Introduction To Forms Builder

1
Introduction ToForms Builder

• Chapter 5

2
Lesson A Objectives

• Learn how Forms Builder displays forms in a Web
  browser
• Use a data block form to view, insert, update,
  and delete database data
• Create a data block form that displays a single
  record at a time
• Become familiar with the Object Navigator, and
  use the Object Navigator to change form object
  names
• Use the Data Block and Layout Wizards to modify
  form properties
• Create a tabular-style data block form that
  displays multiple records

3
Displaying Forms in a Web Browser

• Forms are displayed in web browser
• Forms appear inside Forms Services window
• Forms Services window displays menus and toolbars
• Implemented using a Java Applet using Oracle9iAS
  Containers for J2EE, or (OC4J) Instance
• When developing, workstation runs web server and
  web browser

4
Forms Builder to Browser
5
Using A Data Block Form Definitions

• Block group of related form items, such as text
  fields and option buttons
• Data block corresponds to a specific database
  table, and contains objects, such as text fields
  or option buttons, that display values from the
  tables data fields
• Data block form one or more data blocks
• Text items display text input fields

6
Forms Services Window

• Form menu contains selections that allow you to
  manipulate the form
• Has a toolbar with buttons to insert, view,
  modify, and delete records
• At bottom of the window are lines that display
  information about form status
• Query button group allows you to query data, has
  two modes
• Normal mode - can view data records, sequentially
  step through the records, and change data values
• Enter Query mode - can enter a search expression
  in one of the form fields, and then retrieve the
  associated records

7
Forms Services Window
8
Using a Form to View Table Records

• Retrieve specific table records
• Click the Enter Query button
• Type a search expression in one or more of the
  form text items
• Click the Execute Query button
• Retrieve all of the records in a table
• Place form in Enter Query mode and do not type
  search condition

9
Using a Form to Insert, Update, and Delete
Records

• To insert
• Use blank record that appears when opening a form
  or as last line of query results
• To update
• Retrieve record with a query, modify field and
  save
• To delete
• Retrieve record with a query, use Remove Record
  button to delete

10
Viewing and Interpreting Form Errors

• Some errors are detected, or trapped, within the
  form and form issues the error message
• Other errors are not detected until the form
  sends the data values to the database and Oracle
  DBMS issues the error message
• To view information on database errors
• Click Help menu, Display Error
• Dialog box displays error information

11
Viewing Information About Database Error
12
Closing a Form and Committing Changes

• To close a form
• Click Exit button
• Click Action on the form menu and then click Exit
• Close browser window
• If unsaved changes exist, dialog box will prompt
  to save changes

13
Creating a Data Block Form

• When creating a form for a table, Forms Builder
  automatically creates
• Labels
• Text entry fields
• Insert, update and delete and select queries

14
The Object Navigator
15
Creating a New Data Block Form

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

16
Layout Editor

• Use to customize form display
• Can add images and static text to enhance form
  appearance

17
Layout Editor
18
Running a Form

• Click Run Form button
• Form is compiled into a .fmx file for execution
• A text file with same name as form and .err
  extension holds errors that occur when running
  form

19
Form Components and the Object Navigator

• Use Object Navigator to view information about
  form components
• Use buttons to expand and collapse form items
• Use Ownership View to group logically associated
  components together
• Use Visual View to group visually associated
  components
• Can rename objects

20
Modifying Forms Using the Data Block Wizard and
Layout Wizard

• Wizards can be used to modify existing forms and
  layouts in reentrant mode
• Start wizard when component is selected to modify
  component

21
Creating a Form to Display Multiple Records

• Use tabular layout to edit multiple table records
  at the same time

22
Lesson B Objectives

• Create a data block form that is based on a
  database view
• Learn how to modify form properties to improve
  form appearance and function
• Create a master-detail form that contains
  multiple data blocks
• Format form text items using format masks

23
Creating a Form Based on a Database View

• Similar to form based on table but read-only

24
Modifying Form Properties
25
Modifying Form Properties

• Use Property Palette of form object to modify
  desired properties
• To access right click object, select Property
  Palette from menu
• Intersection mode modifies properties for
  multiple objects at the same time
• To open in intersection mode, select multiple
  objects before opening Property Palette

26
Property Palette
27
Modifying Form Prompts and Prompt Properties
Using the Layout Editor

• Edit prompts by changing text in layout editor
• Resize frame to realign items and view changes
• Use layout editor to modify font and point size
  of prompts

28
Modifying Text Item Properties Using the
Property Palette
29
Creating a Data Block Form that Displays Data
from Multiple Tables

• Can create data block forms that display data
  from multiple database tables which have
  master-detail relationships
• Master-detail relationship one database record
  has multiple related records through foreign key
  relationships
• Use data block wizard to create master block (for
  master table) first

30
Creating a Data Block Form that Displays Data
from Multiple Tables

• Create detail blocks next and specify
  relationship on master-detail tab
• Use auto-join to allow Forms Builder to decide on
  join condition
• Use manual join to specify join fields
• Code is added to link form blocks together so
  that when new master is selected, new detail
  appears

31
Multiple Master-Detail Blocks
32
Using Format Masks to Format Character Strings
33
Lesson C Objectives

• Use sequences to automatically generate primary
  key values in a form
• Create lists of values (LOVs) to provide lists
  for foreign key values
• Become familiar with different form items that
  you can use to enter and modify data values

34
Using Sequences to Generate Primary Key Values

• Form can be set up to automatically retrieve next
  sequence number and populate primary key field
• Form triggers respond to user events or system
  actions
• To create a trigger, specify
• Triggers object (i.e. specific button)
• Trigger event (i.e. button press)
• Code that executes
• Use PRE-FORM event to perform action when form
  loads
• Use Triggers dialog box to create triggers for
  objects

35
PL/SQL Editor
36
Using PL/SQL to Create Form Trigger

• Type code to select next sequence value
• Refer to form item (ID text entry field) as
  block_name.item_name
• Compile code before use to check for syntax
  errors
• Must connect to database before compiling code
• PL/SQL editor displays syntax errors

37
Syntax Error in PL/SQL Editor
38
Creating a List of Values (LOV)

• Use a list of values (LOV) to eliminate user
  errors
• Pop-up list allows user to select value from list
  of choices rather than typing
• User can open LOV by
• Typing Ctrl-L with cursor in LOV text field
• Click Edit then Display List from Forms Services
  menu
• Clicking command button with attached trigger to
  open LOV
• LOV allows user to search for values using
  wildcards
• LOV data values come from a record group

39
LOV Display
40
Creating an LOV

• To create LOV
• Use LOV Wizard
• Manually create using Object Navigator
• LOV can contain one or more columns
• LOV appearance can be customized using layout
  wizard
• Create a button on main form to launch LOV using
  button tool, attach form trigger to button that
  opens LOV

41
Representing Data Values Using Other Item Types

• Use radio buttons and checkboxes instead of text
  fields for data entry
• Radio buttons represent small list of mutually
  exclusive values
• To use radio buttons
• Create a radio group containing mutually
  exclusive radio buttons
• Specify radio buttons rather than text for item
  type when creating form layout
• Create individual radio buttons on canvas using
  radio button tool
• Specify initial value for radio group using
  Property Palette

42
Creating Checkboxes

• Use to represent choice of two opposing values
  (i.e. On/Off)
• Use label to indicate what checked value
  represents
• Configure Value when Checked and Value when
  Unchecked to specify actual database values
• Can specify a third value that checkbox has when
  unmodified (such as NULL)

43
Summary

• Forms Builder is used to provide users with
  graphical user interface for manipulating
  database objects
• Form can represent one or more tables
• Form can be used to view, create, update and
  delete table data
• Form can be used to view data based on database
  views
• Use wizards to create and modify form information
• Use PL/SQL editor to edit, compile and debug code
• Actions can be associated with form objects and
  events via Form Triggers