table (You can have one base table per
data block.)
• Produce a master-detail form, with a master data block and corresponding detail data
blocks that are related to the master
You can create a large form module with many data blocks. Alternatively, you can create
several smaller form modules with fewer data blocks in each.
Generally, a modular application with several smaller form modules has the following
characteristics:
• Modules are loaded only when their components are required, thus conserving
memory.
• Maintenance can occur on one module without regenerating or loading the others.
• Forms can call upon one another, as required.

Multi-Block and Multi-Form Applications (continued)
• Parallel development can be carried out by different team members on different
components.
Here are some points to consider when grouping data blocks in the application:
Data Blocks in the Same Form Module Data Blocks in Different Form Modules
The data blocks can be directly linked in
master-detail relationships.
The data blocks cannot be linked by the
standard interblock relations.
Navigation between data blocks is
handled by default functionality.
Navigation between data blocks of different
forms is programmed by the designer
(although mouse navigation to visible items
can be automatic).

Form Module Hierarchy
Module
Database
Table
Column
Canvas
Window
TriggerTrigger
Program
Units
Program
units
Trigger
Trigger
Blocks
Frame
Item
Item
Item
Technical Note
A form module is made up of one or more blocks. A data block is based on a database
object, such as a table or a view. A data block can contain both data items and control
items. A frame can be created to arrange data block items. Each item in a block must
appear on a canvas, and each canvas must appear in a window. A form module can have
one or more canvases and windows.
Using triggers, you can add functionality to your form. Triggers can be written at different
levels in a form module. User-named program units enable you to write additional
PL/SQL code through procedures, functions, and packages.

The Object Hierarchy
You can create many types of objects in a form module. They are discussed in more detail
in later lessons.
In the following table, note that some objects are associated, even though one might not
be “owned” by the other.
Instructor Note
Point out the above objects to the students, using the Object Navigator.
Object Description
Block Logical section of a form; owned by the form module
Item Member of a data block (items are functionally grouped into records)
Canvas The surface where visual objects are arranged; owned by the form
module; can contain text and graphics⎯static information that the
user cannot interact with.
Window Produced to contain the views of canvases; owned by the form module
Frame A graphic object that appears on a canvas, is owned by that canvas,
and is used to arrange the items within a data block
User-named
program unit
Named procedure, function or package owned by the form module
Trigger PL/SQL block executed on an event; depending on scope, can be
owned by the form module, a data block, or an item
Other objects Mainly owned by the form module itself; include alerts, parameters,
and record groups

Customizing Your Forms Builder Session
Customizing Your Forms Builder Session
What Are Oracle Forms Developer Preferences?
You can use preferences to customize some aspects of your Forms Builder session.
Forms Builder Preferences
There are four tabs in the Preferences dialog box.
To see a description of each preference, click Help in the Preferences dialog or press the
Help key ([F1] for Windows NT/95).
In addition to session preferences, you can also set run-time settings that apply to running
your form from within the builder.
To modify preferences, perform the following steps:
1. Select Edit > Preferences.
2. Specify any options that you require.
3. Click OK to save changes, or Cancel to cancel changes.

Customizing Your Forms Builder Session (continued)
You can specify several related preferences on each of the Preference tabs. The table
below describes one preference on each of the tabs:
Tab Preference Name Description
General Build Before Running Determines whether Forms Builder automatically
compiles the active module when you run a form.
This option enables you to avoid issuing separate
Compile and Run commands each time you modify
and run a form.
Subclass Subclassing Path Options for keeping or removing the
subclassing path
Wizards Welcome Dialog Check box to suppress or display the first Welcome
dialog box. There are several similar check boxes.
Runtime Array Processing Determines whether Forms Builder processes groups
of records at a time, reducing network traffic and
increasing performance.

Saving Preferences
Existing
Preferences File
Updated, merged
Preferences File
Motif:
prefs.ora
Windows:
cauprefs.ora
Modified
preferences
Saving Preferences
When you click OK in the Preferences dialog box, Oracle Forms Developer updates your
current session with the changes.
When you exit the builder (File > Exit), Oracle Forms Developer writes the changes to a
preference file for future sessions. The name of the preference file varies on different
platforms.
Oracle Forms Developer and Oracle Reports Developer share the same preference file. If
the preference file already exists, Oracle Forms Developer merges its changes with the
existing file. This does not affect preferences for Reports.
Each option in the preference file is prefixed by the tool name to which it belongs.
Example:
Forms.build_before_run = on
Forms.welcome_dialog = on
Oracle Forms Developer reads the preference file whenever you invoke Forms Builder.
Oracle Reports Developer reads the preference file whenever you invoke Report Builder.
Note: The preferences file is an editable text file. If possible, however, you should alter
the options in the Preferences dialog box.

Using the Online Help System
Invoking Online Help Facilities
Oracle Forms Developer Help Options
The table below describes the Help menu options in Forms Builder:
You can also invoke context-sensitive online help from Forms Builder by pressing
[Help] ([F1] on Windows).
Help Menu Option Description
Online Help Comprehensive online help window with 3 tabs. The
Contents tab provides access to a variety of manuals and
references. There are also Index and Search tabs.
The Help key ([F1] for Windows NT/95) displays context-
sensitive online help at any place in the Builder.
Forms on OTN The latest product information on the Oracle Technology
Network
About Form Builder This is a separate window that shows product components
and their version numbers. When you are connected to a
database server, it also displays similar information for
server-side product components.

Forms Developer Executables
Forms Compiler
Forms
Services
Definitions
Run files
Forms Builder
Forms Developer Executables
Forms Builder includes two executables (components) that you can access as the designer
of applications.
Forms Builder
This is the application-building component of Oracle Forms Developer. You can use
Forms Builder to design and store the definitions of form, menu, and library documents.
While in the Forms Builder, you can invoke the other component, Forms Compiler. You
must run the Forms Builder component in a GUI environment in order to use its graphical
design facilities.
Forms Compiler
Once your form is built, use the Forms Compiler. This reads the definition of your module
and creates an executable run file.
Invoking Forms Builder Executables
In a GUI environment, you usually store commands to invoke Forms Builder components
in menus and window icons for convenient access. You can also enter these commands on
the command line.

Forms Developer Executables (continued)
For example:
IFBLD90 [my_form] [scott/tiger@my_database]
Note: Commands for invoking the product components vary according to platform.
Forms Services
Because Forms applications are Web based, it is not possible to run them directly from the
command line. Instead, they are invoked by typing a URL into a browser or applet viewer
command, directed to Forms Services.
The files used at run time must already have been compiled by the Forms Compiler
component. These files must reside on the middle tier machine in a directory accessible to
the Forms Runtime Engine (in FORMS90_PATH).
To test your applications, you also can access Forms Services directly from Forms Builder
by setting certain preferences, as described later in this lesson.
Instructor Note
Explain the components of the product and their relationships.

Forms Developer Module Types
PL/SQL
Library
Object
Library
Menus Forms
Oracle Forms Developer
components
Data sources Database
Libraries
Forms Developer Module Types
A Forms application can consist of many modules—that is, files. A module is a major
component of your application and is the basis for storage and ownership. A module owns
the rest of the objects in the system.
A Forms Developer module can be of the following types:
• Form: As the main component of an application, the form module presents the
objects and data that users can see or interact with. Data items in a form are arranged
into records.
• Menu: A menu module can consist of a hierarchy of menus, each with selectable
items.
• PL/SQL Library: A PL/SQL Library is a collection of PL/SQL program units
whose code can be referenced and called from other modules.
• Object Library: An Object Library is a collection of form objects that you can use
in other modules. You can create it to store, maintain, and distribute standard objects
that can be reused across the entire development organization.

Forms Developer Module Types (continued)
Forms Builder Module Types
Forms Builder provides the default menu for every form. The default menu includes
commands for all basic database operations, such as insert, delete, query, and so on. If
your application has specific requirements that are not met by the default menu, you can
create a custom menu module. Menu modules are not functional by themselves, but when
attached to form modules they can provide a service to the facilities offered by a form, as
well as options to invoke facilities elsewhere.
PL/SQL Library documents can contain program units that can be used by other form and
menu modules.
You can build an application from multiple form modules, menu modules, and library
documents as needed.
Instructor Note
Explain the relationship among multiple forms, menus, and libraries.

Defining Forms Environment Variables
for Run Time
Set on middle-tier machine (used at run time):
• FORMS90_PATH
• ORACLE_PATH
• CLASSPATH
For Forms deployment,
the settings in the
environment control file
override system settings.
Oracle Developer Environment Variables
Introduction
Oracle Forms Developer uses many environment variables. These have default values, all
of which you can modify in your own environment for different applications.
Setting Search Paths for Run Time
Forms uses some environment variables set on the middle-tier machine to search at run
time for files such as forms, menus, and libraries. This enables you to build applications
that are portable across platforms and directory structures by avoiding hard-coded paths in
file references.
Forms searches the following paths in order until the required file is found:
• The current working directory
• Directories in FORMS90_PATH
• Directories in ORACLE_PATH
Although you could set these variables at the machine level, such as in the Windows
Registry, it is preferable to set them in the Forms environment file. Settings in this file
override system settings for running a Forms application.

Defining Forms Environment Variables
for Design Time
Set on Developer Suite machine (used by Forms
Builder):
• FORMS90_BUILDER_CLASSPATH
• UI_ICON
• UI_ICON_EXTENSION
• FORMS90_HIDE_OBR_PARAMS
Windows: Modify in
Registry
(REGEDIT.EXE or
REGEDT32.EXE)
Oracle Developer Environment Variables (continued)
Defining the Design Time Environment
Design time environment variables help govern the behavior of Forms Builder. These
environment variables must be set on the machine where Oracle Developer Suite is
installed. For example, on Windows platforms you set them in the Windows Registry.
Java class files: Forms Builder needs access to certain Java classes for some of its
features, such as Help, the debugger, and the Java importer. You set
FORMS90_BUILDER_CLASSPATH so that Forms Builder can find the Java classes it
needs during development and testing of an application.
Icon files: Forms Builder enables you to create buttons with iconic images. You can use
.ico, .gif, or .jpg images. You set UI_ICON to the directory path where these
images are located. You set the environment variable UI_ICON_EXTENSION to tell
Forms Builder which type of image to display on buttons. Valid values are ico (the
default), gif, or jpg.
Although you can use .ico images to display on iconic buttons within Forms Builder,
such images will not be displayed when running the form — use .gif or .jpg files for
deployed icons.

URL parameters: By default, when you run a form from Forms Builder, the parameters
that are passed in the URL are hidden. For testing purposes, if you want to be able to see
these parameters, such as the form name, you can set FORMS90_HIDE_OBR_PARAMS
to FALSE (the default is TRUE) . OBR stands for one button run, a term used for running
a form from within Forms Builder by clicking the Run Form button.

Environment Variables and
Y2K Compliance
• NLS_DATE_FORMAT
• FORMS90_USER_DATE_FORMAT
• FORMS90_USER_DATETIME_FORMAT
• FORMS90_OUTPUT_DATETIME_FORMAT
• FORMS90_OUTPUT_DATETIME_FORMAT
• FORMS90_ERROR_DATE_FORMAT
• FORMS90_ERROR_DATETIME_FORMAT
Dates in Oracle Forms Developer
Dates in Oracle Forms Developer applications can come from several sources:
• Fetched from the database
• Entered by the end user
• Defined in the application itself
Date Format Masks
In a later lesson, you will learn how to specify a format mask for a date item in your form.
In addition to the format masks a developer might explicitly define, Forms Builder uses
several of its own internal masks. The values for these internal masks can be specified
with property values and environment variables.
To eliminate potential errors caused by the year 2000 (Y2K), you can set environment
variables that Forms Builder uses to format date items:
• Database date format mask: Each database session within a Forms application has
a single database date format mask. A default value for this mask is established by
the Oracle server’s initialization parameter. You can override this value in each new
database session for a particular client by setting the client’s NLS_DATE_FORMAT
environment variable.

Date Format Masks (continued)
• Input date format masks: This mask (potentially, a set of masks) is used to convert
a user-entered string into a native format date value. You can set the environment
variables FORMS90_USER_DATE_FORMAT or
FORMS90_USER_DATETIME_FORMAT to specify these format masks.
For example, you could set FORMS90_USER_DATE_FORMAT to the value
FXFMDD-MM-RRRR. This would force the user to enter values into date items (with
no format mask) in the format exemplified by 30-06-97. The RRRR token enables
years between 1950 and 2049 to be entered with the century omitted.
• Output date format masks: Converts dates displayed in output such as lists of
values: FORMS90_OUTPUT_DATE_FORMAT or
FORMS90_OUTPUT_DATETIME_FORMAT
• Error date format masks: Converts dates displayed in error messages:
FORMS90_ERROR_DATE_FORMAT or FORMS90_ERROR_DATETIME_FORMAT

Forms Files to Define Run-Time
Environment Variables
Environment control file:
• forms90serverdefault.env or
• Other file specified in Forms configuration file
Forms configuration file:
• forms90serverformsweb.cfg or other
• Used to specify:
– System parameters, such as envFile and
workingDirectory
– User parameters, such as form and user ID
– Settings for the Java client
– Other settings
Modifying Run-Time Environment Variables
In a Windows 32-bit environment, use the Windows Registry to modify these paths,
except for CLASSPATH, which is set in the System settings of the Control Panel. You can
also override these settings at run time in the file that controls the Forms run-time
environment, which is the default.env file unless a different file is specified.
Using the Forms environment file makes it easier to deploy the application on any
platform. You can specify which environment file to use in a special Forms configuration
file called by default formsweb.cfg. In this configuration file, you can set system
parameters, such as the name of the environment control file. You also can set parameters
to control which form to run, the user ID, aspects of the Java client and the HTML file
that contains the Java applet, and many other settings.
Instructor Note
Warn students to take care when modifying environment variables, because they
immediately affect the environment and mistakes can prevent applications from running.
Whenever possible later in the course, point out when these variables are used, and
remind students to avoid hard coding path names in their applications.

Testing a Form: The Run Form Button
• With the Run Form menu command
or button, you can:
– Run a form from Forms Builder
– Test the form in a three-tier environment
• The Run Form command takes its settings
from Preferences:
– Edit > Preferences
– Runtime tab
– Set Web Browser
Location if desired
– Set Application Server
URL to point to Forms
Servlet:
http://127.0.0.1:8889/forms90/f90servlet
Testing a Form with the Run Form Button
The Run Form menu command or button enables you to run a form module in a Web
browser from within Forms Builder. This makes it easy to test your application in a three-
tier environment, with all components appearing and behaving as they would for a user of
the application.
You must define some basic information to enable this three-tier testing environment. You
set this information in the Preferences dialog that you access from Edit > Preferences.
Once the Preferences dialog is open, perform the following steps:
1. Click the Runtime tab.
2. Set the Application Server URL: This must be a URL pointing to the Forms Servlet
on the middle tier. Note that it is typically on the same machine where you are
running Forms Builder. You can also use the config parameter to specify a named
configuration in the Forms Web configuration file (formsweb.cfg by default).
Example for the same machine with OC4J running on the default port of 8889:
http://127.0.0.1:8889/forms90/f90servlet?config=myapp
3. Set the Web Browser Location (only needed if you want to run in a different
browser than the default for your machine).

Testing a Form with the Run Form Button (continued)
Note: The correct way to exit a Forms session is to exit the form (File > Exit, or click
Exit), then close the browser. If you close the browser without first exiting the form, your
session may hang.
You will notice this because you may not be able to recompile the same form, but will
receive the error: FRM-30087: Unable to create form file. If this happens,
you will need to open Task Manager and end the ifweb90 process manually.
Instructor Note
Please emphasize to students the correct way to exit a Forms session.
Whether or not a developer is able to recompile a form when that form is already running
depends on the parameter OBR, which stands for one button run. In Forms 10g (9.0.4), this
parameter defaults to YES, which turns off memory mapping so that the form stays open
only while it is being loaded into process memory. When memory-mapped file I/O is in
effect, the .fmx file stays open until the form is closed, so you cannot recompile. For a
description of the OBR parameter, see Bug 2145774.

Summary
• Forms Builder includes the Object Navigator, the
Property Palette, the Layout Editor, and the
PL/SQL Editor
• You can use the Object Navigator or the menu and
its associated toolbar icons to navigate around
the Forms Builder interface
• The main objects in a form module are blocks,
items, and canvases
• The Edit > Preferences dialog box enables you to
customize the Forms Builder session
Summary
• With Forms Builder, an Oracle Forms Developer component, you can develop form-
based applications for presenting and manipulating data in a variety of ways. Forms
Builder enables screen-based queries, inserts, updates, and deletes of data.
• Forms Builder provides powerful GUI and integration features.
• Applications consist of form modules, menu modules, and library documents.
• Form modules consist of logical data blocks. A data block is the logical owner of
items. Items in one data block do not need to be physically grouped. Items in one
data block can span several canvases.
• Environment variables govern the behavior of:
Running forms (set in the Forms environment file)
Forms Builder (set on the development machine, such as in the Windows
Registry for Windows platforms)
• You can run a form application from within Forms Builder in order to test it in a
browser. You specify the URL to use in the Runtime tab of the Preferences dialog
box.

Summary
• The Help menu enables you to use the online help
facilities to look up topics, or you can invoke
context-sensitive help
• The Forms Developer executables are the Forms
Builder and the Forms Compiler
• The Forms Developer module types are forms,
menus, and libraries
• You can set environment variables in the Forms
environment file (for run time) or on the
development machine (for design time).
• You can use the Run Form button to run a form
from within Forms Builder

Practice 3 Overview
• Becoming familiar with the Object Navigator
• Setting Forms Builder preferences
• Using the Layout Editor to modify the appearance
of a form
• Setting run-time preferences to use OC4J to test
applications
• Running a form application from within Forms
Builder
• Setting environment variables so the Layout
Editor in Forms Builder displays .gif images on
iconic buttons
Practice 3 Overview
In this practice you become familiar with Oracle Forms Developer by performing the
following tasks:
• Examining the Object Navigator in Forms Builder
• Setting Forms Builder preferences
• Using the Layout Editor in Forms Builder to modify the appearance of a form.
In addition, you set run-time preferences to use OC4J to test your application on your
local machine. You also set environment variables so that images display on iconic
buttons in the Layout Editor of Forms Builder.
Instructor Note
This practice is intended to make students familiar and at ease with the interface. For
additional help with the Layout Editor, refer them to Appendix F, “Using the Layout
Editor.”

Practice 3
1. Invoke Forms Builder. If the Welcome page is displayed, select “Open an existing
form”. If the Welcome page is not displayed, select File > Open.
2. Open the Orders.fmb form module from the Open Dialog window.
3. Set your preferences so that Welcome dialogs display when you first open Forms
Builder and when you use any of the wizards.
4. Close the Orders form.
5. Open the Summit.fmb form module.
6. Expand the Data Blocks node.
7. Expand the Database Objects node. If you cannot expand the node, connect to the
database and try again. What do you see below this node?
8. Collapse the Data Blocks node.
9. Change the layout of the Summit.fmb form module to match the following
screenshot. At the end, save your changes.
a. Invoke the Layout Editor.
b. Move the three summit shapes to the top-right corner of the layout. Align the
objects along the bottom edge.
c. Select the summit shape in the middle and place it behind the other two shapes.
d. Draw a box with no fill around the summit shapes.
e. Add the text Summit Office Supply in the box. If necessary, enlarge the box.
f. Move the Manager_Id and Location_Id items to match the screenshot.
g. Move the First_Name item up to align it at the same level as the Last_Name
item.
h. Resize the scroll bar to make it the same height as the three records in the
Employees block.
i. Save the form module.

10. Set the run-time preferences for Forms Builder to use OC4J to test your applications.
Set the Application Server URL by pressing Reset to Default, which will enter the
following settings:
11. In Forms Builder, open and run the Customers form located in your local directory
(you must have OC4J running first).
Note: Run-time fonts may look different than the fonts used in Forms Builder
because Forms Builder uses operating system–specific fonts, but at run time only
Java fonts are used. In addition, the appearance is different from the Layout Editor
because the Oracle (rather than the generic) look and feel is used by default.
12. Click the Account Information tab. You should be able to see the image of a
flashlight on the List button. Exit the run-time session and close the browser
window.
13. In Forms Builder, open the Layout Editor for the CV_Customer canvas by
expanding the Canvases node in the Object Navigator and double-clicking the
CV_Customer canvas icon. In the Layout Editor, click the Account Information tab.
What do you observe about the List button?
14. From the Windows Start menu, choose Run, type regedit, and click OK. Expand
the registry nodes HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > ORACLE. Click into
the ORACLE node, or into one of the HOME nodes beneath it; your instructor will tell
you which node to open. Ensure that you have opened the correct node by verifying
that the key FORMS90 exists in that node.
15. Set the path for Forms Builder to locate icons:
a) Double-click the UI_ICON key to open it for editing.
b) For the value data, append the path to the .gif file that you will use for the
button icon, which is the icons subdirectory of your lab directory. Separate this
path from the remainder of the string with a semicolon; for example:
;e:labslabicons, then click OK.
16. In a similar fashion, set the value for Forms Builder to use for the icon extension,
then close the registry editor.
17. Close and reopen Forms Builder. Open the Customers form and verify that the
flashlight icon now displays in the Layout Editor.
URL Component Value
Machine name 127.0.0.1 ( or your local machine
name)
Port 8889 (for OC4J)(or the OC4J port
on your local machine)
Pointer to Forms Servlet forms90/f90servlet

Creating a Basic Form Module
40 minutes Lecture
30 minutes Practice
70 minutes Total

Objectives
the following:
• Create a form module
• Create a data block
• Save and compile a form module
• Identify Forms file formats and their characteristics
• Describe how to deploy a form module
• Explain how to create documentation for a Forms
application
Introduction
Overview
Oracle Forms Developer applications usually consist of one or more form modules. Each
form module comprises data blocks that are built using table specifications from the
database. This lesson shows you how to create a basic form module and its data blocks.
You also learn to deploy a form module.

Create data blocks and items
Apply standards
Fine-tune layout
Set object properties
Add code
Creating a New Form Module
Test form module
Create an empty module
This lesson covers the basic process for creating a new form module and data blocks
within it.
How to Create a New Form Module
Step Action Forms Builder Tool
1. Create an empty module Object Navigator
2. Create data blocks and items Data Block Wizard
3. Apply user interface standards to objects Object Library
4. Fine-tune the layout Layout Wizard or Layout Editor
5. Set object properties Property Palette
6. Add code PL/SQL Editor
7. Test the form module Run Form button

Choose one of the following methods:
• Use wizards:
– Data Block Wizard
– Layout Wizard
• Build module manually
• Use template form
There are several ways to create a new form module.
• Invoke the Forms Builder component. This takes you to the Forms Builder Welcome
page, unless you have changed the Preferences to not display it. Now do one of the
following:
Select the “Use the Data Block Wizard” option, then follow the required data
block creation steps. Then follow the Layout Wizard steps.
Select the “Build a new form manually” option. This takes you into the Forms
Builder Object Navigator (automatically creating an empty form module).
Select the “Build a form based on a template” option and use a template form.
• If you are already in the Forms Builder component, you can create a new form
module by doing one of the following:
Double-click the Forms node in the Object Navigator (only when no other
form modules are available).
Select File > New > Form.
Select the Object Navigator node for Forms, and then click the Create icon.

Creating a New Form Module (continued)
Changing the Form Module Name
• When you first build a form module, Forms Builder assigns the name MODULEXX
to the new form module, where XX is the next number available for module names.
This name is displayed in the Object Navigator and in the Property Palette. You
should change the default name to a meaningful name in either of the following
places:
• In the Object Navigator:
Click the form module name.
Change the default name as desired and press [Enter].
• In the Property Palette (shown on the next page)
Note: Follow Oracle naming rules. Do not give two objects of the same type the same
name. The name cannot include Oracle or Forms Builder reserved words.
Instructor Note
Demonstration: Create a new, empty form module and change its name to DEPT_EMP.

Form Module Properties
Name
property
Coordinate
System property
Setting Form Module Properties
Each form module consists of several objects. Objects within a form, and the form module
itself, have properties that define their behavior. You can see the properties of an object
and their values in its Property Palette.
To open the Property Palette of an object, do one of the following:
• Double-click the object’s icon in the Object Navigator.
• Select the object in the Object Navigator and select Tools > Property Palette.
To obtain online help for any of the properties, click the property and use the Help key,
[F1], to bring up a description of that property.
Define the properties of the form module when you first create it. The properties affect the
general behavior of the form and the objects within it. Properties for a form module
include the following:
Property Description
Name Specifies the internal name of the form module, as it appears
in the Object Navigator
Coordinate
System
Defines the units used to measure objects in the form and their
positions (see next section)

Setting Form Module Properties (continued)
Choosing a Unit for the Coordinate System
When you click More in the Property Palette window with the Coordinate System property
selected, the Coordinate Info window opens.
The Coordinate System unit for a form can be one of the following:
• Real:
Unit can be pixel, centimeter, inch, point, or decipoint.
Real units are suitable for GUI applications and enable flexibility and fine
alignment when adjusting object positions and sizes.
• Character: Units are character cells (default size taken from the default font
settings).
The default unit is point (Real). This means that object positions and sizes within the form
are measured by this unit. Points provide fine alignment and consistency across different
platforms and video devices.
Instructor Note
Open the Property Palette of the new form module. Concentrate only on the Name and
Coordinate System properties. Point out that other properties will be discussed in later
lessons. Open the Coordinate Info window and explain the implications of choosing the
units. (72 points = 1 inch). Points allow for flexibility when designing cross platform
applications.

Creating a New Data Block
• Use Forms Builder Wizards:
– Data Block Wizard: Create a data block with
associated data source quickly and easily
– Layout Wizard: Lay out data block contents for
visual presentation
• Create manually
A form module consists of one or more data blocks and control blocks. Now that you
know how to create a new form module, you need to create new data blocks within it.
Block creation involves creating the data block and then laying out its contents for visual
presentation. You can create a data block manually or by using the Forms Builder
wizards. In this lesson you learn how to create a new data block based on a database table,
using the Data Block Wizard and the Layout Wizard.
Note: Recall that a data block can be based on a table or view, a stored procedure, a FROM
clause query, or a transactional trigger. In this course, you use database tables as the
source.

Enter data
source
Launch Layout
Wizard
Lay out data
block contents
New Data Block
Reentrant mode
Reentrant mode
Launch Data
Block Wizard
Creating a New Data Block (continued)
Data Block Wizard
The Data Block Wizard enables you to create (or modify) data blocks quickly and easily
for use in your application. The wizard can automatically generate code to enforce
integrity constraints in the database.
Layout Wizard
Although the Data Block Wizard allows you to create a new data block easily with its
associated data sources, it does not deal with the visual presentation of objects included in
the data block. Once you create the data block, you need to lay out its contents for user
interaction. To accomplish this task quickly and easily, use the Layout Wizard.
Note: The wizards are not the only way to perform a task such as building a data block,
but they are usually the simplest. You can build a block manually instead of using the
wizards.

Navigating the Wizards
Exit
without saving
Invoke
online help
Save
without exiting
Save
and exit
Previous
screen
Next
screen
Available only
in reentrant mode
Tabbed Interface:
Available only in reentrant mode
Navigating the Wizards
The Data Block Wizard and the Layout Wizard provide several buttons to help you
navigate.
If you click Next or Back before entering all necessary information for a particular wizard
page, the wizard prevents you from navigating to another page. Similarly, if you have not
entered all necessary information into the wizard when you click Apply or Finish, the
wizard automatically takes you to the page where you can finish entering the required
information.
In reentrant mode, which you learn about later in this lesson, the wizards have a tabbed
interface that enables you to quickly navigate to the section you want to modify.
Button Description
Cancel Cancels any changes and exits the wizard
Help Displays online help text for the current wizard page
Back Navigates to the previous page in the wizard
Next Navigates to the next page in the wizard
Apply Applies your changes without exiting the wizard
(available only in reentrant mode)
Finish Saves any changes and exits the wizard

Launching the Data
Block Wizard
In Forms Builder, do one of the
following:
• Select Tools > Data Block
Wizard.
• Right-click and select Data
Block Wizard.
• Select the Data Blocks node
and click Create icon; select
Use the Data Block Wizard
option.
• Use the Data Block Wizard
button on the toolbar in the
Layout Editor.
Launching the Data Block Wizard
To launch the Data Block Wizard, perform one of the following:
• In the Forms Builder, do one of the following:
Select Tools > Data Block Wizard from the Forms Builder default menu
system.
Right-click and select the Data Block Wizard option.
In the Object Navigator, select the Data Blocks node, then click the Create
icon. In the New Data Block dialog box, select the Use the Data Block Wizard
option.
In the Layout Editor, click Data Block Wizard on the toolbar.
• If you are not already in Forms Builder, launch Forms Builder and select the Use the
Data Block Wizard option in the Forms Builder Welcome page.
Instructor Note
Demonstration: Create a new data block by using the Forms Builder wizards. Base the
data block on the DEPARTMENTS table. Use the Form (not tabular) layout.

Data Block Wizard: Type Page
Creating a New Data Block with the Data Block Wizard
Use the Data Block Wizard to create a new data block with its associated data sources.
The Data Block Wizard consists of several pages. To create a new data block, you must
interact with each page.
Welcome Page
Click Next to continue.
Type Page
Choose between one of two data source types:
• Table or View
• Stored Procedure
Select the Table or View (default) option.

Data Block Wizard: Table Page
Creating a New Data Block with the Data Block Wizard (continued)
Table Page
1. Enter the table or view name for the data source name, or click Browse and select a
name from a dialog box.
2. Click Refresh to display a list of columns in the selected table or view. If you are not
connected to the database, the Connect box is displayed.
3. Select the columns you want to include in the data block. (Use [Control]- click
to select more than one column.)
4. Click the double right arrow or the double left arrow to include or exclude all
columns, or click the right arrow or the left arrow to include or exclude selected
columns only. You can also drag selected columns from one list to another.
5. Select the "Enforce data integrity" check box if you want the wizard to enforce the
database integrity constraints.
Note: If there is at least one other existing block in the current module, the next page that
displays is the Master-Detail page, where you can associate the new data block with other
master data blocks. This page is discussed later in the lesson.

Data Block Wizard: Finish PageData Block Wizard: Finish Page
Creating a New Data Block with the Data Block Wizard (continued)
Finish Page
Select the “Create the data block, then call the Layout Wizard” option. Select Finish to
create the new data block and immediately invoke the Layout Wizard.
Note: You have the option of exiting the Data Block Wizard at this stage, without
immediately invoking the Layout Wizard. If you do so, you can either lay out the data
block manually or invoke the Layout Wizard at a later time to lay out the items of a data
block. To invoke the Layout Wizard at a later time, select the data block in the Object
Navigator, and choose Tools > Layout Wizard.
Instructor Note
You can also select objects as object data sources in the Layout Wizard. Appendix E of
this course describes the basics of Oracle objects.

Layout Wizard: Items Page
Laying Out a New Data Block with the Layout Wizard
Use the Layout Wizard to lay out the data block items for visual presentation quickly and
easily. The Layout Wizard consists of several pages. You must interact with each
page.
Canvas Page
1. Select New Canvas from the Canvas pop-up list to get a new canvas on which to
display the data block items.
2. Select Content as the canvas type in the Type pop-up list.
Data Block Page
1. Select the items that you want to display in the data block frame. (Use
[Ctrl]-click to select more than one column.)
2. Click the double right arrow or double left-arrow to include or exclude all items, or
click the right-arrow or the left-arrow to include or exclude selected items only. You
can also drag selected items from one list to another.
Note: To lay out the items in a particular sequence, drag items into that sequence.
3. You can use the Item Type pop-up list to select a type for each item. The default
type is Text for each item.
Note: An item type can also be changed later to something else, such as pop-up list
or radio group.
Items Page
Specify prompt text and display width and height for each display item.

Layout Wizard: Style Page
Laying Out a New Data Block with the Layout Wizard (continued)
Style Page
Select a layout style for your frame. Your options are:
• Form (usually used to create single-record data blocks)
• Tabular (usually used to create multirecord data blocks)

Layout Wizard: Rows Page
Laying Out a New Data Block with the Layout Wizard (continued)
Rows Page
1. Enter a title in the Frame Title field.
2. Enter the number of records that you want to display at run time in the Records
Displayed field.
3. Enter the physical distance (in the coordinate system unit of the form) between
records if you are displaying more than one record at a time.
4. You can select the Display Scrollbar check box to display a scroll bar next to the
frame (common for multirecord data blocks).
Finish Page
Click Finish to create a new frame and lay out the selected items for the new data block.
The Layout Wizard steps are complete.
Note: Once you complete the Layout Wizard steps, you can view the layout in the Layout
Editor, where you can customize or modify the layout if necessary.

Data Block Functionality
Once you create a data block with the wizards, Forms
Builder automatically creates:
• A form module with database functionality
including query, insert, update, delete
• A frame object
• Items in the data block
• A prompt for each item
• Triggers needed to enforce database constraints if
“Enforce data integrity” is checked
Data Block Functionality
Once you create a new data block by using the wizards, Forms Builder automatically
creates the following objects for you:
• A new form module with a default menu (Basic database functionality such as
querying, inserting, updating, and deleting is automatically available on the items in
the base table block when you run the new form.)
• The new data block is created with default property values. These values can be
modified to change the behavior of the form
• A frame object to arrange the items within the new data block
• An item for each database table column included in the data block (Each item is
assigned default property values to match the underlying column specifications.)
• A prompt for each item in the data block (The default prompt is the name of the
column.)
In addition, Forms Builder may create triggers to validate user input if you check
“Enforce data integrity” in the table page of the Data Block Wizard.

Template Forms
Template Forms
You can create a new form based on standard template forms, so that you can provide
other team members with a default starting point. Templates typically include generic
objects, such as graphics, toolbars, and program units. You can define standard window
layouts, standard toolbars, and other common objects that you want to include in new
forms.
Creating a Form Based on a Template
To create a form based on a template, do one of the following:
• Start Forms Builder. In the Welcome to the Forms Builder dialog box, select the
“Build a form based on a template” option, and then click OK.
• Select File > New > Form Using Template from the menu.

Saving a Form Module
To save the form module:
• Select File > Save
OR
Click the Save icon
• Enter a filename
• Navigate to
desired location
• Click Save
Saving a Form Module
To save the form module definition, perform one of the following:
• Select File > Save
• Select the Save icon
Both of these options display the Save As dialog box for the initial save. In the dialog box,
do the following:
1. Enter a file name.
2. Navigate to the directory where you wish to save the file.
3. Click Save.
Note
• When you save a form, a .fmb file is produced. This saved definition of a form in
the file system is not executable, and can be opened only by Forms Builder.
• When you work with more than one module at a time, Forms Builder separately
keeps track of the changes that you make to each module. When you execute a Save
command, only the current module is saved.

Action Type of Compilation
1. With module open in Form Builder, select Program >
Compile Module (or click the Compile Module icon)
Explicit
2. Launch the Form Compiler component from Windows
Start menu
Explicit
3. Launch the Form Compiler component from the
command line (ifcmp90.exe)
Explicit
4. Set Build Before Running preference Implicit
Compiling a Form Module
1
3
2
4
Compiling a Form Module
Before you can run a form, you must compile an executable (.fmx) file from the design
(.fmb) file that you created in the Forms Builder. Compiling a form (or menu) module
creates the needed executable file.
Note: Compiling and saving are two independent tasks. Performing one does not
automatically accomplish the other. Both tasks must occur separately.

Module Types and Storage Formats
Form
Module
Menu
Module
PL/SQL
Library
Object
Library
.fmb .fmx .fmt
.mmb .mmx .mmt
.pll .plx .pld
.olb .olt
Module Types and Storage Formats
When you create form modules, menu modules, and library documents in the Forms
Builder, they are stored in source files (.fmb, .mmb, and .pll) that have a binary
format and are portable across platforms. The executable application files (.fmx, .mmx,
and .plx) are also in a binary format; however, they are not portable across platforms.

M odule/
Document Extension Storage Format
Portable
Form .fmb Form module binary Yes
.fmx Form module executable; executable No
.fmt Form module text Yes
Menu .mmb Menu module binary Yes
.mmx Menu module executable; executable No
.mmt Menu module text Yes
PL/SQL Library .pll PL/SQL Library document binary Yes
.plx PL/SQL Library document executable (no
source)
No
.pld PL/SQL Library document text Yes
Object Library .olb Object Library module binary Yes
.olt Object Library module text Yes
Module Type and Storage Formats (continued)
Note: .pll is portable but requires recompilation, because it contains both source and
compiled pcode.

Deploying a Form Module
1. Move module files to
middle tier
2. Generate module on
middle tier
3. Run in browser using
Forms Services on
middle tier
1 2
3
.fmx
.fmb
Deploying a Form Module
Although you may test a form on your client machine, for production applications you
usually deploy the module to a middle tier machine. This machine may be running on a
different platform; if so, you need to recompile the module once you transfer it to the
middle tier.
You can use an ftp utility to move the .fmb and other needed files to the middle tier
machine, into a directory specified in FORMS90_PATH. If the platform is the same as
your development platform, you can move the .fmx and other executable files there as
well. If it is a different platform, you can invoke the Forms Compiler on the middle tier to
recompile the module files.
Once the executables have been placed on the middle tier, you can invoke the application
in a browser, using a URL that points to the Forms Servlet on the middle tier Web server.
Instructor Note
The standard classroom setup for this course does not include Oracle Application Server.
You will perform demonstrations and students will complete practices by running forms
on local machines using OC4J, installed as part of Oracle Developer Suite on each student
and instructor machine.

Text Files and Documentation
• Convert a binary file to a text file.
• Create an ASCII file for a form module.
Producing Text Files and Documentation
The files normally produced by saving and generating modules are in binary format. To
convert a binary file to text, perform the following:
1. Select File > Convert.
This opens the Convert dialog box.
2. Select the type of module (Form, Menu, PL/SQL Libraries, Object Libraries), the
file to convert, and the direction (Binary-to-Text).
3. Select Convert. This produces a text file for the module with the name
<module>.fmt.
To produce documentation for your module, perform the following:
1. Select the module to be documented in the Object Navigator.
2. Select File > Administration > Object List Report from the menu. This produces an
ASCII file with the name <module>.txt.
You can also produce documentation in other ways not covered in this course:
• Use Forms API to produce custom documentation of the module.
• Convert the module to a .xml file with a separate utility included with Oracle
Developer Suite.

Summary
• To create a form module, you create an empty
module, then add data blocks and other elements
• You can create a data block manually or with the
Data Block Wizard and Layout Wizard
• You can save and compile a form module using
the File and Program menus or from the toolbar
• You can store form, menu, and library modules in
text format (useful for documentation), in a
portable binary format, or a non-portable binary
executable format
• To deploy a form module, you move it to the
application server machine and generate it
Summary
This lesson presented information about:
• Building a new form module by using the following methods:
Forms Builder wizards
Manually
Template form
• Using the Data Block Wizard to create a new data block with its associated data
sources quickly and easily
• Using the Layout Wizard to quickly lay out the new data block contents for user
interaction
• Saving the form module to preserve its definition; compiling it to get an executable
file; running the form module to test it
• Using several module types and storage formats that are available for form modules,
menu modules, PL/SQL Library documents, and Object Library modules, including
a text format that can be used for documentation

Practice 4 Overview
• Creating a new form module
• Creating a data block by using Forms Builder
wizards
• Saving and running the form module
Practice 4 Overview
In this practice you create one new form module. You create a single-block form that
displays a single record.
• Create a new form module called CUSTOMERS. Create a new data block in this
form by using the Forms Builder wizards, and base it on the CUSTOMERS table.
Using the Layout Editor, reposition the items in this block to match the screenshot
provided.
• Save and run the new form module on the Web.
Note: For solutions to this practice, see Practice 4, in Appendix A, “Practice Solutions.”
Instructor Note
Advise the students not to spend too much time trying to get the layout of the
CUSTOMERS block to exactly match the screenshot provided in the practice, because the
layout for the items in this block will be modified in a later lesson.

Practice 4
1. Create a new form module.
Create a new single block by using the Data Block Wizard.
Base it on the CUSTOMERS table and include all columns.
Display the CUSTOMERS block on a new content canvas called CV_CUSTOMER and
show just one record at a time. Set the frame title to Customers. Set column names
and widths as shown in the following table:
2. Save the new module to a file called CUSTGXX, where XX is the group number that
your instructor has assigned to you.
3. Run your form module and execute a query.
Navigate through the fields. Exit the run-time session and return to Forms Builder.
4. Change the form module name in the Object Navigator to CUSTOMERS.

5. In the Layout Editor, reposition the items and edit item prompts so that the canvas
resembles the following:
Hint: First resize the canvas. Do not attempt to resize the frame, or the items will
revert to their original positions.
6. Save and compile the form. Click Run Form to run the form. Execute a query.
7. Exit the run-time session and close the browser window.
No formal solution.

Creating a Master-Detail Form
40 minutes Lecture
30 minutes Guided Practice
70 minutes Total

Objectives
the following:
• Create data blocks with relationships
• Modify a data block
• Modify the layout of a data block
• Run a master-detail form
Introduction
Overview
A very common type of application is to show a record or records from one table along
with associated records from another table. Forms Developer gives you the ability to
quickly define additional data blocks and to define relations between the new blocks and
any existing blocks in the form. This lesson shows you how to create a master-detail form
and how to modify a data block and its layout.

Form Block Relationships
Master
Detail
Master
Detail ↑
Master ↓
Master
Detail Detail
Detail
Creating Data Blocks with Relationships
A form module can contain one or more data blocks. Each data block can stand alone or
be related to another data block.
Master-Detail Relationship
A master-detail relationship is an association between two data blocks that reflects a
primary-foreign key relationship between the database tables on which the two data
blocks are based. The master data block is based on the table with the primary key, and
the detail data block is based on the table with the foreign key. A master-detail
relationship equates to the one-to-many relationship in the entity relationship diagram.
A Detail Block Can Be a Master
You can create block relationships in which the detail of one master-detail link is the
master for another link.

CustomersOrders
Items
Form Block Relationships
Orders
Items
Orders Account Rep
Customers
Creating Data Blocks with Relationships (continued)
A Master Block can have more Details
You can create more than one detail block for a master block.
Note: The following are examples of the master-detail structure:
• Master-detail: Order-items
• Master-detail-detail: Customer-order-items
• Master-2*detail: Customer-order and customer-account reps
Instructor Note
The Data Block Wizard also enables you to select an Oracle object when creating
relationships.

Data Block Wizard:
Master-Detail Page
Creating a Master-Detail Form Module with the Data Block Wizard
You can build a master-detail form module either by creating a relation between a master
and detail block explicitly, or implicitly by using the Data Block Wizard.
1. Create the master block as described earlier in this lesson in the topic Creating a
New Data Block.
2. Invoke the Data Block Wizard in the Object Navigator.
3. Follow the same steps as before to create a new data block in the Data Block Wizard
until you come to the Master-Detail page. On this page, select the “Auto-join data
blocks” check box and click Create Relationship.
Note: If the “Auto-join data blocks” check box is clear, the Data Block dialog is
displayed with a list of all data blocks in the form without any foreign key constraint
names.

Creating a Master-Detail Form Module with the Data Block Wizard (continued)
4. Select a master data block in the Data Block dialog and click OK. The wizard
automatically creates the join condition between the detail and master data blocks in
the Join Condition field and displays the name of the master data block in the Master
Data Blocks field.
Note: If the “Auto-join data blocks” check box is clear, the wizard does not
automatically create the join condition between the detail and master data blocks.
You must use the Detail Item and Master Item pop-up lists to create a join condition
manually.
5. Click Next; then complete the Data Block Wizard steps. Go through the Layout
Wizard steps as described earlier in the previous lesson to finish creating and laying
out the detail data block.
Note: The master data block must exist in the form module before you create the
detail block.
You can also create a relation by invoking the Data Block Wizard in reentrant mode.
Instructor Note
Demonstration: In the form you created for the earlier demo, create a second data block,
using the Forms Builder wizards. Base the block on the EMPLOYEES table. In the Data
Block Wizard, create a master-detail relationship between the new data block and the
DEPARTMENTS data block.

Relation Object
• New relation object
created in Object
Navigator under
master data block
node
• Default name
assigned:
MasterDataBlock_
DetailDataBlock
• Triggers and program
units generated
automatically
New Relation
Once you create a master-detail form module, the Data Block Wizard automatically
creates a form object that handles the relationship between two associated data blocks.
This object is called a relation. The following tasks occur automatically:
• The new relation object is created under the master data block node in the Object
Navigator with default properties.
• The relation is given the following default name:
MasterDataBlock_DetailDataBlock, for example CUSTOMERS_ORDERS.
• Triggers and program units are generated to maintain coordination between the two
data blocks.

Creating a Relation Manually
Creating a Relation Manually
You can create a relation either implicitly with the Data Block Wizard, or explicitly in the
Object Navigator.
Explicit Relations
If a relation is not established when default blocks are created, you can create your own.
To explicitly create a relation, perform the following steps:
1. Select the Relations node under the master block entry in the Object Navigator.
2. Click the Create icon. The New Relation window is displayed.
3. Specify the name of the detail block.
4. Choose your master delete property.
5. Choose your coordination property.
6. Specify the join condition.
7. Click OK.
The new relation, new triggers, and new program units are highlighted in the Object
Navigator. Like implicitly created relations, the relation is given the default name of
MasterDataBlock_DetailDataBlock, for example CUSTOMERS_ORDERS. The same
PL/SQL program units and triggers are created automatically when you explicitly create a
relation as when the relation is created implicitly.

Join Condition
• The join condition creates primary-foreign key link
between blocks
• Define a join condition using:
– Block and item names (not table and column
names)
– Do not precede names with colon
– SQL equijoin syntax
Join Condition
• Use a join condition to:
Create links between blocks using SQL
Alter links between blocks using SQL
• Define a join condition using:
Usual SQL equijoin condition syntax (necessary because Forms copies the
value from the master block to the related item in the detail block)
Block names instead of the base table names (do not precede with colon)
Item names that exist in the form module instead of base table column names
Instructor Note
Demonstration: In your DEPT_EMP demo form, delete the relation you created using
the Data Block Wizard. Explicitly add a relation between the Department and Employee
blocks. Set the deletion property to Cascading and the coordination property to Deferred
with Auto-Query.

Deletion Properties
Isolated: Only master
is deleted
Cascading: Master and
all details are deleted
Non-isolated: If no detail
record, master is deleted
Non-isolated: Master is
not deleted if there are
any detail records
= Deleted
Master-Detail
Records
Deletion Properties
Master Deletions
You can prevent, propagate, or isolate deletion of a record in a master block when
corresponding records exist in the detail block by setting the Delete Record Behavior
property. For example, you can delete all corresponding line items when an order is
deleted.
Note: Although deleting with the cascading property may remove many detail records, the
commit message shows only the number of records deleted from the master block.
Property Use
Non-Isolated Prevents the deletion of the master record when detail records exist;
the master record is deleted only if no detail records exist
Cascading Deletes the detail records when a master record is deleted
Isolated Deletes only the master record

Modifying a Relation
Modifying a Relation
You can alter the relation properties to affect the way deletes and block coordination are
handled.
What Happens When you Modify a Relation?
• If you change the Delete Record Behavior property from the default of Non-Isolated
to Cascading, the On-Check-Delete-Master trigger is replaced with the Pre-Delete
trigger.
• If you change the Delete Record Behavior property from the default of Non-Isolated
to Isolated, the On-Check-Delete-Master trigger is removed.

Coordination Properties
Default Deferred
with auto query
Deferred
without
auto query
Coordination
Setting the coordination property controls how the detail records are displayed when a
master block is queried. For example, you can defer querying the line items for an order
until the operator navigates to the item block.
Note: In the New Relation dialog, setting the Deferred property to Yes enables the Auto
Query check box.
Coordination Property Use
Default Forces coordination of blocks to occur when-
ever the master record is changed by a user or a
trigger
Deferred with Automatic Query Postpones potentially expensive detail query
processing until the cursor visits the related
blocks
Deferred without Automatic Query Allows entry of additional query criteria in the
detail block prior to querying
Prevent Masterless Operations Ensures that the detail block cannot be queried
or used to insert records when a master record is
not displayed

Running a Master-Detail Form Module
• Automatic block linking
for:
– Querying
– Inserting
• Default deletion rules:
Cannot delete master
record if detail records
exist
Running a Master-Detail Form Module
When you run your master-detail form module you will find that:
• Querying the master data block immediately retrieves corresponding detail records.
• Deleting a master record is prevented if detail records exist.
Note: You can change the above behavior by modifying the relation object
properties.
• Inserting a detail record automatically associates it with the currently displayed
master.

Modifying the Structure of a Data Block
• Reentrant Data Block Wizard:
1. Select frame or object in Layout
Editor, or data block or frame in
Object Navigator
2. Select Tools > Data Block
Wizard OR
Right-click and select Data
Block Wizard OR
Click Data Block Wizard
• Object Navigator:
– Create or delete items
– Change item properties
• Block Property Palette: Change
property values
Modifying the Structure of a Data Block
Once you create a data block, you may want to customize or modify it by performing one
of the following:
• Reenter the Data Block Wizard, and use it to make the changes.
• Make manual changes, such as adding or deleting items, in Object Navigator.
• Change the property values of the block by using the Property Palette.
Invoking the Data Block Wizard in Reentrant Mode
A very powerful feature of the Data Block Wizard is its ability to operate in reentrant
mode. Use the reentrant mode to modify the data block, even if the block was not
originally created with the Data Block Wizard.
To invoke the Data Block Wizard in reentrant mode:
1. Select the frame or a component of the block in either the Object Navigator or the
Layout Editor.
2. Invoke the Data Block Wizard by performing one of the following:
Select Tools > Data Block Wizard from the menu
Right-click and select Data Block Wizard from the pop-up menu
Click Data Block Wizard

Modifying the Layout of a Data Block
• Reentrant Layout Wizard:
– Select frame in Object
Navigator or Layout Editor
– Select Tools > Layout Wizard
– OR
– Right-click and select Layout
Wizard OR
– Click Layout Wizard
• Layout Editor:
– Select Tools > Layout Editor
– Make changes manually
• Frame Property Palette: Change
property values
Modifying the Layout of a Data Block
You may want to customize or modify the layout of the data block items on the canvas.
You can do this by doing one of the following:
• Reenter the Layout Wizard (see the next section), and use it to make the changes.
• Select Tools > Layout Editor to invoke the Layout Editor and make changes
manually in the editor.
• Change the property values of the frame in its Property Palette.
Invoking the Layout Wizard in Reentrant Mode
A very powerful feature of the Layout Wizard is its ability to operate in reentrant mode.
Use the reentrant mode to modify the layout of items in an existing frame, even if the
frame was not originally created with the Layout Wizard.

Modifying the Layout of a Data Block (continued)
Invoking the Layout Wizard in Reentrant Mode (continued)
You can invoke the Layout Wizard in reentrant mode from the Object Navigator or the
Layout Editor:
• From the Object Navigator:
Select the appropriate frame (under the Canvases node).
Select Tools > Layout Wizard.
or
Right-click and select the Layout Wizard option.
• In the Layout Editor:
Select the appropriate frame.
Click Layout Wizard.
Note: Before you reenter the Layout Wizard, it is important to select the correct frame in
the Object Navigator or the Layout Editor. If you overlook this when you reenter the
Layout Wizard, you may create an additional frame instead of modifying the current
frame.
Either method takes you to the Data Block page in the Layout Wizard. Use Next and Back
as you do when not in reentrant mode, or go directly to a certain page by clicking its tab.
Instructor Note
Demonstration: Invoke the Layout Wizard in reentrant mode to show how to modify the
layout of the DEPARTMENTS data block created in the previous demonstration. Make
sure you select the correct frame before invoking the Layout Wizard.

Summary
• You can create data blocks with relationships by
using the Data Block Wizard or by manually
creating a Relation object
• When you run a master-detail form, block
coordination is automatic depending on
properties of the Relation object
• You can modify a data block manually or with the
Data Block Wizard in reentrant mode
• You can modify the layout manually or with the
Layout Wizard in reentrant mode
Summary
This lesson presented information about:
• Creating data blocks with a master-detail relationship
• Modifying the data block layout:
Using reentrant wizards
Changing frame properties

Practice 5 Overview
• Creating a master-detail form module
• Modifying data block layout by using the Layout
Wizard in reentrant mode
• Saving and running the form module
Practice 5 Overview
In this practice you will create a new form module that displays master-detail information.
• Create a master-detail form module called ORDERS. Create a master block based on
the ORDERS table and a detail block based on the ITEMS table. Create a third data
block that is not related to any other block in the form module. Base this block on
the INVENTORIES table, and manually create a relation with the block based on
the item table. Use the Forms Builder wizards to create all three data blocks.
• Invoke the Layout Wizard in reentrant mode, and change the layout of the ITEMS
and INVENTORIES data blocks.
• Save and run the new form module on the Web.

Practice 5
1. Create a new form module.
Create a new block by using the Data Block Wizard.
Base it on the ORDERS table and include all columns except ORDER_TOTAL and
PROMOTION_ID.
Display the ORDERS block on a new content canvas called CV_ORDER and show
just one record at a time. Use a form style layout. Set the frame title to Orders.
2. Create a new block by using the Data Block Wizard.
Base the block on the ORDER_ITEMS table and include all columns.
Create a relationship and select the master block as ORDERS.
Display all items except ORDER_ID on the CV_ORDER canvas.
Display six records in this detail block on the same canvas as the master block.
Use a tabular style layout and include a scroll bar.
Change the order of the blocks in the Object Navigator, moving the ORDER_ITEMS
block after the ORDERS block. Set the frame title to Items.
3. Save the new module to a file called ORDGXX, where XX is the group number that
your instructor has assigned to you.
4. Create a new block based on INVENTORIES (do not create any relationships with
other blocks at this time) to display on a different canvas.
Base it on the INVENTORIES table.
Display four records in this block and ensure that they are displayed on a new
content canvas called CV_INVENTORY.
Use a tabular style layout, and include a scroll bar.
In the Object Navigator, move the INVENTORIES block after the ORDER_ITEMS
block. Set the frame title to Stock.
Do not create any relationships between blocks at this stage.
5. Explicitly create a relation called Order_Items_Inventories between the
ORDER_ITEMS and INVENTORIES blocks.
Ensure that line item records can be deleted independently of any related inventory.
Set the coordination so that the Inventories block is not queried until you explicitly
execute a query.
6. On the ORDER_ITEMS block, change the prompt for the Line Item ID item to Item#
by using the reentrant Layout Wizard. First select the relevant frame in the Layout
Editor, and then use the Layout Wizard.
7. In the INVENTORIES data block, change the prompt for Quantity on Hand to In
Stock by using the Layout Wizard.
8. Save and compile your form module.
Click Run Form to run your form.
Execute a query.
Navigate through the blocks so that you see the INVENTORIES block.
Exit the run-time session, close the browser, and return to Forms Builder.
9. Change the form module name in the Object Navigator to ORDERS and save.

Working with Data Blocks and Frames
45 minutes Lecture
40 minutes Practice
85 minutes Total

Objectives
the following:
• Identify the components of the Property Palette
• Manage object properties
• Create and use Visual Attributes
• Control the behavior and appearance of data
blocks
• Control frame properties
• Create blocks that do not directly correspond to
database tables
• Delete data blocks and their components
Introduction
Overview
In this lesson you will learn how to customize existing data blocks and modify frames.
You will also learn how to include blocks that are not associated with the database.

Managing Object Properties
• Reentrant Wizard
– Data Block Wizard
– Layout Wizard
• Layout Editor
• Property Palette
1 2
3
Managing Object Properties
There are three ways to modify properties of Forms Builder objects:
• Reentrant Wizards: You can modify data block and layout properties through the
reentrant wizards, as explained in the previous lesson.
• Layout Editor: If the object appears on a canvas, you can modify properties by
using the graphical Layout Editor.
• Property Palette: You can set individual properties for each Forms Builder object
in its Property Palette.
The wizards, the Layout Editor, and the Property Palette all depict object properties.
Changes made in one tools are reflected in the others. In the example above, the prompt
for ORDER_ID is shown identically in:
1. Reentrant Layout Wizard
2. Layout Editor
3. Property Palette
You can use the Property Palette to control the behavior and appearance of any Forms
Builder object with a greater degree of granularity. In the Property Palette you can fine-
tune objects that you have initially created in the wizards or the Layout Editor.

Displaying the Property Palette
To display the Property Palette, use
one of the following methods:
• Select Tools > Property Palette (or
use the shortcut key).
• Double-click the object icon in the
Object Navigator.
• Double-click the object in the
Layout Editor.
• Right-click the object icon in
the Object Navigator.
• Right-click the object in the
Layout Editor.
Property Palette
Every object in a form module, as well as the form module itself, has properties that
dictate the object’s behavior. When an object is first created, it is automatically assigned
several property values by default. You can change these property values in the Property
Palette.
Displaying the Property Palette
To display the Property Palette of an object, use one of the following methods:
• Select the object in the Object Navigator and then select Tools > Property Palette
from the menu.
• Double-click the object icon for the object in the Object Navigator (except for code
objects and canvases).
• Double-click an item in the Layout Editor.
• Right-click the object in the Layout Editor or the object icon in Object Navigator.
From the pop-up menu, select the Property Palette option.

Property Palette: Features
Property
name
Property
value
Toolbar
Expand/
collapse
Find field
Search
backward
Search
forward
Help:
Press [F1]
Property Palette: Features
Features of the Property Palette include the following:
Feature Description
Property list Displays a two-column list of names and values of
properties that are valid for a particular object. Properties
are grouped under functional headings or nodes. You can
expand or collapse a node by using the plus and minus
icons beside the node name.
Find field Enables you to quickly locate a particular property. The
Search Forward and Search Backward buttons enhance
your search.
Toolbar Consists of a series of buttons that provide quick access to
commands.
Help Obtain description, usage, and other information about
any property by pressing [F1] with the property selected.

Property Controls
Text field
LOV window
Pop-up list
More button
Using the Property Palette
Each form object has various types of properties. Properties are manipulated differently,
depending on the property type. The following is a summary of the controls that are used
in the Property Palette:
Property
Control Description
Text field Displayed when the current property can be set by entering a
text value. For longer text values an iconic button also appears,
enabling you to open a text editor.
Pop-up list Occurs where a fixed set of values, such as Yes or No, is
allowed for the property. Click the down arrow to open the list
and select a value.
LOV window LOVs occur where a potentially large list of possible values is
available. Click the iconic button in the property value column
to invoke an LOV.
More button Use this when more complex settings are needed. Click the
More button to open the extra dialog.

Property Controls
Changed
Default
Overridden
Inherited
Property Palette Icons
Each property in a Property Palette has an icon to its left. The following is a summary of
these icons and their description:
Note: Once you activate the Property Palette, its window remains open until you close it.
The window automatically displays the properties of each object you visit in the Layout
Editor or Object Navigator. This is because, by default, the list of properties in the
Property Palette is synchronized whenever you select an object.
You can turn the synchronization on or off for a specific palette by clicking Pin/Unpin in
the Property Palette toolbar.
Icon Description
Circle Specifies that the property value is the default value
Square Specifies that the property value has been changed from the
default
Arrow Specifies that the property value is inherited
Arrow
with a cross
Specifies that the property value was inherited but has been
overridden

Visual Attributes
A Visual Attribute
is a named set of
properties defining:
• Font
• Color
• Pattern
Visual Attributes
Visual attributes are the font, color, and pattern properties that you set for form and menu
objects.
A visual attribute is another object that you can create in the Object Navigator with
properties such as font, color, and pattern combinations. Set the Visual Attribute Type
property of the Visual Attribute to Title if you plan to apply it to objects such as frame
titles, or to Prompt if it will be used for prompts. Otherwise, set Visual Attribute Type to
Common, which is the default.
Every interface object in a forms application has a property called Visual Attribute Group,
which determines how the individual Visual Attribute settings of an object are derived.
The Visual Attribute Group property can be set to Default, NULL, or the name of a Visual
Attribute object. Blocks have a Current Record Visual Attribute Group property that
defines the Visual Attribute to be used for the current record in the block.
Partial Visual Attributes
You can define a Visual Attribute by setting only the properties that you want to be
inherited by the objects that use them. This means that you can apply a Visual Attribute
that changes the font color without having to set the font name.

How to Use Visual Attributes
1. Create a Visual Attribute.
2. Set the Visual Attribute–related property of an
object to the desired Visual Attribute.
3. Run the form to see the effect.
21
3
Using Visual Attributes
To use a Visual Attribute, perform the following steps:
1. Create the Visual Attribute:
Select the Visual Attributes node in the Object Navigator
Click Create
Invoke the Property Palette for the Visual Attribute and set the desired font,
color, and pattern properties
2. Set the object properties to use the new Visual Attribute:
For items and canvases, set the Visual Attribute Group property
For blocks, set the Current Record Visual Attribute Group property
3. Run the form to see the changes.
Instructor Note
Demonstration: Create a Visual Attribute to be used later in this lesson. Use the Color,
Pattern, and Font pickers. Use the ordwk04.fmb file.

Font, Pattern, and Color Pickers
Font, Pattern, and Color Picker
When you create Visual Attributes, you can use the Font, Pattern, and Color Pickers to
select the font, pattern, and color.
When changing a font from the Property Palette, you can click the Font group itself to
invoke the Font Picker. This enables you to select all font properties from one window;
otherwise you can select each font property and invoke individual windows or pop-up lists
that are specific to the property.

Controlling Data Block Behavior
and Appearance
Data Block Property Groups:
• General
• Navigation
• Records
• Database
• Advanced Database
• Scrollbar
• Visual Attributes
• Color
• International
Data Block Properties
Each data block has several properties. These properties are divided into groups as shown
in the slide.
You can modify the properties of the data block to control both the appearance and the
behavior of the block.

Navigation Properties
ORDERS
Order
Item
Same
Record
Next
Record
Previous Navigation Data Block
Next Navigation Data Block
Controlling the Behavior of Data Blocks: Setting Navigation Properties
Navigation Style
Normally, when you navigate beyond the last item in a record, Forms returns you to the
beginning of the same record. With this property you can change this behavior to navigate
to the next record or data block instead. The valid settings are: Same Record (default),
Change Record, or Change Data Block.
Note: If you want the cursor to move to the next record when you reach the end of the
current record, set the Navigation Style property for the block to Change Record.
Previous/Next Navigation Data Block
Normally, when you perform an operation to move to the previous or next data block at
run time, Forms moves control to the previous or next adjacent data block in sequence.
These properties enable you to name the previous or next data block.
Instructor Note
Demonstration: Use the ordwk04.fmb file to show the run-time effect of changing the
Navigation Style property on the ITEMS block.

Records Properties
Item
Number
of Records
Displayed
Current Record
Controlling the Behavior of Data Blocks: Setting Record Properties
• Current Record Visual Attribute Group: The Visual Attribute that will be used to
highlight the current record in the data block.
• Query Array Size: Specifies the maximum number of records that Forms should
fetch from the database at one time. A lower value in this property value means
faster response time; however, a larger value means fewer calls to the database for
records, thereby resulting in reduced overall processing time. When set to 0 this
property defaults to the Number of Records Displayed.
• Number of Records Buffered: Is the minimum amount of buffer space retained for
holding queried records in the data block. The minimum setting allowed is the value
of the Number of Records Displayed property plus 3. Forms buffers any additional
records to a temporary disk file. A higher value improves processing speed, but uses
more memory.
Instructor Note
Demonstration: Using the ordwk04.fmb, assign the Visual Attribute created earlier to
the ITEMS block property Current Record Visual Attribute Group. Show the run time
effect of doing this. Also show how to increase or decrease the number of records
displayed in a data block.

Records Properties
Vertical Record Orientation
Horizontal Record Orientation
Controlling the Behavior of Data Blocks: Setting Record Properties
(continued)
• Number of Records Displayed: This property specifies the maximum number of
records the data block can display on the canvas at one time and how many records
you can see at once. If you change this value, make sure there is enough room on the
canvas layout for the number of records, or objects may overlap.
• Query All Records: This property specifies whether all the records matching the
query criteria should be fetched when a query is executed. (This property is
necessary to support the Calculated Field feature.)
• Record Orientation: This property determines the orientation of records in the data
block—horizontal or vertical. When you set this property, Forms Builder adjusts the
display position of items in the data block accordingly.
• Single Record: This property specifies that the control block should always contain
one record. Set this property to Yes for a control block that contains a summary
calculated item. You cannot set this property to Yes for a data block.

Database Properties
Use properties in the Database
group to control:
• Type of block—data or
control block
• Query, insert, update, and
delete operations on the
data block
• Data block’s data source
• Query search criteria and
default sort order
• Maximum query time
• Maximum number of
records fetched
Controlling the Behavior of Data Blocks: Setting Database Properties
In the Database group of the Property Palette, you can set numerous properties to control
interaction with the database server. Some of these properties are:
• Database Data Block: Set to Yes if the data block is based on a database object and
No if it is a control block.
• Enforce Primary Key: Controls whether Forms checks for uniqueness before
inserting or updating records in the base table, in order to avoid committing
duplicate rows in the database. A value of Yes means that the form checks that
inserted or updated records are unique before an attempt is made to commit possible
duplicate rows.
• Query/Insert/Update/Delete Allowed: Control whether the associated operations
can be performed on the data block records.
Instructor Note
Due to time constraints, discuss only the properties depicted on the slides. Remind
students that they can select any property and press [F1] to get context-sensitive help
about it.

(continued)
• Query Data Source Type: Specifies the type of the query data source for the data
block. Possible values for this property are None, Table, Procedure, Transactional
Triggers, or FROM clause query.
• Query Data Source Name: Specifies the name of the query data source for the data
block. This property is used only if the type of the query data source is Table, FROM
clause query, or Procedure.
• Query Data Source Columns: Specifies, in a dialog box, the name and data type of
the columns associated with the query data source. This property is used only if the
type of the query data source is Table, FROM clause query, or Procedure.
• Query Data Source Arguments: Specifies, in a dialog box, the names, datatypes,
and values of the arguments that are to be passed to the procedure for querying data.
This property is valid only when the Query Data Source Type property is set to
Procedure.
• WHERE Clause: Specifies a SQL condition that is attached to every default SELECT
statement associated with the data block through implicit SQL; use to define general
restrictions on the rows this data block may fetch. This clause is automatically
appended (ANDed) with any conditions supplied by the operator in Enter Query
mode.
• ORDER BY Clause: Defines a default order for records displayed from a query. The
operator can alter this order by using the Query Where dialog box at run time.
• Optimizer Hint: Specifies a hint string that Forms passes to the Optimizer when
constructing implicit SQL on the data block. The Optimizer can improve the
performance of database transactions.
• Locking Mode/Key Mode: Controls how Forms handles records and transactions
when the data block is primarily associated with non-Oracle data sources. The
default settings are usually appropriate for data blocks connected with an Oracle
database.
• Update Changed Columns Only: When this property is set to Yes, only those
items updated by the operator are written to their corresponding database columns.
If the operator commonly updates or inserts records with only one or two columns,
this can save network traffic. By default, this property value is set to No, so that all
columns are included in the default UPDATE statement.

SELECT ....
WHERE Clause
[ORDER BY Clause]
Database Properties
Work file
Block display
Records
fetched
Records buffered
(continued)
• Enforce Column Security: When this property is set to Yes, items in the data block
can be updated only if the current user has privileges to update the corresponding
database columns.
• Maximum Query Time: Provides the option to abort a query when the elapsed time
of the query exceeds the value of this property; useful when the Query All Records
property is set to Yes.
• Maximum Records Fetched: Provides the option to abort a query when the number
of records fetched exceeds the value of this property; useful when the Query All
Records property is set to Yes.
Instructor Note
When Update Changed Columns Only is set to No, Forms Builder can reuse the same
SQL statement for multiple updates without the database having to reparse each time in its
system global area (SGA). Changing this property value to Yes can degrade performance
because the database must reparse the UPDATE statement each time.

Scroll Bar Properties
Record
Scroll Bar X/Y
Position
Scroll Bar Width
Scroll
Bar
Height
Controlling the Behavior of Data Blocks: Setting Scroll Bar Properties
In the Scrollbar group of the Property Palette, you can set numerous properties to the
appearance and function of the data block’s scroll bar. Some of these properties are:
• Show Scroll Bar: Specifies whether Forms Builder should create a scroll bar for the
data block. To delete an existing scroll bar, set this property to No.
• Scroll Bar Canvas: Specifies the canvas on which the data block scroll bar will be
displayed. The specified canvas must exist in the form.
• Scroll Bar Orientation: Specifies whether the scroll bar should be displayed
horizontally or vertically.
• Scroll Bar X/Y Position: Specifies the x and y coordinates (measured in the
coordination system units of the form) where the scroll bar will display on the
canvas. The default value for both coordinates is 0.
• Scroll Bar Width/Height: Specifies the width and height of the scroll bar.

Controlling Frame Properties
The selections that you make in the Layout Wizard when creating a data block are
recorded as properties of the resulting layout frame object. You can change frame
properties to modify the arrangements of items within a data block. The main frame
properties are as follows:
• Layout Data Block: Specifies the name of the data block with which the frame is
associated. The items within this data block are arranged within the frame.
Note: A data block can be associated with only one frame. You cannot arrange a
block item within multiple frames.
• Update Layout: Specifies when the frame layout is updated. Valid settings are:
Automatically: The layout is updated whenever you move or resize the frame,
or modify any frame layout property.
Manually: The layout is updated whenever you use the Layout Wizard to
modify the frame, or in the Layout Editor, when you click Update Layout or
select the Layout > Update Layout menu option.
Locked: The layout is locked and cannot be updated.

Item
Form
Layout
Style
Tabular
Layout
Style
Distance
between
records
Order
Controlling Frame Properties (continued)
• Layout Style: Specifies the layout style for the items within the frame. Choose
between Form and Tabular styles.
• Distance Between Records: Specifies the physical distance (measured in the form’s
coordination system units) with which to separate records displayed in the frame.
• X/Y Position: Specifies the x and y coordinates (measured in the form’s
coordination system units) of the frame’s position on the canvas.
• Width/Height: Specifies the width and height of the frame (measured in the form’s
coordination system units).
Note: You can arrange a frame as well as the objects within it manually in the Layout
Editor.
Instructor Note
Stress the importance of the Update Layout property.

Displaying Multiple Property Palettes
Two Palettes for Two Items: Two Palettes for One Item:
Displaying Multiple Property Palettes
More Than One Property Palette for One Object
You may want to see more properties for an object than there is room for in a single
Property Palette. To display the properties of an object in multiple Property Palettes,
perform the following steps:
1. Open a Property Palette for the object.
2. Hold down the [Shift] key and double-click the object icon for the object in the
Object Navigator.
More Than One Property Palette for Multiple Objects
You may want to display properties for multiple objects simultaneously. To display the
Property Palettes for multiple objects at the same time, perform the following steps:
1. Open the Property Palette of the first object.
2. Click Pin/Unpin on the toolbar to “freeze” this palette.
3. Invoke the Property Palette for another object. This Property Palette appears in a
separate window.
If the second window is on top of the first one, drag it so that both windows are visible.

Setting Properties on Multiple Objects
Intersection/
Union
Setting Properties on Multiple Objects
You can view and set the properties of several objects simultaneously, whether they are
the same or different object types. You can select the objects in the Object Navigator and
display a combination of the properties in the Property Palette. The combination may be:
Intersection: A subset in which you display only the common properties of the
selected objects (This is the default set operator.)
Union: A superset in which you display both the common properties and the unique
properties of the selected objects
Where there are differing values for a property across the selected objects, you will see
***** in the property value. This changes to a definitive value once you enter a new value
in the Property Palette. This new value then applies to each of the selected objects to
which the property is relevant.

Setting Properties on Multiple Objects (continued)
How to Set Properties on Multiple Objects
To set properties on multiple objects at one time, perform the following steps:
1. Open the Property Palette for one of the objects.
2. Hold down the [Ctrl] key and click each object in the Object Navigator or the editors
whose properties are to be viewed or changed in combination. The selected objects
are highlighted.
3. Set the Intersection/Union button from the toolbar in the Property Palette to the
desired operation. This button toggles between the two options.
4. Change the displayed properties, as required. Your changes are applied to all
selected objects with these properties.
Note: With a union, you may see some properties that are not relevant to all of the
selected objects. Changes to a property are applied only to objects that have the property.
Instructor Note
Show how to select multiple objects in the Object Navigator, and how their combined
properties can be represented in the Property Palette. Switch between Intersection and
Union, pointing out the difference between the properties.

Copying Properties
Copy Paste
Source objects Destination objects
Properties
Name ITEMS
Query All Records Yes
Query Allowed Yes
Insert Allowed Yes
Update Allowed No
Delete Allowed Yes
Query All Records No
Query Allowed Yes
Insert Allowed Yes
Update Allowed Yes
Delete Allowed Yes
Copying Properties
You can copy the properties and values from the Property Palette to a buffer, so that they
can be applied (pasted) to other objects in your design session. To copy properties,
perform the following steps:
1. In the Property Palette, display and set the properties that are to be copied. This may
be from one object or a combination of objects.
To copy all property settings from the Property Palette, select Edit > Select
All.
To copy the selected property settings only, press and hold [Ctrl] while you
click each property individually.
2. Click Copy Properties on the toolbar of the Property Palette.
3. From the Object Navigator select the object into which the properties are to be
copied.
4. In the Property Palette, click Paste Properties. The selected object receives values
from all copied properties that are relevant to their object types.
Note: It is possible to copy the property settings of an object to objects of different types.
In this case, properties that do not apply to the target object are ignored.

Copying Properties (continued)
Property Classes
When you display a list of properties (from either one object or a combination of objects)
in the Property Palette, the list of property names and associated values can be saved for
future application to other objects. This is known as a property class, which is a Forms
Builder object in its own right.
Objects can inherit some of their properties from a linked property class, so their
properties will automatically change if the associated properties are changed in the
property class.
Property classes are discussed in more detail in a later lesson.
Instructor Note
Show how to copy the properties of one object to another. Do not save the effects of this
demonstration.
Note: Property inheritance and variance are covered in a later lesson.

Creating a Control Block
• Click the Data Blocks node
• Click the Create icon
OR
Select Edit > Create.
• Select the “Build a new data
block manually” option in the
New Data Block dialog box.
Creating Control Blocks
A control block is a block that is not associated with any database, and its items do not
relate to any columns within any database table.
This means that Forms does not perform an automatic query when the operator issues an
Enter Query or Execute Query command, nor does it issue an automatic Insert, Update, or
Delete for the block when the operator saves changes to the database.
How to Create a Control Block
1. Click the Data Blocks node in the Object Navigator.
2. Click the Create icon on the toolbar, or Select Edit > Create from the menu.
3. In the New Data Block dialog box, select the “Build a new data block manually”
option.
4. Open the Property Palette of the new data block and change its name.
Note: Because there are no database columns on which to base control block items, a
control block has no items until you manually add them later.
Instructor Note
Demonstration: Create a control block in the form module, using the ordwk04.fmb
file.

Deleting a Data Block
• Select a data block for deletion
• Click the Delete icon
OR
Press [Delete]
• Click Yes in the alert box.
Deleting Data Blocks
To delete a data block:
1. Select the data block to be deleted in the Object Navigator.
2. Click the Delete icon on the toolbar.
or
Press [Delete].
3. An alert is displayed for delete confirmation. Click Yes to delete the data block.
Note: Deleting a data block also deletes its subordinate objects (items and triggers). If the
data block was a master or detail block in a relation, the relation is also deleted. However,
the frame border and its title will remain. Delete the frame manually in the Layout Editor.
Instructor Note
Demonstration: Delete the ITEMS data block in the ordwk04.fmb file. Show the
effect of doing this in the Layout Editor. Do not save the effects of this demonstration.

Summary
• The Property Palette:
– Contains property names and values that enable you to
modify Forms objects
– Has tools to search for properties, inherit properties,
expand or collapse property categories, and pop up lists
and dialog boxes for various properties
– Shows different icons for default, changed, inherited, and
overridden properties
• Block properties control the behavior and appearance
of data blocks
• Frame properties control how block items are arranged
• You can create blocks that do not directly correspond
to database tables by choosing to create the block
manually rather than using the Data Block Wizard
• Deleting a data block deletes all of its components
Summary
• Modify the data block properties in its Property Palette to change its behavior at run
time.
• Data blocks have Navigation, Database, Records, Scrollbar, and other properties.
• Database properties include WHERE Clause, Query Data Source Type, and
Maximum Records Fetched.
• You can change frame properties to modify the arrangements of items within a data
block.
• You can copy properties between data blocks and other objects.
• You can view and change the properties of several objects together. You can use
Intersection or Union settings to connect their properties in the Property Palette.

Practice 6 Overview
• Creating a control block
• Creating a Visual Attribute
• Invoking context-sensitive help from the Property
Palette
• Modifying data block properties
• Modifying frame properties
Practice 6 Overview
In this practice, you will perform the following tasks:
• Create a control block in the CUSTOMERS form.
• Explore property definitions using online Help from the Property Palette.
• Change properties in the CUSTOMERS data block and frame to change run-time
appearance and behavior and design time behavior of the frame.
• Create a control block in the ORDERS form.
• Create a Visual Attribute in the ORDERS form and use it to highlight the current
record in the ITEMS and INVENTORIES data blocks at run time. Use the multiple
selection feature in the Property Palette.
• Change properties in the ITEMS and INVENTORIES data blocks to change their
run-time appearance and behavior. Change the frame properties of all the data
blocks in the ORDERS form to change their run-time appearance and to keep any
layout changes you make manually in the Layout Editor.
• Save and run the forms after the changes are applied.

Practice 6
CUSTGXX Form
1. Create a control block in the CUSTGXX form.
Create a new block manually, and rename this block CONTROL.
Set the Database Data Block, Query Allowed, Insert Allowed, Update Allowed, and
Delete Allowed Database properties to No. Set the Query Data Source Type
property to None. Set the Single Record property to Yes. Leave other properties as
default.
Move the CONTROL block after the CUSTOMERS block.
2. Ensure that the records retrieved in the CUSTOMERS block are sorted by the
customer’s ID.
3. Set the frame properties for the CUSTOMERS block as follows:
Remove the frame title, and set the Update Layout property to Manually. Once you
have done this, you may resize the frame if desired without having the items revert
to their original positions.
4. Save and run the CUSTGXX form.
Test the effects of the properties that you have set.
Note: The Compilation Errors window displays a warning that advises you that the
CONTROL block has no items. This is expected (until you add some items to the
CONTROL block in a later lesson).
ORDGXX Form
5. Create a CONTROL block in the ORDGXX form.
Create a new block manually, and rename this block CONTROL.
Set the Database Data Block, Query Allowed, Insert Allowed, Update Allowed, and
Delete Allowed database properties to No. Set the Query Data Source Type property
to None. Set the Single Record property to Yes.Leave other properties as default.
Position the CONTROL block after the INVENTORIES block in the Object
Navigator.
6. Ensure that the records retrieved in the ORDERS block are sorted by the ORDER_ID.
7. Ensure that the current record is displayed differently from the others in both the
ORDER_ITEMS and INVENTORIES blocks.
Create a Visual Attribute called Current_Record.
Using the Color Picker, set the foreground color to white and the background color
to gray. Using the Pattern Picker, choose any fill pattern. Using the Font Picker, set
the font to MS Serif italic 10 point. (If that font is not available on your window
manager, use any available font.)
Use the multiple selection feature on both data blocks to set the relevant block
property to use this Visual Attribute.

8. For the ORDER_ITEMS block, change the number of records displayed to 4 and
resize the scroll bar accordingly.
9. Ensure that the records retrieved in the ORDER_ITEMS block are sorted by the
LINE_ITEM_ID.
10. Set the ORDER_ITEMS block to automatically navigate to the next record when the
user presses [Next Item] while the cursor is in the last item of a record.
11. Set the frame properties for all blocks as follows:
Remove the frame title and set the Update Layout property to Manually.
12. Save and compile the ORDGXX form.
Click Run Form to run your form.
Test the effects of the properties that you have set.
Note: The Compilation Errors window displays a warning that advises you that the
CONTROL block has no items. This is expected (until you add some items to the
CONTROL block in a later lesson).

Working with Text Items
45 minutes Lecture
40 minutes Practice
85 minutes Total

Objectives
the following:
• Describe text items
• Create a text item
• Modify the appearance of a text item
• Control the data in a text item
• Alter the navigational behavior of a text item
• Enhance the relationship between the text item
and the database
• Add functionality to a text item
• Display helpful messages
Introduction
Overview
The default item type in an Oracle Forms Developer application is the text item or field.
You have seen how creating a new data block based on a table creates text items for each
selected column from that table. This lesson shows you how to customize text items to
change their appearance and behavior.

Text Item Overview
What is a text item?
• Default item type
• Interface object for:
– Querying
– Inserting
– Updating
– Deleting
• Behavior defined in
the Property Palette
Text Items
A text item is an interface object through which you can query, insert, update, and delete
data. A text item usually corresponds to a column in the database table. When an item is
first created, its default type is text.
The item type determines the properties available in the Property Palette. In this lesson
you look at the properties of a text item. Remaining item types are covered in subsequent
lessons.
Use the Property Palette to define, alter, or examine the characteristics of items.
Instructor Note
• Although the technical term item is used in design terminology, end users may think
of these objects as fields.
• Ensure that the class does not get confused between item as a Forms Builder term for
the objects in a block, and item as the application term for line item records in the
Order Entry system.

Creating a Text Item
Canvas selection Block selection
Creating a Text Item
You can create a text item by doing one of the following:
• Converting an existing item into a text item
• Using the Text Item tool in the Layout Editor
• Using the Create icon in the Object Navigator
• Using the wizards
How to Create a Text Item in the Layout Editor
1. Invoke the Layout Editor.
It is important to point to the correct data block where you want to create the text
item. In the Layout Editor, select the data block from the Block pop-up list.
2. Click the Text Item tool.
3. Click the canvas.
The text item appears.
4. Double-click the text item.
The text item Property Palette appears.
5. Set the item properties as required.

Creating a Text Item (continued)
How to Create a Text Item in the Object Navigator
1. Locate the block in which you want to create the item.
2. Select the Items node.
3. Click the Create icon.
A new item entry is displayed in the Object Navigator.
4. Double-click the icon to the left of the new item entry.
The Property Palette appears.
5. Set all item properties as required, keeping the Type property set to Text Item.
Note: To display an item at run time, you must assign the item to a canvas. Do this in the
Property Palette of the text item by setting the Canvas property to the desired canvas.
Instructor Note
Demonstration
• In the first demonstration, show how to create a text item in the Layout Editor.
• In the second demonstration, create a text item in the Object Navigator and do the
following:
Go to the Layout Editor. The new text item is not seen. Point out to the
students that this is a Null canvas item, because it is not assigned to any canvas
yet.
Open the text item property sheet, and assign the Canvas property to the
desired canvas.
Show the text item in the Layout Editor.
• Point out the importance of creating a new text item in the correct data block and
canvas. Also point out the Canvas and Block pop-up lists in the Layout Editor.

Modifying the Appearance of a Text Item:
General and Physical Properties
Modifying the Appearance of a Text Item
The properties of an item are divided into several groups.
You can affect the way the text item is displayed by altering its General, Physical,
Records, Font, and Color group properties. To view descriptions of any of these
properties, click the property in the Property Palette and press [F1]. Some of these
properties are:
• General:
Item type: Selects the type of item you want to create (pop-up list)
• Physical:
Visible: Determines whether the item is displayed
Canvas: Determines the canvas on which the item is displayed. If left
unspecified, the item is said to be a Null canvas item, and will not display at
run time or in the Layout Editor.
X and Y Position: Sets the X and Y coordinates of the item relative to the
canvas
Width and Height: Sets the width and height of the item in the current form
coordinate units
Bevel: Controls appearance of bevel around the item; can also be set to Plain
(flat) or None

Records Properties
Distance
between
records
Number
of items
displayed
Orders
Items
Modifying the Appearance of a Text Item (continued)
• Records:
Current Record Visual Attribute Group: Specifies the name of the visual
attribute to use when the item is part of the current record
Distance between records: Specifies the amount of space between instances of
the item in a multirecord block
Number of Items Displayed: Specifies the number of item instances that are
displayed for the item when the item is in a multirecord block
Instructor Note
Demonstration: Using the ordwk05.fmb file, show how to alter the width and height
of a text item. Show how to change the number of items displayed at run time.

Font and Color Properties
Use properties in the Font
and Color groups to
specify an item’s:
• Visual attributes
• Font name, size,
weight, style,
color, andpattern
• Visual Attributes: You set the Visual Attribute Group for an item or its prompt to
specify how the visual attributes are derived (select DEFAULT or a named Visual
Attribute).
• Color: The properties in this section specify the foreground color, background color,
and fill pattern for the item. You select these from color and pattern pickers.
• Font: The properties in this section determine the font used for the item, along with
its size, weight, style, and spacing. You can double-click the Font group to display a
Font dialog enabling you to set all these properties at once, or you can click the
individual properties to select each from an appropriate control, such as a pop-up list
or LOV.
Note: When the form module does not contain any named visual attribute objects, the
pop-up list for the Visual Attribute Group property shows only Default or Unspecified. An
item that has the Visual Attribute Group property set to default, or that has individual
attribute settings left unspecified, inherits those settings from the canvas to which it is
assigned.

Prompts
• A prompt specifies
the text label that is
associated with an
item.
• Several properties are
available to arrange
and manage prompts.
• Use prompt
properties to change
the appearance of an
item prompt.
You can control the appearance of the prompt, or label, of a text item using properties in
the following groups:
• Prompt: You can set the prompt text and other properties, such as:
Display Style: Pop-up list with choices of First Record, Hidden, and All
Records
Attachment Edge: Specifies the item edge to which the prompt is attached
Attachment Offset: Specifies the distance between the item and its prompt
• Prompt Color: The property in this section specifies the foreground color for the
item prompt. You can select this from a color picker.
• Prompt Font: The properties in this section determine the font that is used for the
item prompt, along with its size, weight, style, and spacing. You can double-click
the Prompt Font group to display a Font dialog enabling you to set all these
properties at once, or you can click the individual properties to select each from an
appropriate control, such as a pop-up list or LOV.

Associating Text with an Item Prompt
1
2
3
4
Associating Text with an Item Prompt
The Forms Builder Layout Editor has a tool called Associate Prompt which enables you to
create a prompt for an item using any boilerplate text displayed in the editor. To create a
prompt-item association using the Associate Prompt tool, perform the following steps:
1. Open the Layout Editor window.
2. Select the item and boilerplate text you want as the item’s prompt in the editor.
3. Click the Associate Prompt tool.
4. If you are replacing an existing prompt, answer Yes to the dialog box.

Controlling the Data of a Text Item
Use properties in Data group
to control the data:
• Type
• Length
• Format
• Value
1 2 3 4 5US7ASCII
VARCHAR2(5 CHAR)
1 2 3 4 5JA16SJIS
VARCHAR2(5 CHAR)
1 2 3UTF8
VARCHAR2(5 CHAR)
Controlling the Data of a Text Item
The properties in the Data group of the text item are used to control the way data is
displayed and entered. You can see descriptions of any of these properties by clicking the
property in the Property Palette, then pressing [F1]. Some of these properties are:
• Data Type: Enables you to choose CHAR, DATE, DATETIME, and NUMBER; the
others listed are for backward compatibility.
• Data Length Semantics: You can set to Null, BYTE, or CHAR to be compatible
with multiple character sets. If Data Length Semantics is CHAR, the correct amount
of storage will be automatically allocated as required for the Maximum Length with
either a single-byte or multi-byte character set.
• Maximum Length: Specifies the maximum length of the data value that can be
stored in an item. If the Maximum Length exceeds the display width of the item,
Forms automatically enables the end user to scroll horizontally.
Note: In the example on the slide, whether the form operator is using a single-,
double-, or variable-byte character set, the right amount of storage is allocated. To
hold the same value if the Data Length Semantics had been set to BYTE, the
Maximum Length would have needed to be 5 for single-byte, 10 for double-byte,
and an unknown value for a variable-byte character set.

Controlling the Data of a Text Item:
Format
Format masks:
• Standard SQL formats
– Dates FXDD-MON-YY
– Numbers L099G990D99
• Nonstandard formats
Use double quotes for
embedded characters
“(“099”)”099“-”0999
Note: Allow for format mask’s
embedded characters when
defining Width property.
Controlling the Data of a Text Item (continued)
• Format Mask: You can specify any format mask that is valid for the data type.
Use the Format Mask property to specify the format in which the user sees the item
value.
Use standard SQL formatting syntax for dates and numbers; for example,
DD/MM/YY and $99,999.99.
Enclose non-SQL standard embedded characters in double quotes; for
example, hyphen (-) and comma (,).
Note: It is recommended that you avoid creating individual masks if the general
purpose masks (see Lesson 1) will suffice.
FX Format Mask: The FX format mask in a date value ensures that the date is
entered exactly as defined in the mask. Element D is for decimal and G is a group
(thousands) separator.
Example: With a date format of DD/MM/YY, valid entries are: 10/12/00, 10 12 00,
10-DEC-00, or 101200. You can enter any character to represent the (/) in the value.
Allow for the embedded characters of the format mask when defining the Width
property. The embedded characters are used only for display purposes and are not
stored in the database.

Initial Values:
• Are used for every new record
• Can be overwritten
• Must be compatible with item’s data type
• Use:
– Raw value
– System variable
– Global variable
– Form parameter
– Form item
– Sequence
Values
• Required: Specifies whether Forms will allow the item to have a null value. When
you create a data block, Forms derives this value from the existence of a NOT
NULL constraint on the database column, but you can change the value.
• Lowest/Highest Allowed Value: Specifies range of accepted values
• Initial Value: Specifies default value assigned to an item whenever a record is
created; can be set to select from a sequence. Must be compatible with the item data
type. If the Lowest/Highest Allowed values are specified, the initial value cannot be
outside the range.

Creating an Initial Value
You can use any one of the following values to issue an initial item value whenever a new
record is created:
• Raw value
Example: 340, RICHMOND
• System variable
Variables giving current application server operating system date/time:
Variables giving current database date/time:
• Global variable
Example: :GLOBAL.CUSTOMER_ID
• Form parameter
Example: :PARAMETER.SALES_REP_ID
• Form item
Example: :ORDERS.ORDER_ID
• Sequence
The initial value can reference a sequence in the database. Forms automatically
writes generated sequence numbers into the text item. To use a sequence, enter:
:sequence.<sequence name>.nextval.
Example: :SEQUENCE.ORDERS_SEQ.NEXTVAL
Variable Format
$$DATE$$ DD-MON-YY
$$DATETIME$$ DD-MON-YYYY hh:mi[:ss]
$$TIME$$ hh:mi[:ss]
Variable Format
$$DBDATE$$ DD-MON-YY
$$DBDATETIME$$ DD-MON-YYYY hh:mi[:ss]
$$DBTIME$$ hh:mi[:ss]

ORDERS
Sales
1Region Id
Name
Id Last Name First Name Title Dept Id
3 Nagayama Midori VP, Sales 31
11 Magee Colin Sales Rep 31
Employee
31Id
Copy Value from Item
<data_block_name>.<item_name>
Dept
• Copy Value from Item: Specifies the source of the value that Forms uses to
populate the item. When you define a master-detail relation, Forms Builder sets this
property automatically on the foreign key item(s) in the detail block. In such cases,
the Copy Value from Item property names the primary key item in the master block
whose value gets copied to the foreign key item in the detail block whenever a detail
record is created or queried.
Note: The text item should disable input; otherwise, the user could violate the
foreign-key relationship. To prevent this, set the Enabled property to No for the
foreign-key item, or do not display it at all.
Instructor Note
When data blocks are related through a compound join, the Copy Value from Item
property is set on two or more foreign-key items in the detail data block.

Synchronize with Item
• Synchronize with Item: Specifies the name of the item from which the current item
should derive its value and synchronizes the values of the two items, so that they
effectively mirror each other. When the end user or the application changes the
value of either item, the value of the other item changes also.
Instructor Note
You can use the Synchronize with Item property to create more than one item in a single
data block that displays the same database column values.

Altering Navigational Behavior of
Text Items
• Established by order of
entries in Object Navigator
• Alter by:
– Keyboard Navigable
– Previous Navigation Item
– Next Navigation Item
Controlling the Navigational Behavior of Text Items
You can see the default navigational sequence of items in the Object Navigator, as the
item entries are displayed in the navigational order. However, you can also use the
Navigation group properties to control the navigational behavior of a text item.
Note: The next or previous navigation item must be in the same data block as the current
item.
Navigation Property Function
Keyboard Navigable Determines whether you can navigate to an item during
default navigation with the function keys or menu items
and place focus on it. When this property is set to No,
Forms skips over the item and enters the next navigable
item in the default navigation sequence.
Previous Navigation Item Determines the previous item to be visited when you
navigate out of the current item
Next Navigation Item Determines the next item to be visited when you
navigate out of the current item

Enhancing the Relationship Between Text
Item and Database
Use properties in the Database
group to control:
• Item’s data source—base
table item or control item
• Query, insert, and update
operations on an item
• Maximum query length
• Query case
Enhancing the Relationship Between Text Item and Database
You can alter or enhance the way in which a text item interacts with its corresponding
database column by setting the Database group properties. Some of these are:
• Database Item: Indicates whether the item is a database column
• Query/Insert/Update Allowed: Controls whether DML operations are allowed
• Query Length: Specifies the maximum length of query criterion in Enter Query
mode
• Case Insensitive Query: Controls whether case is recognized in query processing
Note: When you create an item in a data block, Forms Builder assumes that the item is a
data item, sets its Database Item property to Yes, and automatically includes it in any
SELECT, UPDATE, and INSERT statements issued to the database. If an item that you
are creating is a control item, you must explicitly set its Database Item property to No.
Instructor Note
• Setting Case Insensitive Query to Yes may take queries longer to execute.
• Update Allowed must be set to No before setting Update Only if NULL to Yes.
• You can use Update Only if NULL for a value that should be set only once, for
example, a ship date. Once an order is shipped the ship date cannot be modified.

Adding Functionality to a Text Item
Item
Id Product Id Price Quantity Item Total
10011 135 500 67,500.00
10013 380 400 152,000.00
1
2
Order
CREDITOrder Id 100
Enabled=No
Case
Restriction=
Upper
Justification = Start
Justification = Right
Payment
Type
Adding Functionality to a Text Item
Augment the default functionality of a text item by introducing some of the additional
features you can set in the Functional group of the Property Palette. Some of these are
depicted above or will be discussed in the next few pages. For descriptions of other
properties in the Functional group, select the property in the Property Palette and press
[F1].
Note
• The Enabled property set to No grays out the item. If you want the item to appear
normally but do not want the users to change it, do the following:
Set Insert Allowed to No.
Set Update Allowed to No.
Set Enabled to Yes.
• A pop-up menu is a context-sensitive menu that enables users to access common
functions and commands quickly. It is a top-level object in the Object Navigator and
belongs to a form module (as opposed to a form menu, which belongs to a separate
menu module).

Adding Functionality to a Text Item:
Conceal Data Property
Adding Functionality to a Text Item (continued)
Conceal Data: Hides characters that the operator types into the text item. This setting is
typically used for password protection. Choose Yes to disable the echoing back of data
entered by the operator; with this setting, the entered value displays as an asterisk for each
character entered.
Note: Conceal Data set to Yes is valid only for single-line text items.
Instructor Note
Demonstration: Using the ordwk05.fmb file, show the run-time effects of changing
the Enabled, Justification, Multi-Line, Case Restriction, Conceal Data, and Automatic
Skip properties.

Keyboard Navigable and Enabled
• Set both properties to
allow or disallow
navigation and interaction
with text item.
• When Enabled is set to
Yes, Keyboard Navigable
can be set to Yes or No.
• When Enabled is set to No,
the item is always
nonnavigable.
Setting Keyboard Navigable and Enabled Properties
You can set the Keyboard Navigable and Enabled properties for items to specify whether
operators can navigate to and interact with them. The Enabled property determines
whether end users can use the mouse to manipulate an item. The following table describes
the behavior of combinations of these settings:
Enabled
Keyboard
Navigable Navigation Behavior
Yes Yes Item is included during default navigation. The item can be
navigated to and manipulated with the mouse.
Yes No Item is excluded during default navigation. The item can be
No No Item is excluded during default navigation. The item cannot be
No Yes Item is excluded during default navigation. The item cannot be
navigated to and manipulated with the mouse. The Keyboard
Navigable property is also effectively set to No.

Multi-line Text Items
Text
Text
Text
Text
Width
Height
Total text = Maximum length
Adding Functionality to a Text Item (continued)
Multi-Line: Determines whether the text item displays in a single-line or multi-line
region. Use multi-line text items to display and/or edit such items as addresses, comments,
or descriptions. The data in a multi-line text item must be of Char, Alpha, or Long
datatype, not numeric or date.
Setting the Multi-Line property to Yes enables a text item to store multiple lines of text,
but it does not automatically make the item large enough to display multiple lines. It is up
to you to set the Width, Height, Font Size, and Maximum Length properties to ensure that
the desired number of lines and characters are displayed.
Note: Setting right or center justification for scrollable text items may result in values
being hidden from the user.
Wrap Style: For multi-line text items, specifies how text is displayed when a line of text
exceeds the width of a text item or editor window.

Displaying Helpful Messages:
Help Properties
Hint
Tooltip
Displaying Helpful Messages
You can use the Help group properties to provide context-sensitive help to users:
Instructor Note
Tool tips are used most often for push buttons, which are discussed in Lesson 9.
Help Property Function
Hint Writes item-specific Help text that is displayed on the
message line at run time. The Help text is available
when input focus is on the item.
Display Hint Automatically Determines whether the hint for the item is displayed
automatically. If set to No, the hint displays only when
the operator presses [Help] or selects the Help
command on the default menu.
Tooltip Help text that should appear in a small box beneath the
item when the mouse enters the item. The item does not
need to have input focus for the tooltip to appear.
Tooltip Visual Attribute
Group
Specifies Visual Attribute to use for the tooltip

Summary
• Text items are interface objects that usually
correspond to database columns
• You can create a text item with:
– The Text Item tool in the Layout Editor
– The Create icon in the Object Navigator
– The Data Block Wizard
Summary
This lesson showed you how to create and modify a text item that Forms Builder creates
for each column flagged for inclusion in a data block.

Summary
• You can modify a text item in its Property Palette:
– General, Records, and Physical properties control
the appearance of the text item
– Data properties control the length, datatype, format,
and other aspects of the data.
– Navigation properties control how to navigate to
and from a text item.
– Database properties specify the relationship
between the text item and its corresponding
database column.
– Functional properties control how the text item
functions.
– Help properties specify the display of helpful
messages.
Summary (continued)
In particular, text items have properties that enable you to do the following:
• Modify their appearance
• Control the data stored in the item
• Alter navigational behavior
• Enhance the relationship with the database
• Add functionality
• Include Help information

Practice 7 Overview
• Deleting text items
• Modifying text item properties
• Creating text items
Practice 7 Overview
In this practice session you will create text items, alter the behavior and the appearance of
text items, and delete text items.
• Delete the region ID item in the CUSTOMERS form.
• Using the Property Palette, change the properties of several text items in the
CUSTOMERS data block to change their run-time appearance. Save and run the form
after the changes are applied.
• In the ORDERS form, create new text items to hold the customer name and sales rep
name values in the ORDERS block, and set the suggested properties. Change
additional text item properties in the ORDERS, ORDER_ITEMS, and
INVENTORIES data blocks to change their run-time appearance and behavior. Save
and run the form after the changes are applied.

Practice 7
CUSTGXX Form
1. Remove the NLS_Language and NLS_Territory items.
2. Make sure that the Phone_Numbers item accepts multi-line text to display. The
database column is long enough to accept two phone numbers if the second one is
entered without “+1” in front of the number.
3. Automatically display a unique, new customer number for each new record and
ensure that it cannot be changed.
Use the CUSTOMERS_SEQ sequence.
4. In the CUSTGXX form, resize and reposition the items. Add the boilerplate text
Customer Information. Reorder the items in the Object Navigator. Use the
screenshot as a guide.
5. Save and compile your form.
Click Run Form to run your form and test the changes.
Note: The entire form may not be visible at this time. This will be addressed in a
later lesson.
Instructor Note
Customer_Name and Sales_Rep_Name are created as text items in this course. They
could also be created as display items. Display items use less memory than text items.

ORDGXX Form
6. In the ORDERS block, create a new text item called Customer_Name.
Ensure that Customer_Name is not associated with the ORDERS table.
Do not allow insert, update, or query operations on this item, and make sure that
navigation is possible only by means of the mouse. Set the Prompt text to Customer
Name. Display this item on CV_ORDER canvas.
7. In the ORDERS block, create a new text item called Sales_Rep_Name.
Ensure that Sales_Rep_Name is not associated with the ORDERS table.
Do not allow insert, update, or query operations on this item and make sure that
navigation is possible only by means of the mouse. Set the Prompt text to Sales Rep
Name. Display this item on the CV_ORDER canvas.
8. Set the relevant property for Order_Date, so that it displays the current date
whenever a new record is entered.
9. In the ORDER_ITEMS block, create a new text item called Item_Total.
Ensure that Item_Total is not associated with the ORDER_ITEMS table.
Do not allow insert, update, or query operations on this item and make sure that
navigation is possible only by means of the mouse.
Allow numeric data only and display it by using a format of 999G990D99.
Set the Prompt text to Item Total. Display this item on the CV_ORDER canvas.
10. Justify the values of Unit_Price, Quantity, and Item_Total to the right.
11. Alter the Unit_Price item, so that navigation is possible only by means of the mouse,
and updates are not allowed. Set its format mask to be the same as that used for
Item_Total.
12. In the ORDGXX form, resize and reposition the items according to the screenshot
and the following table.
ORDERS
Block Items
Suggested
Width
Order_Id 60
Order_Date 65
Order_Mode 40
Customer_ID 40
Customer_Name 150
Order_Status 15
Sales_Rep_ID 40
Sales_Rep_Name 150
ORDER_ITEMS
Block Items
Suggested
Width
Line_Item_Id 25
Product_ID 35
Unit_Price 40
Quantity 40
Item_Total 50

13. In the INVENTORIES block, alter the number of instances of the Product_ID, so
that it is displayed just once. Make its prompt display to the left of the item.
14. Arrange the items and boilerplate on CV_INVENTORY, so that it resembles the
screenshot.
Hint: Set the Update Layout property for the frame to Manually.
15. Save, compile, and run the form to test the changes.

Creating LOVs and Editors
30 minutes Lecture
60 minutes Total

Objectives
the following:
• Describe LOVs and editors
• Design, create, and associate LOVs with text items
in a form module
• Create editors and associate them with text items
in a form module
Introduction
Overview
With Oracle Forms Developer you can enhance your application with lists of available
values and text editors to supplement the text item object. In this lesson you will learn
how to create lists of values (LOVs) and text editors, and to associate them with items in
your application.

Overview of LOVs and Editors
Text item
Editor
Text item Text item
LOV
Supporting data
record group
What Are LOVs and Editors?
Lists of values (LOV) and editors are objects in a form module that each open their own
window when activated at run time. They are defined at the form level, which means you
can use them to support text items in any block of the form module.
LOVs
An LOV is a scrollable pop-up window that enables a user to pick the value of an item
from a multicolumn dynamic list. The user can reduce the lines displayed in the list by
simple automatic reduction techniques, or by search strings.
Each line in an LOV can present several field values, with column headings above. You
can design your LOV to retrieve some or all of the field values from the line chosen by
the user, and place them into form items or variables.
LOVs have the following qualities:
• Dynamic: The list entries can change to reflect changes in the source data.
• Independent: The designer can invoke an LOV from any text item, or from outside
a text item if called programmatically.
• Flexible: You can use the same LOV to support several items, if appropriate (for
example, product_ID, product_name).
• Efficient: You can design LOVs to reuse data already loaded into the form, instead
of accessing the database for every call. This is useful where data is relatively static.

Overview of LOVs and Editors
• LOVs
– List of values for text items
– Dynamic or static list
– Independent of single text items
– Flexible and efficient
• Editors
– Override default editor
– Used for special requirements such as larger
editing window, position, color, and title
What Are LOVs and Editors? (continued)
How to use an LOV at run time
When a text item has an LOV attached, the List of Values lamp displays on the status line,
while the cursor is in the item.
1. Either press the List of Values key, or select Edit > Display List to invoke the LOV.
2. Select an entry in the displayed list. You can type characters to automatically reduce
the list, or enter a search string in the Find field.
3. Click OK to retrieve the line value.
Note: Automatic reduction works by comparing the search string entered with the values
displayed in the first column of the LOV. If you start your search criteria with a %
symbol, Forms performs a search on all LOV columns.

What Are LOVs and Editors? (continued)
Editors
With a text editor enabled the user can view multiple lines of a text item simultaneously,
search and replace text in it, and generally modify the value of an item from this separate
window.
You can use one of two editors at run time:
• Forms Builder default editor
• User-named editor
Every text item has the default editor available, but you can design your own replacement
editor for those items that have special requirements such as larger editing window,
position, color, and title.
By overriding the default editor for a text item, you can provide a larger editing window
for items with potentially large textual values.
How to use an editor at run time
With the cursor in the text item to be edited, follow these steps:
1. Press the Edit key, or select Edit > Edit to invoke the attached editor.
2. Edit the text in the Editor window. Forms Builder editors provide a Search button
that invokes an additional search-and-replace dialog box for manipulating text.
3. Click OK to write your changes back to the text item.
Instructor Note
• The EDIT_TEXTITEM built-in invokes the editor associated with the current text
item. The SHOW_EDITOR built-in invokes a user-named editor at the specified
display coordinates.
• Previous versions of Forms allowed use of the system editor in client/server mode.
However, this is not available for Web-deployed forms.

LOVs and Record Groups
Text item
LOV
Text item
LOV
Database
Record group Record groupRecord group
based on
static data
Query-based
record
group
OR
SQL
When you build an LOV, consider the following objects:
• Record group: A Forms Builder object that is used to store the array of values that
are presented by an LOV (The record group can be created first or as part of the
LOV creation process if based on a query.)
• LOV: The list itself, which presents one or more column values from the supporting
record group in the LOV window (It enables the user to select values, and then write
values back to specified items or variables.)
• Text items: The main text item that you attach to an LOV is usually one that the
LOV returns a value to. You can call the LOV from this item to provide possible
values for it. A single LOV can return values to several items. You can attach the
LOV to any text item from which the same list of values needs to be viewed,
whether or not it will receive a value.
Instructor Note
Older versions of Forms supported a different type of LOV not based on a record group,
called Old-Style (also known as V2.3-style). This is no longer supported.

EMPLOYEES
table
SELECT employee_id, first_name ||
' '|| last_name NAME,
phone_number
FROM employees
WHERE job_id = 'SA_REP'
ORDER BY last_name
Employee_id Name
Sales Rep record group
Sales Representatives LOV
LOVs and Record Groups (continued)
Record Groups
A record group is a column-and-row structure stored within Forms Runtime memory and
is similar to the structure of a database table. It holds records that can be reused by other
Oracle Forms applications and Oracle Reports applications, hence reducing repeated
access to external data.
Record groups can be designed to contain static values. Alternatively, they can be
populated programmatically at run time or, most commonly, populated by a SQL query.
In this lesson, you use record groups to support LOVs.
Record groups can provide the following:
• Data that is presented by LOVs
• Data for dynamic list items
• Other application-defined uses
Note: Because LOVs and record groups are separate objects, you can create multiple
LOVs based on the same record group.

Creating an LOV Manually
1
2
3
4
Creating an LOV Manually
Because Forms Builder has an LOV Wizard for you to use in creating LOVs and their
associated record groups, you may never need to create an LOV manually. However,
knowing how to do so helps you to understand how to set the properties of the record
group, the LOV, and the item to which it is attached, even if using the Wizard.
The steps to create an LOV manually are:
1. Create the record group. You will need to type in the query on which the record
group is based.
2. Create the LOV and set its Record Group property to the appropriate record group.
3. Set the LOV property Column Mapping. You must type in the columns and their
headings, then select a return item for each item that you want to populate from the
LOV.
4. Assign the LOV to any text items from which you want the LOV to be available.
Instructor Note
Demonstrate this for the students how an LOV can be created manually, following the
above steps. To create the record group and the LOV, select the appropriate node in the
Object Navigator and click Create.

Creating an LOV with the LOV Wizard:
SQL Query Page
Edit query
if needed
Creating an LOV with the LOV Wizard
It is easy to make a mistake or to forget one of the manual steps. This can be avoided by
using the LOV Wizard, which guides you through the process. To create an LOV with the
wizard, perform the following steps:
1. Launch the LOV Wizard.
The Welcome page appears. Click Next. The LOV Source page appears.
2. Specify the LOV source in the LOV Source page. Choose an existing record group
or create a new one based on a query. The default option is New Record Group
based on a query. Click Next to select the default. The SQL Query page appears.
3. In the SQL Query page specify the query that is used for the record group. You
cannot include a column of a complex object data type. Use one of the following
three options for constructing the query:
Click Build SQL Query to use Query Builder.
Click Import SQL Query to import the query from a file.
Type the SQL syntax in the SQL Query Statement field to enter the query
directly. Then click Check Syntax.
After defining the query, click Next. The Column Selection page appears.
Note: See Appendix G for more information about Query Builder.

Column Selection Page
Creating an LOV with the LOV Wizard (continued)
4. In the Column Selection page, select the record columns that you want to include in
the LOV. Click Next. The Column Properties page displays.

Column Properties Page
5. In the Column Properties page, specify the title, width and return value for each
LOV column. Note that Return Value is optional. Click Next. The LOV Display
page displays.

Display Page
6. In the LOV Display page, specify the title, the width, and the height of the LOV
window. You can choose to display it at a set position that you manually define, or
let Forms position it automatically. Click Next. The Advanced Options page
displays.

Advanced Properties Page
7. In the Advanced Options page, set the additional advanced properties. Specify:
The number of records at a time to be fetched from the database
If the LOV records should be queried each time the LOV is invoked
If the user should be presented with a dialog box to add criteria before the
LOV is displayed
Click Next. The Assign to Item page displays.

Assign to Item Page
8. In the Assign to Item page, select the items to which your LOV should be attached.
At run time, the LOV will be available from these items so that operators may use it
while input focus is in one of these items. Click Next. The Finish page displays.
9. On the Finish page, click Finish to complete the LOV creation process.
Note: The LOV Wizard is reentrant, so you can use it to modify the LOV after it is
created. In the Object Navigator, click the LOV to be modified, and choose Tools > LOV
Wizard from the menu.

LOV Properties
Filter Before
Display
?
(X,Y)
Automatic
Select
Automatic
Skip
Width
Height
LOV
Column Mapping
Return Items
Setting LOV Properties
After you create an LOV, open its Property Palette to define its properties. Some of these
properties are the following:
• X and Y Position: Specify screen coordinates for the LOV window in the form
coordinate units
• Width and Height: Define size of the LOV window in the current form coordinate
units; can be adjusted by form operator
• Column Mapping: Click the button labeled “More…” to open the LOV Column
Mapping window
• Filter Before Display: Determines whether the user should be prompted with a
dialog box that enables them to enter a search value before the LOV is invoked;
value will be used as additional restriction on first column in the query
• Automatic Display: Controls whether LOV should be invoked automatically when
form operator enters an item to which the LOV is attached
• Automatic Select: Specifies if LOV should close and return values automatically
when reduced to single entry
• Automatic Skip: Determines whether cursor skips to next navigable item when
operator selects a value from LOV to populate text item

Setting LOV Properties
LOV
Column Mapping
Automatic
Position
Automatic
Column Width
Return Items
Setting LOV Properties (continued)
• Automatic Refresh: If Yes, record group reexecutes query every time LOV is
invoked; if No, query fires only first time LOV is invoked in the session
• Automatic Position: Determines whether Forms automatically positions LOV near
item from which it was invoked
• Automatic Column Width: Determines if Forms automatically sets the width of
each column so entire title displays if the title is longer than the column display
width
Note: More than one LOV can be based on the same record group. When this is the case
and you set Automatic Refresh to No, Forms Builder will not reexecute the LOV query
once any of the associated LOVs is invoked.

LOVs: Column Mapping
Employee_id
orders.sales_rep_id orders.sales_rep_name orders.salesrep_phone
Hidden
column
Phone number
1-415-555-6281
The Column Mapping Properties
When you click the More property control button for Column Mapping Properties, the
LOV Column Mapping dialog box opens, with the following elements:
• Column Names: Lets you select an LOV column for mapping or defining a column
• Return Item: Specifies the name of the form item or variable to which Forms
should assign the column value. If null, the column value is not returned from the
LOV. If you want to return a value, specify one of the following:
Block_name.item_name
GLOBAL.variable_name
PARAMETER.parameter_name
• Display Width: Width of column display in LOV; value of zero causes column to
be hidden, but value is available for return
• Column Title: Heading for column in LOV window
To set a column mapping in this dialog, first select the column from the Column Names
list, then set the other mapping values, as required.
Note: The record group columns and LOV columns must remain compatible.
You can modify the record group query from its own properties list.

The Column Mapping Properties (continued)
Associating an LOV with a Text Item
So that the user can invoke an LOV from a text item, you must specify the LOV name in
the Property Palette of the text item.
1. Select the text item in the Object Navigator from which the LOV is to be accessible.
2. In the item Property Palette, set the List of Values property to the required LOV.
Remember that the List of Values lamp is displayed when the user navigates to this text
item, indicating that the LOV is available through the List of Values key or menu
command.
Instructor Note
• Do not put a colon in front of the Return Item object names.
• To add extra spaces between columns in the LOV window, set the Display Width
wider than the column default width. However, you cannot increase the width
between a number column and a nonnumber column this way because LOVs display
numbers right-justified.
• You can also attach an LOV to a text item programmatically with the
SET_ITEM_PROPERTY built-in.
Demonstration
Demonstrate how mapping column values to global variables and changing the record
group query at run time enable you to use the same LOV for more than one set of items.
From the demo directory, open the form LOV_Demo.fmb. Show the students that the
form uses one LOV and one record group. The LOV is assigned to both the Sales_Rep_Id
and the Manager_Id items. Look at the column mapping property of the LOV to see that
the ID and NAME returned by the query are assigned to global variables.
Now examine the code in the Key-Listval triggers for the Sales_Rep_Id and the
Manager_Id items. Do not emphasize the code itself to students because they have not
learned how to code triggers yet – just summarize what is being accomplished:
• The record group is repopulated with a different query for each item prior to
displaying the LOV
• The global variables from the LOV are being assigned to the text items. So indirect
mapping to multiple sets of text items can be accomplished by mapping LOV
column values to global variables, and then assigning the global variables to the
desired text items after invoking the LOV.
Run the form and invoke the LOV from both the Sales Rep ID and the Manager ID items.
You can see that two different sets of records are displayed by the same LOV for the two
different text items, and when you choose an entry, it is assigned to the correct set of text
items (either Sales Rep ID and Sales Rep Name, or Manager ID and Manager Name).

Defining an Editor
Defining an Editor
If the user needs to use an editor on text values, the default Forms Builder editor is usually
sufficient for most items. However, you can design your own customized editor as an
object in a form module, and then attach it to the text items that need it.
How to create a customized editor
1. Select the Editors node in the Object Navigator, then click Create. A new editor
object is displayed in the list.
2. Select the new editor in the Object Navigator, and then access its Property Palette,
where you can set its name and other properties.

Setting Editor Properties
Defining an Editor (continued)
Setting Editor properties
The following properties show the individual tailoring that is possible by creating your
own editor:
• Title/Bottom Title: Displays at top or bottom of editor window
• Width/Height: Control size of editor window and hence its editing area
• X/Y Position: Screen position for editor; can be overridden by a text item property
• Wrap Style: How text wraps in the window: None, Character, or Word
• Show Vertical Scrollbar: Specify Yes to add vertical scroll bar to editor window
Instructor Note
Demonstration: Show how to create an editor.

Associating an Editor with a Text Item
• Associate one of two
types of editors with a
text item.
• Set text item’s Editor
property to one of the
following:
– Null (default Forms
Builder editor)
– Editor name
(customized editor)
Associating an Editor with a Text Item
To associate an editor with a text item, you must specify the editor in the Property Palette
of the text item.
Select the text item in the Object Navigator from which the editor is to be accessible.
In the item Property Palette, set the Editor property to one of the following settings:
• Null: The text item uses the default Forms Builder editor.
• Editor Name: The text item uses the named editor that you have created and
customized in this module.

Summary
• An LOV is a scrollable pop-up window that
enables a user to pick the value of an item from a
multicolumn dynamic list
• The easiest way to design, create, and associate
LOVs with text items is to use the LOV Wizard
• An Editor is a separate window that enables the
user to view multiple lines of a text item
simultaneously, search and replace text in it, and
modify the text
• You create editors in the Object Navigator and
associate them with text items in the item's
Property Palette
Summary
In the lesson, you learned that lists of values (LOVs) and text editors can be used to
support text items. Both LOVs and editors are objects in a form module that open their
own window when activated at run time and are used to support text items in any block of
the form module.
• LOVs and editors can be shared across text items.
• The steps to implement an LOV are:
1. Create a new LOV (and record group).
2. Define column mapping for return items.
3. Attach the LOV to text items, as required.
• The LOV Wizard performs these steps automatically.
• Text items can use the default editor or a user-named editor.

Practice 8 Overview
• Creating an LOV and attaching the LOV to a text
item
• Creating an Editor and attaching it to a text item
Practice 8 Overview
In this practice session, you will create three LOVs and an editor.
• Using the LOV Wizard, create an LOV in the ORDERS form to display product
numbers and their descriptions. Attach the LOV to the Product_ID item in the
ORDER_ITEMS data block.
• Using the LOV Wizard, create an LOV in the ORDERS form to display Sales
Representatives’ IDs and names. Attach the LOV to the Sales_Rep_ID item in the
ORDERS data block. Save and run the form.
• Using the LOV wizard, create an LOV in the CUSTOMERS form to display sales
representatives’ numbers and their names. Attach the LOV to the ACCT_MGR_ID
item in the CUSTOMERS data block. Save and run the form.
• In the CUSTOMERS form, create an editor for the Phone_Numbers item.

Practice 8
1. In the ORDGXX form, create an LOV to display product numbers and descriptions
to be used with the Product_Id item in the ORDER_ITEMS block.
Use the PRODUCTS table and select the Product_Id and Product_Name columns.
Assign a title of Products to the LOV. Sort the list by the product name. Assign a
column width of 25 for Product_Id, and assign the LOV a width of 200 and a height
of 250. Position the LOV 30 pixels below and to the right of the upper-left corner.
For the Product_Id column, set the return item to ORDER_ITEMS.PRODUCT_ID.
Attach the LOV to the Product_Id item in the ORDER_ITEMS block. Change the
name of the LOV to PRODUCTS_LOV and the name of the record group to
PRODUCTS_RG.
2. In the ORDGXX form, use the LOV Wizard to create an LOV to display sales
representatives’ numbers and their names. Use the EMPLOYEES table,
Employee_Id, First_Name, and Last_Name columns. Concatenate the First_Name
and the Last_Name columns and give the alias of Name. Select employees whose
Job_ID is SA_REP.
Assign a title of Sales Representatives to the LOV. Assign a column width of 20 for
ID, and assign the LOV a width of 200 and a height of 250. Position the LOV 30
pixels below and to the right of the upper-left corner. For the ID column, set the
return item to ORDERS.SALES_REP_ID; for the Name column, set the return item
to ORDERS.SALES_REP_NAME. Attach the LOV to the Sales_Rep_Id item in the
ORDERS block.
Change the name of the LOV to SALES_REP_LOV and the record group to
SALES_REP_RG.
3. Save and compile your form.
4. In the CUSTGXX form, use the LOV Wizard to create an LOV to display account
managers’ numbers and their names. Use the EMPLOYEES table, Employee_Id,
First_Name, and Last_Name columns. Concatenate the First_Name and the
Last_Name columns and give the alias of Name. Select employees whose Job_ID is
SA_MAN.
Assign a title of Account Managers to the LOV. Assign a column width of 20 for ID,
and assign the LOV a width of 200 and a height of 250. Position the LOV 30 pixels
below and to the right of the upper-left corner. For the ID column, set the return item
to CUSTOMERS.ACCOUNT_MGR_ID. Attach the LOV to the Account_Mgr_Id
item in the CUSTOMERS block.
Change the name of the LOV to ACCOUNT_MGR_LOV and the record group to
ACCOUNT_MGR_RG.
5. In the CUSTGXX form, create an editor and attach it to the Phone_Numbers item.
Set the title to Phone Numbers, the bottom title to Max 30 Characters, the
background color to gray, and the foreground color to yellow.
6. Save, compile, and run the form to test the changes. Resize the window if necessary.
Instructor Note
If students try to include an object type column in the LOV query, they will receive an
error. See Bug 2338467.

Creating Additional Input Items
40 minutes Lecture
85 minutes Total

Objectives
the following:
• Identify the item types that allow input
• Create a check box
• Create a list item
• Create a radio group
Introduction
Overview
In addition to text items, Oracle Forms Developer provides a variety of other item types.
These can be divided into two groups: those that accept input and those that do not. This
lesson covers input items and how they are used.

Input Items Overview
What are input items?
• Item types that accept user input include:
– Check boxes
– List items
– Radio groups
• Input items enable insert, update, delete, and
query.
What Are Input Items?
Input item is a generic term for Forms Builder item types that accept user input.
These item types include the following:
• Check box
• List item
• Radio group
What can you do with Input Items?
When you create input items, they already have some initial functionality. Through items
you can interact with the database in the following ways:
• Insert values
• Update existing values
• Delete existing values
• Query existing values
Note: You can add functionality to input items with triggers and PL/SQL program units.

Check Boxes Overview
What Are Check Boxes?
• Two-state interface object:
– Checked
– Unchecked
• Not limited to two values
What Is a Check Box?
A check box is a two-state interface object that indicates whether a certain value is ON or
OFF. The display state of a check box is always either checked or unchecked.
You can use check boxes to enhance the user interface by converting existing items that
have two possible states. Although a check box is limited to two states, it is not limited to
just two values. You specify the value to represent Checked, the value to represent
Unchecked, and how other values are processed.
Using a Check Box at Run Time
You can do the following at run time:
• Set check box values either by user input, by means of the Initial Value property, or
programmatically
• In Enter Query mode:
Query checked values by clicking one or more times until item is checked.
Query unchecked values by clicking one or more times until item is
unchecked.
Ignore check box values in Enter Query mode by not selecting or deselecting
the initial displayed value.

Creating a Check Box
• Convert an existing item.
• Use the Check Box tool in the Layout Editor.
• Use the Create icon in the Object Navigator.
Creating a Check Box
A check box can be created by:
1. Converting an existing item
2. Using the Check Box tool in the Layout Editor
3. Using the Create icon in the Object Navigator (creates a text item which you can
convert to a check box)

Converting an Existing Item into a
Check Box
Convert text item
to check box
How to Convert an Existing Item into a Check Box
You can convert an existing item into a check box by changing the Item Type property to
Check Box in the Property Palette and setting other relevant properties.
1. Invoke the Property Palette for the item that you want to convert.
2. Set the Item Type property to Check Box.
3. Enter a check box label.
4. Enter values for the checked and the unchecked states.
5. Set the Check Box Mapping of Other Values property.
6. Enter an initial value for the check box item.
Note: The check box label that you specify is displayed to the right of the check box
element at run time. If the complete label name is not displayed, adjust it in the Layout
Editor. If the item already has a prompt, delete it in the item Property Palette.

Creating a Check Box in the Layout Editor
Use check box tool
in Layout Editor
How to Create a Check Box in the Layout Editor
You can also create a check box by using the Check Box tool in the Layout Editor.
2. Set the canvas and block to those on which you want the check box item to be
displayed.
3. Click the Check Box tool.
4. Click the canvas in the position where you want the check box to be displayed.
5. Double-click the check box to invoke its Property Palette.
6. Set the properties as required.
Instructor Note
Demonstration: Using the ordwk07.fmb file, convert the Order_Mode item to a check
box item. Point out that the object icon for this check box item changes automatically in
the Object Navigator.

Setting Check Box Properties
• Data Type
• Label
• Access Key
• Value When Checked
• Value When Unchecked
• Check Box Mapping of
Other Values
• Mouse Navigate
Setting Check Box Properties
The following properties may be set to affect the appearance and behavior of check boxes:
• Data Type: Must be compatible with values specified in the Value properties
• Label: Text label displayed next to check box item (independent of check box
value)
• Access Key: Which combination of keys may be used to navigate to this item and
check or uncheck it
• Initial Value: Initial value of the item for new record, determining whether check
box is initially checked or unchecked
• Value When Checked: Value to represent check state of the check box
• Value When Unchecked: Value to represent unchecked state of the check box
• Check Box Mapping of Other Values: How other values are to be processed (NOT
ALLOWED, CHECKED, or UNCHECKED)

Setting Check Box Properties (continued)
• Mouse Navigate: Whether Forms navigates to and moves input focus to the item
when the user activates the item with the mouse (default is Yes)
Instructor Note
The Mouse Navigate property is valid only for buttons, check boxes, list items, and radio
group items. When Mouse Navigate is set to Yes, Forms navigates to the item, firing any
appropriate navigation and validation triggers on the way.

Check Box Mapping of Other Values
Y
Y
N
Null
A
Order_Mode Checked
Unchecked
Check Box Mapping of
Other Values
Unchecked
Y
N
Dealing with Other Values
If your base table column accepts other values, then your check box should account for
them. You can assign other values to either the checked or unchecked states by using the
Check Box Mapping of Other Values property. Alternatively, you can choose not to
accept other values with the Not Allowed setting.
Note: If you choose not to accept other values and they exist in the base table column,
Forms ignores the entire record during query processing.
Dealing with Null Values
If your base table column accepts null values, you can account for them by one of the
following methods:
• Set the Check Box Mapping of Other Values property.
• Set the checked or unchecked state to represent null (leave the value blank).
Instructor Note
You must specify a valid initial value, except under either of the following conditions:
• The Check Box Mapping of Other Values property is set to Checked or Unchecked.
• The value associated with Checked or Unchecked is NULL.

What Are List Items?
• Set of mutually exclusive choices, each
representing a different value
• Three list styles available:
• Space-saving alternative to a radio group
• Smaller-scale alternative to an LOV
List Items Overview
Poplist Combo BoxTlist
What Are List Items?
A list item is an interface object that displays a predefined set of choices, each
corresponding to a specific data value. You use the list item at run time to select a single
value. List choices or elements are mutually exclusive; one and only one can be selected
at a time.
The Three List Item Styles
• Poplist: Appears as a field with an iconic button attached to the right side (When
you click a poplist, all its list elements are displayed.)
• Tlist: Appears as a rectangular box that displays the list elements (When the display
area is not big enough to display all the list elements, a scroll bar is automatically
attached to the right side to view the remaining list elements.)
• Combo box: Appears as a field with a downarrow next to its right side (Use the
button to display all the combo box list elements. The combo box accepts user
input.)
Instructor Note
Demonstration: Open the form LIST_ITEMS.fmb and run it to show the different run
time behavior of the three types of list items.

What Are List Items? (continued)
Note: The poplist and combo box take up less space, but end users must open them to see
the list elements. A Tlist remains “open,” and end users can see multiple values at a time.
Use the attached scroll bar to see more values if the Tlist is not big enough to display all
the list elements.
Uses and Benefits of List Items
• Enable display of a defined set of choices
• Display a set of choices without using a vast area of canvas
• Provide an alternative to radio groups
• Provide a Windows-style list of values
Setting the Value for a List Item
The value for a list item can be set in any of the following ways:
• User selection
• User input (combo box style only)
• A default value
• Programmatic control
Instructor Note
What are some of the differences between a list item and an LOV?
List items:
• Are generally used for a small number of elements
• Do not have a Find button
• Cannot be attached to other items
• Have choices that are not based on a SELECT statement (although they can be if the
list elements are created programmatically)

Creating a List Item
• Use the List Item tool in the Layout Editor.
Creating a List Item
A list item can be created by:
• Converting an existing item
• Using the List Item tool in the Layout Editor
• Using the Create icon in the Object Navigator (this creates a text item that you can
convert to a list item)

Converting an Existing Item into a
List Item
How to Convert an Existing Item into a List Item
You can convert an existing item into a list item by changing its Item Type property to
List Item and setting the relevant properties.
2. Set the Item Type property to List Item.
3. Select the Elements in List property.
4. Click More.
The List Item Elements dialog box appears.
5. Enter the element that you want to appear in your list item in the List Elements
column.
6. Enter the value for the currently selected list element in the List Item Value field.
7. Create additional list elements and values by repeating steps 5 and 6.
8. Click OK to accept and close the List Item Elements dialog box.
9. Set the Other Values property to do one of the following:
Reject values other than those predefined as list values
Accept and default all other values to one of the predefined list element values
10. Enter an initial value for the list item.

Creating a List Item in the Layout Editor
Use list item tool
in Layout Editor
How to Create a List Item in the Layout Editor
You can also create a list item by using the List Item tool in the Layout Editor.
2. Set the canvas and block to those on which you want the list item to be displayed.
3. Select the List Item tool.
4. Click the canvas in the position where you want the list item to be displayed.
5. Double-click the list item to invoke its Property Palette.
6. Set the properties as required.
Technical Note
To obtain a list of available functions when defining list elements, select [Ctrl] + k
while the input focus is in the List Elements window. The Keys window may pop up
behind the List Elements window; if so, just move the List Elements window so that you
can see the Keys window.

Setting List Item Properties
• Elements in List:
– List elements
– List item value
• List Style
• Mapping of Other Values
• Mouse Navigate
Setting List Item Properties
• Elements in List: Clicking More opens List Item Elements dialog window, where
you specify:
List Elements: List elements that display at run time
List Item Value: Actual value that corresponds to the list element
• List Style: Display style of list item (Poplist, Tlist, or Combo Box)
• Mapping of Other Values: How other values are processed
• Mouse Navigate: Whether Forms navigates to the item and moves input focus to it
when the user activates the item with a mouse

List Item Mapping of Other Values
Order_Status
10
4
2
0
12
CREDIT order paid
New CASH order
List Elements
Mapping of Other
Values = 11 (Unknown)
Unknown
CASH backorder
New CREDIT order
Values for Forms Items Displayed Values
NULL Values in a List Item
If the base table column for a list item accepts NULL values, Forms Builder creates a
pseudochoice in the list to represent the null.
All three list styles display a blank field if a query returns a NULL value. If the Data
Required property is set to No:
• A poplist displays a blank element for a NULL value.
• The user can omit a selection for a TList or can press [Clear Field] to deselect all list
elements. This sets the list item to NULL.
• A combo box does not display a blank element. The end user must delete the default
value if the default value is not NULL.
Handling Other Values in a List Item
If the base table column for a list item accepts values other than those associated with
your list elements, you must specify how you want to handle the values. Do this in one of
the following ways:
• Ignore other values by leaving the Mapping of Other Values property blank.
• Associate the other values with one of the existing list elements (by naming either
the list element or its associated value) in the Mapping of Other Values property.

Radio Groups Overview
What are radio groups?
• Set of mutually exclusive radio buttons, each
representing a value
• Use:
– To display two or more static choices
– As an alternative to a list item
– As an alternative to a check box
What Are Radio Groups?
A radio group is an item where a set of radio buttons represents the possible values for the
item. These values and hence their corresponding radio buttons are mutually exclusive.
Uses and Benefits of Radio Groups
• Provide a choice between two or more static values
• Provide an alternative to list items with two or three choices
• Provide a choice between two alternatives, where choice is not On/Off or Yes/No;
for example, Landscape or Portrait print format
Note: Consider list items instead of radio groups if there are more than four or five
choices.
Using a Radio Group at Run Time
You can do the following at run time:
• Set radio group values:
By user input
By means of the Initial Value property
Programmatically
• Query individual radio button values

Creating a Radio Group
• Create a new radio button in the Layout Editor.
Creating a Radio Group
A radio group can be created by:
• Converting an existing item to a radio group
• Creating a new radio button in the Layout Editor (automatically creates a radio
group if none exists)
• Using the Create icon in the Object Navigator (this creates a text item that you can
convert to a radio group)

Converting Existing Item to Radio Group
Change Item Type and
set other properties
Create radio buttons for
the radio group
How to Convert an Existing Item into a Radio Group
You can convert an existing item to a radio group by changing the item type and setting
the properties for a radio group.
2. Set the Item Type property to Radio Group.
3. Set the Canvas property to the Canvas on which you want the radio buttons to
appear.
4. Set the Mapping of Other Values property to specify how the Radio Group should
handle any other values.
5. Set the Initial Value property, as required. This should be the name of a radio button.
6. Expand the item node in the Object Navigator.
The Radio Buttons node appears.
7. Select the Radio Buttons node and click the Create icon.
A radio button displays in the Object Navigator and the Property Palette takes on its
context.
8. Enter a name, value, and a label for the radio button.
9. Specify the display properties of the radio button.
10. Create additional radio buttons by repeating steps 6 through 8.

Creating Radio Group in Layout Editor
How to Create a Radio Group in the Layout Editor
You can also create a radio group by using the Radio Button tool in the Layout Editor.
2. Set the canvas and block to those on which you want the radio group to be
displayed.
3. Select the Radio Button tool.
4. Position the cursor at the desired location and click.
If you already have a radio group in the current block, the Radio Groups dialog box
appears and you must decide whether the new radio button should appear in the
existing group or a new one. If you select New, the new radio group is created
implicitly.
5. Double-click the radio button to invoke the Property Palette.
6. Set the radio button properties as required.
Instructor Note
The canvas property for a radio group is set in the Property Palette of the radio group. The
individual radio buttons do not have a canvas property.

Setting Radio Properties
Radio group: Radio button:
Setting Item Properties for Radio Group Items and Radio Buttons
You should set the following properties for radio groups:
• Data Type: Must be compatible with Mapping of Other Values for the Radio
Group, and Radio Button Value for each Radio Button in the group
• Mapping of Other Values: How values other than those specified are processed
• Mouse Navigate: Whether Forms navigates to the item when the operator activates
the item with the mouse
You should set the following properties for radio buttons:
• Label: Text that appears adjacent to the radio button (independent of the button
value)
• Access Key: Which combination of keys can be used to navigate to and manipulate
this radio button
• Radio Button Value: The value for this item if this radio button is selected
Instructor Note
You must specify a valid initial value, except under either of the following conditions:
• The radio group accepts other values.
• The value associated with one of the radio buttons is NULL.

Radio Group Mapping
of Other Values
Credit_Limit
500
2000
Null
5000
List Elements
LOW_BUTTON
Low
MEDIUM_BUTTON
Medium
HIGH_BUTTON
High
Mapping of
Other Values
2000
Values for Forms Items Displayed Values
Handling Other Values in a Radio Group
If the base table column for a radio group accepts values other than those associated with
your radio buttons, you must use one of the following methods to specify how you want to
handle the values:
• Ignore other values (by leaving the radio group’s Mapping of Other Values property
blank)
• Associate the other values with one of the existing radio buttons (by naming the
associated value of the button in the Mapping of Other Values property)
Note: Ignoring other values results in the entire row being ignored during query
processing.
NULL Values in a Radio Group
A radio group can treat NULL as a valid value. You should account for the NULL case, if
your base table column allows them. Do this in one of the following ways:
• Use the Mapping of Other Values property to implicitly force NULL to a radio
button.
• Assign the NULL to its own radio button.
Note: To assign a NULL value, leave the Radio Button Value property blank.

Summary
• Check boxes, list items, and radio groups are the
item types that allow input
• You create these items by:
– Changing the item type of an existing item
– Using the appropriate tool in the Layout Editor
• You can use a check box for items that have only
two possible states
• You can use a list item to enable users to pick
from a list of mutually exclusive choices
• You can use a radio group for two or three
mutually exclusive alternatives
Summary
In this lesson, you learned how to create items that accept direct user input. Use these
items to enhance the user interface:
• Check boxes: To convert items that have two possible states
• List items (Poplists, Tlists, and Combo boxes): To convert items that have
mutually exclusive choices
• Radio groups: To convert items with two or three alternatives that are mutually
exclusive

Practice 9 Overview
• Converting a text item into a list item
• Converting a text item into a check box item
• Converting a text item into a radio group
• Adding radio buttons to the radio group
Practice 9 Overview
In this practice session, you will convert existing text items into other input item types.
You will create a list item, a check box, and a radio group.
• In the ORDERS form, convert the Order_Status item into a list item. Save and run
the form.
• In the ORDERS form, convert the Order_Mode item into a check box item.
• In the CUSTOMERS form, convert the Credit_Limit item into a radio group. Add
three radio buttons in the radio group. Save and run the form.

Practice 9
1. In the ORDGXX form, convert the Order_Status item into a pop-up list item.
Add list elements shown in the table below.
Display any other values as Unknown.
Ensure that new records display the initial value New CASH order.
Resize the poplist item in the Layout Editor, so that the elements do not truncate at
run time.
2. In the ORDGXX form, convert the Order_Mode text item to a check box.
Set the checked state to represent the base table value of online and the
unchecked state to represent direct.
Ensure that new records are automatically assigned the value online.
Display any other values as unchecked.
Remove the existing prompt and set label to: Online?
In the Layout Editor, resize the check box so that its label is fully displayed to the
right. Resize it a little longer than needed in Forms Builder so that the label does
not truncate at run-time.
3. Save and compile the form.
4. In the CUSTGXX form, convert the Credit_Limit text item into a radio group.
Add radio buttons for Low, Medium, and High to represent database values of
500, 2000, and 5000.
Define access keys of L for Low, M for Medium, and H for High.
Add text Credit Limit to describe the radio group’s purpose.
Set Label to Low for the Low radio button, Medium for the Medium radio button,
and High for the High radio button.
Ensure that new records display the default of Low, and that existing records with
other values display as Medium.
List Element List Item Value
New CASH order 0
CASH order being processed 1
CASH Backorder 2
CASH order shipped 3
New CREDIT order 4
CREDIT order being processed 5
CREDIT Backorder 6
CREDIT order shipped 7
CREDIT order billed 8
CREDIT order past due 9
CREDIT order paid 10
Unknown 11

Creating Noninput Items
60 minutes Lecture
100 minutes Total

Objectives
the following:
• Identify item types that do not allow input
• Create a display item
• Create an image item
• Create a button
• Create a calculated item
• Create a hierarchical tree item
• Create a bean area item
Introduction
Overview
Some Oracle Forms Developer item types do not accept user input (noninput items);
however, they do provide an effective means of accessing data and initiating actions. This
lesson describes how to create and use noninput items.

Noninput Items Overview
Item types that do not accept direct user input include:
• Display items
• Image items
• Buttons
• Calculated items
• Bean area items
Noninput Items
Noninput items is a generic term for item types that do not accept direct user input.
However, you can set the value of some noninput items by programmatic control.
Noninput items can be divided into two groups—those that can display data and those that
cannot.
Noninput Items that can Display Data
• Display items
• Image items
• Calculated items
Noninput Items that Cannot Display Data
• Push Buttons
The Bean Area item can fall into either of these categories, depending on the functionality
of the implemented JavaBean.
Using Noninput Items
Use noninput items to enhance your application by displaying additional data, often from
a nonbase table.

Display Items
Display items:
• Are similar to text items.
• Cannot:
– Be edited
– Be queried
– Be navigated
to
– Accept user
input
• Can display:
– Nonbase table information
– Derived values
Display Items
What Are Display Items?
A display item is similar to a text item, except that it cannot be edited or navigated to at
runtime. A display item is a read-only text box whose value must be fetched or assigned
programmatically.
Display items:
• Display additional, nonbase table information
• Display derived data values

Creating a Display Item
Creating a Display Item
A display item can be created by using:
• The Layout Editor
• The Create icon in the Object Navigator (creates a text item that you can convert to
a display item)
• The Item Type property to convert an existing item into a display item
Whichever method you choose, you can set the required item properties in the Property
Palette. Set the Database Item property to No for a display item whose value is not stored
in the base table.You can assign a format mask to a single-line display item by setting its
Format Mask property.
How to Create a Display Item From the Layout Editor
To create a display item in the Layout Editor, perform the following steps:
2. Display the desired canvas and ensure that the correct data block is set.
3. Select the Display Item tool.
4. Click the canvas at the position where the display item is required.
5. Double-click the new display item. The Property Palette displays.
6. Change the name from DISPLAY_ITEMXX to the required name.
7. Specify the other properties as required.

Image Items
Use image items to display images:
• From file system—supported file type
• From database—LONG RAW column or a BLOB
column
Image Items
Using Images
You can use images as graphic objects within a form module. A graphics image displays
automatically and cannot be manipulated at run time. It can be imported from the database
or the file system.
Alternatively, you can display images within image items.
What is an Image Item?
An image item is a special interface control that can store and display vector or scanned
images. Just as text items store and display VARCHAR2, number, or date values, image
items store and display images.
Like other items that store values, image items can be either data block items or control
items.

Image Items (continued)
Displaying Image Items
You can populate an image item by using one of the following methods:
• Fetching from a LONG RAW or BLOB database column
• Using a trigger and a built-in to populate the image item programmatically
Storing Images
You can store images in either the database or the file system.
When you insert images into the database by means of a save (commit), they are
automatically compressed using Oracle image compression.
Note: To conserve application server memory when displaying large image items, reduce
the number of records that are buffered by manipulating the Number of Records Buffered
data block property.
Technical Note
You can also populate an image item with a BFILE, but you will need to use DBMS_LOB
to do so.
W here Image Is Stored Description
Database Long Raw column compressed image that can be up
to two gigabytes or BLOB column that can be up to
four gigabytes
File Any supported file format

Image File Formats
Image item
Image files Image files
Read Write
PICT
TPIC
CALS
TIFF
GIF
JFIF
BMP
RAS
CALS
GIF
BMP
RAS
JPEG
TIFF
JFIF
JPEG
PICT
TPIC
Image File Formats
Forms Builder supports the following image formats:
To reduce network traffic, limit the number of image items and background images that
must be downloaded from the application server. You can deploy them as JAR files to
reduce network traffic, or you can download them in an alternative manner.
For example, to display a company logo in your application, you could include the image
in the HTML page that downloads at application startup rather than retrieving the image
from the database or the file system. The HTML page can be cached.
File Suffix Description Image Items
BMP MS Windows and OS/2 BitMap Picture Read/Write
CALS CALS type raster Read/Write
GIF CompuServe Read/Write
JFIF JPEG File Interchange Format Read/Write
TIFF Tag Image File Format Read/Write
JPEG Joint Photographic Experts Group Read/Write
PICT Macintosh Quickdraw Picture Read/Write
RAS Sun Raster Read/Write
TPIC Truevision Raster Graphics Array Picture Read/Write

Creating an Image Item
Creating an Image Item
An image item can be created in three ways:
• By using the Image Item tool in the Layout Editor (as described in the
next section)
• By using the Create icon in the Object Navigator (creates a text item that you can
convert to an image item)
• By converting an existing item into an image item
Steps to Create an Image Item from the Layout Editor
2. Set the canvas and block to those on which you require the item to display.
3. Select the Image Item tool.
4. Click the canvas at the position where you want the image item
to display.
5. Double-click the image item. The Property Palette displays.
6. Change the name from IMAGEXX to the required name.
Note: Remember to set the Database Item property to No for an image item whose value
is not stored in the base table.

Setting Image-Specific Item Properties
• Image Format
• Image Depth
• Compression Quality
• Display Quality
• Sizing Style
• Show Horizontal
Scroll Bar
• Show Vertical
Scroll Bar
Setting Image Specific Item Properties
Set the following properties to affect the appearance and behavior of the image item:
• Image Format: Format in which image will be stored in the database
• Image Depth: Depth setting for image being read from or written to a file on the file
system (Original, Monochrome, Gray, LUT , or RGB)
• Compression Quality: Degree of compressions for an image item being read from
or written to a file (None, Minimum, Low, Medium, High, or Maximum)
• Display Quality: Resolution used to display the image item; controls trade off
between quality and performance (High, Medium, or Low)
• Sizing Style: Determines how much of image displays when the image sized does
not match the size of the item (Crop – cuts off edges of image so it fits in item
display area; Adjust – scales image so it fits within the item display area)
• Show Horizontal/Vertical Scroll Bar: Displays scroll bars to enable scrolling of
image that does not fit into the item display area

Setting Image Specific Item Properties (continued)
Note: Image items do not have a Data Type property. If you set an image item Database
Item property to Yes, Forms Builder understands that the data type is LONG RAW.
Instructor Note
• The Show Palette property has no effect. In prior Forms versions, the image palette
enabled the user to manipulate the image at run time in client/server mode only.
• LUT = Lookup Table
• RGB = Red, Green, Blue

Push Buttons
Push buttons:
• Cannot display or represent data
• Are used to initiate an action
• Display as:
– Text button
– Iconic
Push Buttons
What Is a Push Button?
A push button is an interface object that you click to initiate an action. A push button is
usually displayed as a rectangle with a descriptive label inside. Push buttons cannot store
or display values.
You can enhance your form module further by adding push buttons to provide quick and
direct access to the most needed operations.
Push Button Styles
Forms Builder supports two push button styles:
• Text button: Displayed with a text label on the push button
• Iconic button: Displayed with a bitmapped graphic on the push button, and often
used in toolbars

Push Button Actions
Use buttons to:
• Move input focus
• Display an LOV
• Invoke an editor
• Invoke another window
• Commit data
• Issue a query
• Perform calculations
Push Button Actions
Some typical actions that would be invoked by a push button include the following:
• Moving the input focus
• Displaying an LOV
• Invoking an editor
• Invoking another window
• Committing data
• Issuing a query
• Performing calculations
Note: Push buttons do not accept input focus on some window managers. On these
platforms, the Keyboard Navigable property has no effect, and users can only interact
with the items by using a mouse. Clicking a push button does not move the input focus on
these platforms. The input focus remains in the item that was active before user clicked
the push button.

Creating a Push Button
Creating a Push Button
A push button can be created by using:
• The Push Button tool in the Layout Editor
• The Create icon in the Object Navigator (creates a text item that you can convert to
a push button)
How to Create a Push Button From the Layout Editor
To create a push button from the Layout Editor, perform the following steps:
2. Set the canvas and block to those on which you require the push button to display.
3. Select the Push Button tool.
4. Click the canvas at the position where you want the push button to display.
5. Double-click the push button. The Property Palette displays.
6. Change the name from PUSH_BUTTONXX to the required name.
Note
• You can use the mouse to resize and move the push button once you have created it.
• Icon image files for iconic buttons must be in GIF or JPEG format.

Setting Push Button Properties
• Label
• Iconic
• Icon Filename
• Default Button
• Mouse Navigate
• Tooltip
• Tooltip Visual
Attribute Group
Setting Properties for the Push Button
• Label: Text label that appears on the button at run time
• Iconic: Whether the button displays as an icon instead of as a label
• Icon Filename: Name of the file that contains the icon resource (filename only
without the extension, such as “list”, not “list.gif”)
• Default Button: Whether this is the default push button for the block, which can be
selected implicitly by pressing [Select] without the need to navigate or use the
mouse
• Mouse Navigate: Whether Forms navigates to the item when you click on it with
the mouse
• Tooltip: Help text that should appear in a tool tip beneath the button when the
mouse moves over it
• Tooltip Visual Attribute Group: Named visual attribute to apply to the tool tip at
run time
Note: The default push button may be bordered or highlighted in a unique fashion to
distinguish it from other push buttons.

Calculated Items
What are calculated items?
• They accept item values that are based on
calculations.
• They are read-only.
• They can be expressed as:
– Formula
– Summary
Calculated Items
With a calculated item you can declaratively base item values on calculations involving
one or more variable values. For example, you can use a calculated item to display a
running total of employees’ total compensation.
Any item that can store a value can be used as a calculated item by setting its required
property values.

Creating a Calculated Item by
Setting Properties
• Formula
– A calculated item value is the result of a horizontal
calculation.
– It involves bind variables.
• Summary
– A calculated item value is a vertical calculation.
– A summary is performed on values of a single item
over all rows in a block.
Creating a Calculated Item
A calculated item can be created by:
• Setting the calculation specific properties of any existing item that can store a value
• Creating a new item in the Layout Editor and setting its calculation specific
properties
• Using the Create icon in the Object Navigator and setting its calculation specific
properties
Calculation Modes
Calculations can be expressed as a formula or as a summary of all items in a block. Forms
Builder supports the following calculation modes:
• Formula: The calculated item value is the result of a horizontal calculation
involving one or more bind variables, such as form items, global variables, and
parameters.
• Summary: The calculated item value is a vertical calculation involving the values
of a single item over all rows within a single block.
Note: A calculated item is read only. End users cannot insert or modify calculated items.
You should, therefore, generally use display items as calculated items.

Setting Item Properties for the
Calculated Item
• Formula
– Calculation Mode
– Formula
• Summary
– Calculation Mode
– Summary Function
– Summarized Block
– Summarized Item
Setting Item Properties for the Calculated Item
Unlike the other items covered so far in this lesson, there is no Item Type property value
called Calculated Item. The calculation-specific properties of an item make it a calculated
item. Text items and display items both support calculated items.
The following properties are specific to calculated items:
• Calculation Mode: The method of computing the calculated item values (None,
Formula, or Summary)
• Formula: A single PL/SQL expression that determines the calculated value of a
formula calculated item; can compute a value or call a subprogram
• Summary Function: The type of summary function (discussed on next page) to be
performed on the summary calculated item
• Summarized Block: The block over which all rows will be summarized in order to
assign a value to the summary calculated item; if not specified, current block is
assumed
• Summarized Item: The item whose value is summarized in order to assign a value
to the calculated item; required if the Calculation Mode is Summary

Summary Functions
• AVG
• COUNT
• MAX
• MIN
• STDDEV
• SUM
• VARIANCE
Summary Functions
You can use the standard SQL aggregate functions for summary items:
• AVG: The average value (arithmetic mean) of the summarized item over all records
in the block
• COUNT: Count of all non-null instances of the summarized item over all records in
the block
• MAX/MIN: Maximum/minimum value of the summarized item over all records in
the block
• STDDEV: The standard deviation of the summarized item’s values over all records
in the block
• SUM: Sum of all values of the summarized item over all records in the block
• VARIANCE: The variance (square of the standard deviation) of the summarized
item’s values over all records in the block

Calculated Item Based on a Formula
ORDERS
Item#
Prod
Id
Unit
Price Quantity
Item
Total
1
2
4
3
200
120
50
25
5
4
9
3
1,000
480
450
75
NVL((:order_items.unit_price *
:order_items.quantity),0)
Formula
item
Orders
Items
Description
Calculated Item Based on a Formula
To create a calculated item based on a formula, perform the following steps:
1. Create a new item in the Object Navigator.
2. Open the Property Palette of the item.
3. Set the Calculation Mode property to Formula.
4. Click More for the Formula property and enter the PL/SQL expression to define the
formula.
Note: A formula item cannot be a database item because its value is computed by Forms,
not queried from a database column.

Rules for Calculated Item Formulas
Create calculated item formulas according to the
following rules:
• A formula item must not invoke restricted built-
ins.
• A formula item cannot execute any DML
statements.
• Do not terminate a PL/SQL expression with a
semicolon.
• Do not enter a complete PL/SQL statement in
assignment expressions.
Rules for Calculated Item Formulas
When writing formulas for calculated items, observe the following rules:
• The formula (and any user-written subprogram that calls it) must not invoke any
restricted built-ins.
• The formula (and any user-written subprogram that calls it) cannot execute any
DML statements.
• Do not terminate the PL/SQL expression with a semicolon.
• If the PL/SQL expression involves an assignment, do not enter the complete
PL/SQL statement. Forms Builder assigns the actual assignment code internally.
Example
Suppose you have a formula item called Gross_Comp in the EMPLOYEES block of a
form. If you set the Formula property to:
NVL(:employees.salary,0) *
NVL(:employees.commission_pct,0)
Forms Builder will internally convert this expression into a complete statement as:
:employees.gross_comp := (NVL(:employees.salary,0) *
NVL(:employees.commission_pct,0));

Calculated Item Based on a Summary
ORDERS
1
2
4
3
200
120
50
25
5
4
9
3
1,000
480
450
75
2,005Order Total
Summarized
item
Summary
item
Item#
Prod
Id
Unit
Price Quantity
Item
TotalDescription
Orders
Items
Calculated Item Based on a Summary
To create a calculated item based on a summary, perform the following steps:
1. Create a new item in the Object Navigator.
2. Open the Property Palette of an item.
3. Set the Calculation Mode property to Summary.
4. Select the required function from the Summary Function pop-up list.
5. From the Summarized Block pop-up list, select a block over which all rows will be
summarized.
6. From the Summarized Item pop-up list, select an item to be summarized.
Note: A summary item is the calculated item to which you assign a value.
A summarized item is the item whose values are summarized and then assigned to the
summary item.

Rules for Summary Items
• Summary item must reside in:
– The same block as the summarized item
– A control block with Single Record property set to
Yes
• Summarized item must reside in:
– A data block with Query All Records property or
Precompute Summaries property set to Yes
– A control block
• Datatype of summary item must be Number,
unless using MAX or MIN
Rules for Summary Items
When creating calculated items based on a summary, observe the following rules:
• The summary item must reside in the same block as the summarized item, or in a
control block whose Single Record property is set to Yes.
• The summarized item must reside in a control block, or in a data block whose Query
All Records property or the Precompute Summaries property is set to Yes.
Note: This ensures that records fetched in the block and the summarized value are
consistent. Otherwise, another user may possibly update a record that has not been
fetched yet.
• Set the Data Type property for a summary item to Number, unless the summary
function is Max or Min, in which case the datatype must mirror that of its associated
summarized item. For example, a calculated item that displays the most recent
(maximum) date in the HIRE_DATE column must have a datatype of Date.
• If the summarized item values are based on a formula, the summarized item must
reside in a block whose Query All Records property is set to Yes.

Creating a Hierarchical Tree Item
Creating a Hierarchical Tree Item
A hierarchical tree is an item that displays data in the form of a standard navigator.
How to Create a Hierarchical Tree Item
To create a hierarchical tree item, do one of the following:
• In the Layout Editor:
Click the Hierarchical Tree icon.
Click and drag the mouse on the canvas to create the hierarchical tree object.
Set other hierarchical tree-related properties as required.
• In the Object Navigator:
Create a new item by using the Create icon.
Open the item’s Property Palette and set the Item Type property to
Hierarchical Tree.
Set other hierarchical tree related properties as required.

Setting Hierarchical Tree Item Properties
• Allow empty branches
• Multi selection
• Show lines
• Show symbols
• Record group
• Data query
Setting Hierarchical Tree Item Properties
Hierarchical Tree properties include the following:
• Item Type: Must be set to Hierarchical Tree
• Allow Empty Branches: Whether branch nodes may exist with no children (if set to
FALSE, branch nodes with no children will be converted to leaf nodes; if set to
TRUE, an empty branch will be displayed as a collapsed node)
• Multi Selection: Whether multiple nodes may be selected at one time
• Show Lines: Whether a hierarchical tree displays lines leading up to each node
• Show Symbols: Whether a hierarchical tree should display + or - symbols in front of
each branch node
• Record Group: Name of the record group from which the hierarchical tree derives
its values
• Data Query: Specifies the query-based data source
Several built-ins are available to manipulate hierarchical trees. These are discussed in
Lesson 15, which discusses how to implement a hierarchical tree in a form.
Note: A hierarchical tree must be the only item in the data block.

Bean Area Items
The Bean Area item enables you to:
• Add a JavaBean to a form
• Extend Forms functionality
• Interact with client machine
• Reduce network traffic
Bean Area Items
A JavaBean is a component written in Java that can plug into any applet or Java
application. The bean area item enables you to extend Forms functionality by adding a
JavaBean to your form.
With JavaBeans, you can interact with the client machine, performing such functions as:
• Obtaining information about the client machine
• Uploading client files to the server machine
• Modifying the user interface on the client
• Checking the spelling of a text item
• Displaying a progress bar, clock, calendar, or color picker with which the operator
may be able to interact and select values
Some of this functionality, such as the calendar, is possible using Forms native
functionality. However, using a JavaBean enables client interaction without generating
network traffic.
Although JavaBeans can be used to input data, as in the case of the Calendar JavaBean,
the bean area item itself does not accept user input.

Creating a Bean Area Item
Create bean area
in Layout Editor
Convert existing item
to bean area
Creating a Bean Area
You create a bean area using the Bean Area tool in the Layout Editor. Click the tool and
drag out an area on the canvas. At first the area will look like an empty rectangle.
You can also create a bean area from any existing item by changing its item type to Bean
Area in the Property Palette.

Setting Bean Area Item Properties
Setting Properties for the Bean Area
The most important Bean Area property is Implementation Class. This property is
used to specify the fully qualified name of the Java class that the Bean Area item
should instantiate.
If the JavaBean has a visible component, Forms Builder displays the JavaBean
within the Bean Area item in the Layout Editor once the Implementation Class is
set. You can set the size and position of the bean area visually in the Layout
Editor, or by changing the X/Y Position, Width, and Height properties.
Some JavaBeans have no visible component. To avoid the distraction of a large
empty rectangle on the form, you can set the properties so that the bean displays
as a tiny dot in the corner of the canvas. Alternatively, you can set its Visible
property to No, which ensures that the Bean Area does not display at run time,
although you still see it in the Layout Editor.
Note: With enhanced JavaBean, it is not necessary to set the Implementation
Class at design time. Instead, you can programmatically register the bean at run
time. This is discussed in Lesson 16.

The JavaBean at Run Time
The JavaBean at Run Time
At run time, the user can interact with the JavaBean to perform the functionality that you
have programmatically defined. In the preceding example, there is a button that invokes
the ColorPicker JavaBean. When the operator selects a color from the color picker, it is
used to set the background color of the canvas.
This programmatic interaction is discussed in Lesson 16.

Summary
• The following item types do not allow input:
– Display items
– Image items
– Push buttons
– Calculated items
– Hierarchical tree items
– Bean area items
• You create noninput items by:
– Changing the type of an existing item and setting
certain properties
– Using the appropriate tool in the Layout Editor
Summary
• Display items display nonbase table information or derived values.
• Image items store and display vector or scanned bitmapped images.
• Push Buttons initiate an action.
• Calculated items base item values on calculations. Calculations can be expressed in
one of the following modes:
Formula
Summary
• Hierarchical trees display information in an Object Navigator style display.
• Bean Area items enable you to integrate Java components into your application.
• You create the above item types by:
Using the appropriate tool in the Layout Editor
Clicking Create in the Object Navigator (this creates a text item that you can
covert to a different item type)
Changing the item type and/or setting appropriate properties on existing items

Summary
• You can use:
– A display item to show nonbase table information
– An image item to display an image
– A push button to initiate action
– A calculated item to display the results of a formula
or a summary function of another item
– A hierarchical tree item to display related data in a
hierarchical fashion
– A bean area item to execute client-side Java code

Practice 10 Overview
• Creating display items
• Creating an image item
• Creating iconic buttons
• Creating calculated items:
– Formula
– Summary
• Creating a bean area item
In this practice session, you will add several items in the CUSTOMERS and ORDERS
forms: display items, image item, push buttons, and calculated items.
• In the ORDERS form:
Create two display items in the ORDER_ITEMS block.
Create an image item in the CONTROL block.
Create an iconic button in the CONTROL block.
Base the Item_Total item in the ORDER_ITEMS block on a formula.
Create a control item in the CONTROL block. Base this item value on a
summary that displays the total value of an order.
• In the CUSTOMERS form
Create an iconic button in the CONTROL block.
Create a bean area.
• Save and run the ORDERS and CUSTOMERS forms.

Practice 10
1. In the ORDER_ITEMS block of the ORDGXX form, create a display item called
Description. Set the Prompt property to Description and display the prompt
centered above the item. Rearrange the items in the layout so that all are visible.
2. Create an image item called Product_Image in the CONTROL block of the
ORDGXX form. (Use the Control block because you do not want to pick up the
Current Record Visual Attribute Group of the ORDER_ITEMS block, and this is a
non base table item.) Position this and the other items you create in this practice so
that your form looks like the screenshot.
Note: The image will not display in the image item at this point; you will add code
to populate the image item in Practice 20.
3. Create another display item, Image_Description, in the ORDER_ITEMS block.
This should synchronize with the Description item. Set the Maximum Length
property to the same value as the Description item.
4. In the CONTROL block of the ORDGXX form, create an iconic button called
Product_LOV_Button. Use the list file (do not include the .ico or .gif
extension). Set the Keyboard Navigable property and the Mouse Navigate
property to No.
5. To display item total information, set the following properties for the Item_Total
item in the ORDER_ITEMS block:
Set the Item Type to Display Item.
Set the Calculation Mode property to Formula.
Set the Formula property to: nvl(:ORDER_ITEMS.quantity,0) *
nvl(:ORDER_ITEMS.unit_price,0)

6. To display the total of the item totals, create a new nonbase table item in the
CONTROL block.
Set the Position, Size, and Prompt properties according to the screenshot.
Set the Format Mask property to 9G999G990D99.
Set the Justification property to Right.
Set the Number of Items Displayed property to 1.
Set the Keyboard Navigable property to No.
Make CONTROL.total a summary item and display summaries of the Item_Total
values in the ORDER_ITEMS block. Ensure that you have set the Query All
Records property to Yes for the ORDER_ITEMS block.
7. Click Run Form to run your form and test the changes. Perform a query in the
ORDGXX form to ensure that the new items do not cause an error. Did you
remember to switch off the Database Item property for items that do not
correspond to columns in the base table? Also, check that the calculated items
function correctly.
8. In the CUSTGXX form, create an iconic button similar to the one created in
question 4, in the CONTROL block. Use the list file (do not include the .ico or
.gif extension). Name the push button Account_Mgr_Lov_Button, and place it
next to Account_Mgr_ID.
9. In the CUSTGXX form, create a bean area in the CONTROL block and name it
Colorpicker. This bean has no visible component on the form, so set it to display
as a tiny dot in the upper left corner of the canvas. Ensure that users cannot
navigate to the bean area item with either the keyboard or mouse. You will not set
an implementation class; in Lesson 19 you learn how to programmatically
instantiate the JavaBean at run time.
10. Save and compile the form. Click Run Form to run your form and test the changes.

Creating Windows and Content Canvases
30 minutes Lecture
50 minutes Total

Objectives
the following:
• Describe the relationship between windows and
content canvases
• Create windows and content canvases
• Display a form module in multiple windows
• Display a form module on multiple layouts
Introduction
Overview
With Oracle Forms Developer you can take advantage of the GUI environment by
displaying a form module across several canvases and in multiple windows. This lesson
familiarizes you with the window object and the default canvas type, the content canvas.

Windows and Canvases
• Window: Container for
Forms Builder visual
objects
• Canvas: Surface on
which you “paint”
visual objects
• To see a canvas and its
objects, display the
canvas
in a window.
Windows and Canvases
With Forms Builder you can display an application in multiple windows by using its
display objects—windows and canvases.
What Is a Window?
A window is a container for all visual objects that make up a Forms application. It is
similar to an empty picture frame. The window manager provides the controls for the
window that enable such functionality as scrolling, moving, and resizing. You can
minimize a window. A single form may include several windows.
What Is a Canvas?
A canvas is a surface inside a window container on which you place visual objects such as
interface items and graphics. It is similar to the canvas upon which a picture is painted. To
see a canvas and its contents at run time, you must display it in a window. A canvas
always displays in the window to which it is assigned.
Note: Each item in a form must refer to no more than one canvas. An item displays on the
canvas to which it is assigned, through its Canvas property. Recall that if the Canvas
property for an item is left unspecified, that item is said to be a Null-canvas item and will
not display at run time.

Window, Canvas, and Viewport
MDI
parent
window
Document
window
Canvas
Windows and Content Canvases (continued)
What Is a Viewport?
A viewport is an attribute of a canvas. It is effectively the visible portion of, or view onto,
the canvas.
Instructor Note
You can demonstrate ownership and visual view at this point.

The Content Canvas
• “Base” canvas
• View occupies entire window
• Default canvas type
• Each window should have at least one content
canvas
The Content Canvas
Forms Builder offers different types of canvases. A content canvas is the base canvas that
occupies the entire content pane of the window in which it displays. The content canvas is
the default canvas type. Most canvases are content canvases.
Instructor Note
Point out to the students that the other canvas types will be covered in the next lesson.

Relationship Between Windows and
Content Canvases
Canvas 2 Canvas 3
Canvas 1
Window
The Relationship Between Windows and Content Canvases
You must create at least one content canvas for each window in your application. When
you run a form, only one content canvas can display in a window at a time, even though
more than one content canvas can be assigned to the same window at design time.
At run time, a content canvas always completely fills its window. As the user resizes the
window, Forms resizes the canvas automatically. If the window is too small to show all
items on the canvas, Forms automatically scrolls the canvas to bring the current item into
view.
Note: You can assign multiple content canvases to a window; however, only one content
canvas at a time can be displayed in a window.

The Default Window
WINDOW1:
• Created by default with each
new form module
• Is modeless
• You can delete, rename, or
change its attributes
The Default Window
When you create a new form module, Forms Builder creates a new window implicitly.
Thus, each new form module has one predefined window, which is called WINDOW1.
You can delete or rename WINDOW1, or change its attributes.
Uses and Benefits of a New Window
You can create additional windows in which to display your form application. A new or
second window provides the ability to do the following:
• Display two or more content canvases at once.
• Modularize the form contents.
• Switch between canvases without replacing the initial one.
• Take advantage of window manager functionality such as minimizing.

Displaying a Form Module in
Multiple Windows
• Use additional windows to:
– Display two or more content canvases at once
– Switch between canvases
without replacing the
initial one
– Modularize form
contents
– Take advantage of
the window manager
• Two types of windows:
– Modal
– Modeless
Displaying a Form Module in Multiple Windows
You can create additional windows in a form so that you can:
• Display more than one content canvas at a time
• Switch between content canvases without the need to replace the first one
• Separate the form module into multiple layouts
• Use features of the window manager, such as allowing the user to resize or close a
window
You can create two different types of windows:.
• A modal window is a restricted window that the user must respond to before moving
the input focus to another window. Modal windows:
Must be dismissed before control can be returned to a modeless window
Become active as soon as they display
Require a means of exit or dismissal
• A modeless window is an unrestricted window that the user can exit freely. Modeless
windows:
Can be displayed at the same time as multiple other modeless windows
Are not necessarily active when displayed
Are the default window type

Creating a New Window
Object Navigator: Click Create
with Windows node selected
Property Palette:
Set properties
Creating a New Window
To create a new window, perform the following steps:
1. Select the Windows node in the Object Navigator and click Create.
2. A new window entry displays, with a default name of WINDOWXX.
3. If the Property Palette is not already displayed, double-click the window icon to the
left of the new window entry.
4. Set the window properties according to your requirements.
Note: For your new window to display, you must specify its name in the Window
property of at least one canvas. To display a console to end users, set the form-level
property Console Window to the window in which you want to display the console. To
hide the console, set the property to <Null>.
Instructor Note
The Window Style of dialog has no effect in a Web environment because windows are
always included in the applet area.
Demonstration: Using the ordwk09.fmb file, create a new window in the Orders form.
Explain that the new window does not display at run time because it is not specified in the
Window property of a canvas.

Setting Window Properties
3
5
4
1 2
Setting Window Properties
You set properties for windows to determine their behavior and appearance. Some of
these properties are:
1. X/Y Position: Specifies the location of the window within the containing window.
2. Title: The title to be displayed; if not specified, uses the name indicated by the
window Name property
3. Horizontal/Vertical Toolbar Canvas: Specifies the toolbar canvas to be displayed
horizontally across the top or vertically to the left of the window; selected from all
horizontal/vertical toolbar canvases assigned to this window
4. Modal: Specifies if window is modal, requiring the user to dismiss the window
before any other user interaction can continue, like Question window above
5. Show Horizontal/Vertical Scroll Bar: Whether a horizontal or vertical scroll bar
should display on the window
6. Hide on Exit: Whether Forms hides the window automatically when the end user
navigates to an item in another window (not shown on slide)
For a description of other properties that affect the behavior of windows, click the
property in the Property Palette and press [F1].

GUI Hints
• GUI hints are recommendations to the window
manager about window appearance and
functionality.
• If the window manager supports a specific GUI
Hint and its property is set to Yes, it will be used.
• Functional properties for GUI Hints:
– Close Allowed
– Move Allowed
– Resize Allowed
– Maximize Allowed
– Minimize Allowed
– Inherit Menu
GUI Hints
GUI Hints are recommendations to the window manager about the window appearance
and functionality. There are certain properties under the Functional group that enable you
to make these recommendations:
• Close Allowed: Enables the mechanism for closing the window (Forms responds to
user attempts to close the window by firing a WHEN-WINDOW-CLOSED trigger.)
• Move/Resize Allowed: Whether user can move and resize the window
• Maximize/Minimize Allowed: Whether user can zoom or iconify the window
• Inherit Menu: Whether the window displays the current form menu
Instructor Note
The Resize Allowed property can be set to prevent an end user from resizing the window,
but it does not prevent you from resizing the window programmatically.

Displaying a Form Module on
Multiple Layouts
PROPERTIES:
Canvas
CV_ORDER
Window:
WIN_ORDERS
Canvas
CV_INVENTORY
Window:
WIN_INVENTORY
Displaying a Form Module on Multiple Layouts
You can have more than one content canvas in your form application. However,
remember that only one content canvas can display in a window at one time. To display
more than one content canvas at the same time, you can assign each content canvas to a
different window.
Now you can display the form module on multiple layouts or surfaces.

Creating a New Content Canvas
• Explicitly:
• Implicitly:
1
2
Creating a New Content Canvas
Creation of a content canvas can be implicit or explicit.
Implicitly Creating a Content Canvas
There are two ways of implicitly creating a new content canvas:
1. Layout Wizard: When you use the Layout Wizard to arrange data block items on a
canvas, the wizard enables you to select a new canvas on its Canvas page. In this
case, the wizard creates a new canvas with a default name of CANVASXX.
2. Layout Editor: When there are no canvases in a form module and you invoke the
Layout Editor; Forms Builder creates a default canvas on which you can place items.
Explicitly Creating a Content Canvas
You can create a new content canvas explicitly by using the Create icon in the Object
Navigator.

Creating a New Content Canvas (continued)
To explicitly create a new content canvas, perform the following steps:
1. Click the Canvases node in the Object Navigator.
3. A new canvas entry displays with a default name of CANVASXX.
4. If the Property Palette is not already displayed, click the new canvas entry and select
Tools > Property Palette.
5. Set the canvas properties according to your requirements.
Note: Double-clicking the icon for a canvas in the Object Navigator will invoke the
Layout Editor instead of the Property Palette.
Instructor Note
Beginning with Release 6, the Show View option in the View menu of the Layout Editor
displays the size of the window for a content canvas.
Demonstration: Display the contents of the INVENTORIES data block in the new
window created in the previous demonstration.

Setting Content Canvas Properties
Viewport
X/Y Position
on Canvas
CanvasViewport
Setting Content Canvas Properties
You can set properties to determine how the canvas is to be displayed. Several properties
in the Physical group are depicted in the slide: Width, Height, and Viewport X/Y Position
on Canvas. For a canvas to display at run time, its Window property must also be
specified.
In the General group, you can choose the Canvas Type. This lesson covers the Content
Canvas; other canvas types are presented in the next lesson.
In the Functional group, you can set Raise on Entry to affect whether the canvas is always
brought to the front of the window when the user navigates to an item on the canvas. You
use this property when the canvas is displayed in the same window with other canvases.
Forms always ensures that the current item is visible. Even if Raise on Entry is set to No,
Forms will bring the canvas to the front of the window if the user navigates to an item on
the canvas that is hidden behind other canvases.
Performance Tip: To reduce the time that is needed to display the initial screen, keep the
number of items initially displayed to a minimum. You can hide elements, such as
canvases, that are not immediately required. To do this, set the canvas Raise on Entry
property to Yes, and set Visible to No.

Summary
• Windows can display multiple content canvases,
but can display only one canvas at a time
• Content canvases are displayed only in the
window to which they are assigned
• You must assign at least one content canvas to
each window in your application
• You create windows in the Object Navigator; one
is created by default with each new module
• You create canvases in the Object Navigator, by
using the Layout Wizard, or by invoking the
Layout Editor in a module without a canvas
• You can display a multiple layouts by assigning
canvases to different windows.
Summary
In this lesson, you should have learned:
• About the relationship between windows and content canvases
• How to create a new window
• How to create a new content canvas
• How to display a form module on multiple layouts by displaying each canvas in a
separate window

• Changing a window size, position, name, and title
• Creating a new window
• Displaying data block contents in the new window
In this practice session, you will customize windows in your form modules. You will
resize the windows to make them more suitable for presenting canvas contents. You will
also create a new window to display the contents of the INVENTORIES block.
• Change the size and position of the window in the CUSTOMERS form. Change its
name and title. Save and run the form.
• Modify the name and title of the window in the ORDERS form.
• Create a new window in the ORDERS form. Make sure the contents of the
INVENTORIES block display in this window. Save and run the form.

Practice 11
1. Modify the window in the CUSTGXX form. Change the name of the window to
WIN_CUSTOMER, and change its title to Customer Information. Check that the size
and position are suitable.
3. Modify the window in the ORDGXX form. Ensure that the window is called
WIN_ORDER. Also change its title to Orders and Items. Check that the size and
position are suitable.
4. In the ORDGXX form, create a new window called WIN_INVENTORY suitable for
displaying the CV_INVENTORY canvas. Use the rulers in the Layout Editor to help
you plan the height and width of the window. Set the window title to Stock Levels.
Place the new window in a suitable position relative to WIN_ORDER. Ensure that
the window does not display when the user navigates to an item on a different
window.
5. Associate the CV_INVENTORY canvas with the window WIN_INVENTORY.
Compile the form. Click Run Form to run the form. Ensure that the INVENTORIES
block is displayed in WIN_INVENTORY when you navigate to this block. Also
make sure that the WIN_INVENTORY window is hidden when you navigate to one
of the other blocks.
6. Save the form.

Working with Other Canvas Types
45 minutes Lecture
85 minutes Total

Objectives
the following:
• Describe the different types of canvases and their
relationships to each other
• Identify the appropriate canvas type for different
scenarios
• Create an overlay effect by using stacked
canvases
• Create a toolbar
• Create a tabbed interface
Introduction
Overview
In addition to the content canvas, Oracle Forms Developer enables you to create three
other canvas types. This lesson introduces you to the stacked canvas, which is ideal for
creating overlays in your application. It also introduces you to the toolbar canvas and the
tabbed canvas, both of which enable you to provide a user-friendly GUI application.

Content canvas
Overview of Canvas Types
Stacked
canvas
Horizontal toolbar
Vertical
toolbar
x y zTab
Tab
page
Overview of Canvas Types
In addition to the content canvas, Forms Builder provides three other types of canvases
that are:
• Stacked canvas
• Toolbar canvas
• Tab canvas
When you create a canvas, you specify its type by setting the Canvas Type property. The
type determines how the canvas is displayed in the window to which it is assigned.
Instructor Note
Demonstration
Open the win_demo.fmb form and run it.
In the run-time session, move the yellow and purple windows around. In the gray window,
point out the gray content canvas and the green toolbar. Scroll the blue and red stacked
canvases using the scrollbars. Switch between the different windows by using the mouse.
Point out the MDI parent window.

The Stacked Canvas
• Displayed on top of a content canvas
• Shares a window with a content canvas
• Size:
– Usually smaller than the content canvas in the same
window
– Determined by viewport size
• Created in:
– Layout Editor
– Object Navigator
The Stacked Canvas
What Is a Stacked Canvas?
A stacked canvas is displayed on top of, or stacked on, the content canvas assigned to a
window. It shares a window with a content canvas and any number of other stacked
canvases. Stacked canvases are usually smaller than the window in which they display.
Determining the size of a Stacked Canvas
Stacked canvases are typically smaller than the content canvas in the same window. You
can determine the stacked canvas dimensions by setting the Width and Height properties.
You can determine the view dimensions of the stacked canvas by setting the Viewport
Width and Viewport Height properties.
Typical Usage of a Stacked Canvas: If a data block contains more items than the
window can display, Forms scrolls the window to display items that were initially not
visible. This can cause important items, such as primary key values, to scroll out of view.
By placing important items on a content canvas, then placing the items that can be
scrolled out of sight on a stacked canvas, the stacked canvas becomes the scrolling region,
rather than the window itself.

The Stacked Canvas
1
5
2
4
3
The Stacked Canvas (continued)
The stacked canvas displays on the content canvas. You can see the following elements
depicted in the slide:
1. Content canvas
2. Stacked canvas
3. Viewport X/Y position
4. Viewport height
5. Viewport width
Uses and Benefits of Stacked Canvases
With stacked canvases you can achieve the following:
• Scrolling views as generated by Oracle Designer
• Creating an overlay effect within a single window
• Displaying headers with constant information, such as company name
• Creating a cascading or a revealing effect within a single window
• Displaying additional information
• Displaying information conditionally
• Displaying context-sensitive help
• Hiding information

Creating a Stacked Canvas
Creating a Stacked Canvas
You can create a stacked canvas in either of the following:
• Layout Editor
• Object Navigator
How to Create a Stacked Canvas in the Layout Editor
To create a stacked canvas in the Layout Editor, perform the following steps:
1. In the Object Navigator, double-click the object icon for the content canvas on
which you wish to create a stacked canvas.
The Layout Editor is displayed.
2. Click the Stacked Canvas tool in the toolbar.
3. Click and drag the mouse in the canvas where you want to position the stacked
canvas.
4. Open the Property Palette of the stacked canvas. Set the canvas properties according
to your requirements (described later in this lesson).

Creating a Stacked Canvas (continued)
How to Create a Stacked Canvas in the Object Navigator
To create a stacked canvas in the Object Navigator, perform the following steps:
A new canvas entry displays with a default name of CANVASXX.
4. Set the Canvas Type property to Stacked. Additionally, set the properties that are
described later in this lesson according to your requirements.
5. Ensure that the stacked canvas is below the content canvas in the Object Navigator.
Note: To convert an existing content canvas to a stacked canvas, change its Canvas Type
property value from Content to Stacked.
In order for the stacked canvas to display properly at run time, make sure that its position
in the stacking order places it in front of the content canvas assigned to the same window.
The stacking order of canvases is defined by the sequence in which they appear in the
Object Navigator.
Displaying Stacked Canvases in the Layout Editor
You can display a stacked canvas as it sits over the content canvas in the Layout Editor.
Check the display position of stacked canvases by doing the following:
• Select View > Stacked Views in the Layout Editor. The Stacked/Tab Canvases
dialog box is displayed, with a list of all the stacked canvases assigned to the same
window as the current content canvas.
• Select the stacked canvases you want to display in the Layout Editor.
Note: [Ctrl] + click to clear a stacked canvas that was previously selected.
Instructor Note
Demonstration: Create a stacked canvas. Show the stacked canvas in the Layout Editor.
Show the stacked canvas at run time.

Setting Stacked Canvas Properties
Setting Stacked Canvas Properties
There are several properties you can set to affect the appearance and behavior of stacked
canvases:
• Raise on Entry: Controls how Forms displays the canvas when the user or the
application navigates to an item on the canvas
• Viewport X/Y Position: Specifies the point at which the upper left corner of the
stacked canvas is located in relation to the content canvas
• Viewport Width/Height: Determines the size of the stacked canvas displayed at run
time
• Visible: Indicates whether the stacked canvas is initially displayed or visible; set to
Yes or No to show or hide the stacked canvas
• Window: Specifies the window in which the canvas will be displayed
• Show Horizontal/Vertical Scroll Bar: Specifies whether scrollbars display with the
canvas

The Toolbar Canvas
• Special type of canvas for tool items
• Two types:
– Vertical toolbar
– Horizontal toolbar
• Provide:
– Standard look and feel
– Alternative to menu or function key operation
The Toolbar Canvas
A toolbar canvas is a special type of canvas that you can create to hold buttons and other
frequently used GUI elements.
Toolbar Types
• Vertical toolbar: Use a vertical toolbar to position all your tool items down the left
side of your window.
• Horizontal toolbar: Use a horizontal toolbar to position all your tool items and
controls across the top of your window under the window’s menu bar.
Uses and Benefits of Toolbars
Toolbar canvases offer the following advantages:
• Provide a standard look and feel across canvases displayed in the same window
• Decrease form module maintenance time
• Increase application usability
• Create applications similar to others used in the same environment
• Provide an alternative to menu or function-key driven applications

The MDI Toolbar
Form property:
Runtime parameter: Window property:
otherparams=useSDI=no
The MDI Toolbar
You can attach the toolbar to individual windows, or to the form itself. Attaching a toolbar
to a form provides an MDI toolbar, so that you do not need to create more than one
toolbar for a Forms application that uses multiple windows. If you display a toolbar in the
MDI window, the same toolbar will not be duplicated in the individual windows of the
form.
Whether an MDI toolbar is displayed is determined by a combination of Form properties
and the useSDI run-time parameter, which you set as part of otherparams:
Setting Setting Type Effect
Form Horizontal or
Vertical Toolbar
Canvas
Form Property If useSDI=no, displays MDI toolbar
at top or left of MDI window
otherparams=
useSDI=no
Runtime setting Displays MDI window and uses MDI
toolbar if set as Form property
otherparams=
useSDI=yes
Runtime setting MDI window not displayed; Form
Horizontal or Vertical Toolbar
setting, if any, has no effect.

Creating a Toolbar Canvas
1. Create:
– Click Create in Object Navigator
– Change Canvas Type
– Set other properties as required
2. Add functionality
3. Resize the canvas (not the view)
4. Assign to window and/or form
Creating a Toolbar Canvas
To create a Toolbar canvas, perform the following steps:
1. Create new or modify the existing canvas:
With the Canvases node selected, use the Create icon in the Object Navigator.
If the Property Palette is not already displayed, click the new canvas entry and
select Tools > Property Palette.
Set the Canvas Type to either Horizontal or Vertical Toolbar.
2. Add functionality, usually with push buttons. To avoid problems with unwanted
navigation, be sure to set the Mouse Navigate property of any toolbar buttons to No.
3. Resize: Use the Layout Editor to resize the toolbar canvas (not just the view) to the
smallest size necessary to display its items.
4. Assign to Window or Form: In Property Palette of window or the Form module, set
the Horizontal/Vertical Toolbar Canvas properties.
When toolbars are placed on the form or window, the window manager controls shifting
the content canvas downward or to the right in order to display the toolbar. You do not
need to leave enough space in the content canvas for the placement of the toolbar.

Setting Toolbar Properties
• Canvas properties:
– Canvas Type
– Window
– Width or Height
• Window properties:
– Horizontal Toolbar
Canvas
– Vertical Toolbar
Canvas
• Form Module properties:
– Form Horizontal Toolbar Canvas
– Form Vertical Toolbar Canvas
Setting Toolbar Properties
Once you create a toolbar canvas, you can set its properties as well as the properties of the
associated window or form module:
• Canvas Properties:
Canvas Type: Either Horizontal or Vertical Toolbar
Window: Specifies in which window the toolbar displays
Width/Height: Size of canvas. The width of a horizontal toolbar is set to the
width of the window (for example, content canvas). Likewise, the height of a
vertical toolbar is set to the height of the window.
• Window Property:
Horizontal/Vertical Toolbar Canvas: Identifies the horizontal/vertical toolbar
to display in this window
• Form Module Property:
Form Horizontal/Vertical Toolbar Canvas: Identifies the horizontal/vertical
toolbar to display in the MDI window (when the useSDI runtime parameter is
set to No)

The Tab Canvas
• Enables you to organize and display related
information on separate tabs
• Consists of one or more tab pages
• Provides easy access to data
The Tab Canvas
What Is a Tab Canvas?
A tab canvas is a a special type of canvas that enables you to organize and display related
information on separate tabs. Like stacked canvases, tab canvases are displayed on top of
a content canvas.
What Is a Tab Page?
A tab page is a subobject of a tab canvas. Each tab canvas is made up of one or more tab
pages. A tab page displays a subset of the information in the entire tab canvas. Each tab
page has a labeled tab that end users can click to access information on the page.
Each tab page occupies an equal amount of space on the tab canvas.
Uses and Benefits of Tab Canvases
You can use tab canvases to:
• Create an overlay effect within a single window
• Display large amounts of information on a single canvas
• Hide information
• Easily access required information by clicking the tab

Creating a Tab Canvas
• Create in:
– Object Navigator
– Layout Editor
• Define tab pages
• Place items on tab pages
Creating a Tab Canvas
To create a functional tab canvas, you must:
• Create an empty tab canvas in either of the following:
Object Navigator
Layout Editor
• Define one or more tab pages for the tab canvas.
• Place items on the tab pages.
Instructor Note
Although it is possible to get rid of a content canvas after creating a tab canvas, it is still
highly recommended that there be at least one content canvas for each window in your
form application.

Creating a Tab Canvas in the Object
Navigator
Create new Canvas Set Canvas Type Create Tab Pages
Creating a Tab Canvas in the Object Navigator
To create a tab canvas in the Object Navigator, perform the following steps:
A new canvas entry displays.
4. Set the Canvas Type property to Tab. Additionally, set the canvas properties
according to your requirements (described later in the lesson).
5. Expand the canvas node in the Object Navigator.
The Tab Pages node displays.
A tab page displays in the Object Navigator, with a default name of PAGEXX. The
Property Palette takes on its context.
7. Set the tab page properties according to your requirements (described later in the
lesson).
8. Create additional tab pages by repeating steps 6 and 7.

Creating a Tab Canvas in the Layout Editor
Creating a Tab Canvas in the Layout Editor
To create a tab canvas in the Layout Editor, perform the following steps:
1. In the Object Navigator, double-click the object icon for the content canvas on
which you want to create a tab canvas.
The Layout Editor displays.
2. Click the Tab Canvas tool in the toolbar.
3. Click and drag the mouse in the canvas where you want to position the tab canvas.
Forms Builder creates a tab canvas with two tab pages by default.
4. Open the Property Palette of the tab canvas. Set the canvas properties according to
your requirements (described later in the lesson).
5. Create additional tab pages, if required, in the Object Navigator.
6. Set the tab page properties according to your requirements (described later in the
lesson).

Setting Tab Canvas, Tab Page,
and Item Properties
2
3
1
Setting Tab Canvas, Tab Page, and Item Properties
Once you create a tab canvas and its tab pages, you must set the required properties for
both of these objects. Place items on a tab page by setting the required item properties.
• Tab Canvas Properties:
Viewport X/Y Position: Specifies the point at which the upper left corner of
the tab page is located in relation to the content canvas
Viewport Width/Height: Defines the size of tab canvas
Corner Style: Specifies the shape of labeled tabs (Chamfered, Square, or
Rounded)
Tab Attachment Edge: Where tabs are attached (Top, Bottom, Left, Right,
Start, or End)
Width Style: Whether the width of the tab will vary with the length of the label
Active Style: Whether label displays as bold when tab page is active
• Tab Page Property: Label specifies label appearing on tab page’s tab
• Item Properties:
Canvas: The tab canvas on which the item will be displayed
Tab Page: The tab page on which the item will be displayed

Placing Items on a Tab Canvas
• Place items on each tab page for user interaction.
• Set the item properties:
– Canvas
– Tab Page
Placing Items on a Tab Page
After you create a tab canvas and related tab pages, you place items on the tab pages that
the end users can interact with at run time:
• Open the Property Palette of the item.
• Set the item’s Canvas and Tab Page properties of the item to the desired tab canvas
and tab page.
Note: Display the tab canvas as it sits on top of the content canvas, by selecting View >
Stacked View in the Layout Editor.
Performance Tip: The time taken to load and initialize a TAB canvas at run time is
related to all objects on the canvas and not just to those initially visible.
Instructor Note
When you add an item to a tab page, make sure the entire item is completely within the
tab page region. You can resize the tab canvas viewport in the Layout Editor, or in the
Property Palette of the tab canvas by changing its Viewport Width and Height properties.

Summary
In this lesson, you should have learned:
• Canvas types other than content canvases:
– Stacked: Overlays and shares window with content
canvas; use to create cascading or revealing effect
within a single window, display additional
information, display or hide information
conditionally, or display context-sensitive help
– Toolbar: Area that displays at the top or to the left
of a content canvas; use to to hold buttons and
other frequently used GUI elements with a standard
look and feel across canvases displayed in the
same window
– Tab: Has multiple pages where you navigate using
tabs; use to organize and display related
information on different tabs
Summary
In this lesson, you should have learned to:
• Create an overlay effect with a stacked canvas
• Create a toolbar
• Create a tabbed canvas

Summary
• You can create these in Object Navigator and
change the canvas type, then set properties.
• You can create stacked or tab canvases with the
appropriate tool in the Layout Editor.
• You can attach a Toolbar canvas to single
window, or to entire form if using MDI.
• After creating a tab canvas, create tab pages and
place related items on them.

• Creating a toolbar canvas
• Creating a stacked canvas
• Creating a tab canvas
• Adding tab pages to the tab canvas
In this practice session, you will create different types of canvases: stacked canvas,
toolbar canvas, and tab canvas.
• Create a horizontal toolbar canvas in the ORDERS form. Create new buttons in the
Control block, and place them on the horizontal toolbar. Save and run the form.
• Create a stacked canvas in the ORDERS form to add some help text. Position the
canvas in the center of the window. Create a button in the Control block. This button
will be used later to display the stacked canvas. Add help text on the stacked canvas.
Save and run the form.
• Create a tab canvas in the CUSTOMERS form. Create three tab pages on this
canvas, and make sure that each tab page displays the appropriate information. Save
and run the form.

Practice 12
Toolbar Canvases
1. In the ORDGXX form, create a horizontal toolbar canvas called Toolbar in the
WIN_ORDER window, and make it the standard toolbar for that window. Suggested
height is 30.
2. Save, compile, and run the form to test.
Notice that the toolbar now uses part of the window space. Adjust the window size
accordingly.
3. Create three push buttons in the CONTROL block, as shown in the following table,
and place them on the Toolbar canvas. Resize the Toolbar if needed.
Suggested positions for the push buttons are shown in the illustration.
Push Button Name Details
Stock_Button Label: Stock
Mouse Navigate: No
Keyboard Navigable: No
Canvas: Toolbar
Height: 16
Background Color: white
Show_Help_Button Label: Show Help
Mouse Navigate: No
Canvas: Toolbar
Height: 16
Exit_Button Label: Exit
Mouse Navigate: No
Canvas: Toolbar
Height: 16

Stacked Canvases
4. Create a stacked canvas named CV_HELP to display help in the WIN_ORDER
window of the ORDGXX form. Suggested visible size is Viewport Width 250,
Viewport Height 225 (points). Select a contrasting color for the canvas. Place some
application help text on this canvas, similar to that shown:
5. Position the view of the stacked canvas so that it appears in the center of
WIN_ORDER. Ensure that it will not obscure the first enterable item.
Do this by planning the top-left position of the view in the Layout Editor, while
showing CV_ORDER. Define the Viewport X and Viewport Y Positions in the
Property Palette. You can move and resize the view in the Layout Editor to set the
positions.
6. Organize CV_HELP so that it is the last canvas in sequence.
Do this in the Object Navigator. (This ensures the correct stacking order at run
time.)
7. Save and compile the form. Click Run Form to run the form and test the changes.
Note that the stacked canvas is initially displayed until it obscures the current item
in the form.
8. Switch off the Visible property of CV_HELP, and then create a push button in the
CONTROL block to hide the Help information when it is no longer needed. You will
add the code later. Display this push button on the CV_HELP canvas.
Push Button Name Details
Hide_Help_Button Label: Hide Help
Mouse Navigate: No
Keyboard Navigable: Yes
Canvas: CV_HELP
Width, Height: 65, 16
X, Y Positions: 180, 200

Tab Canvases
Modify the CUSTGXX form in order to use a tab canvas:
9. In the Layout Editor, delete the frame object that surrounds the CUSTOMERS block.
Create a tab canvas (you may need to first enlarge the content canvas).
In the Property Palette, set the Background Color property to gray, Corner Style
property to Square, and Bevel property to None.
10. Rename the TAB_CUSTOMER tab canvas. Create another tab page in addition to the
two tab pages created by default. Name the tab pages as Name, Contact, and
Account. Label them as Name, Contact Information, and Account Information.
11. Design the tab pages according to the following screenshots. Set the item properties
to make them display on the relevant tab pages.
Instructor Note
If students appear to “lose” items after setting their Canvas properties, have them set the
items’ X and Y positions to 0 to move them to the upper left of the tab page, where they
can be seen.

Tab Canvases (continued)
12. Reorder the items according to the tab page sequence. Ensure that the user moves
smoothly from one tab page to another when tabbing through items. Set the Next
Navigation Item and Previous Navigation Item properties to make it impossible to
tab to the Customer_Id item once you tab out of that item initially.
Note: Since Customer_Id is now the only item on the CV_CUSTOMER canvas,
setting either its Enabled or Keyboard Navigable properties to No has the effect of
making the item not visible. This is because Forms must be able to navigate to an
item on a canvas in order to display that canvas’ items.
13. Save and compile the form. Click Run Form to run the form.

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