Web Forms: The Great Leap Forward

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Web FormsThe Great Leap Forward

• A P Clarke

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AGENDA

• The application
• The migration process
• This web stuff
• The migrated application
• Questions

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The Application
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The starting point

• Government agency
• regulatory authority
• issuing licences
• Core business system
• Richly-featured
• Third party workflow
• Post Office Address validation
• Complex technical calculations
• Integration with MS Word and Excel
• Developer 1.6.1

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Client/Server architecture
Database
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Web-deployed architecture
Database
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Going back to the application

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

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The Migration Process
Can we build it?
Yes we can!
er, sort of
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Forms 4.5 to 9i Forms

• Conversion
• Migration Wizard
• Forms Builder
• OTN Web Site
• Remember to start OC4J!
• Icons .ICO bad, .GIF good

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Reports 2.5 to 9i Reports

• Pretty straightforward
• RUN_PRODUCT is de-supported in 9i Forms
• RUN_REPORT_OBJECT
• WEB.SHOW_DOCUMENT

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Porting to Unix

• Watch out for
• case sensitivity
• embedded file names
• directory separators
• O9iDS is less usable on Unix
• Not supported on terminal emulators

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Client interaction

• Workflow
• move to Java API
• Address validation
• move to new product
• File upload
• Forms demo PJC
• OLE Intergration
• JACOB

• D2KWUTIL calls
• ???
• ORA_FFI calls
• ???
• HOST
• ???
• TEXT_IO
• ???

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

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

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Limitations of WebUtil

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

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So, do I have to become a Java head?

• Must know how Java CLASSPATH works
• ORA_JAVA requires some familiarity with
• classes
• inheritance
• May need to write your own Java class

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Running on O9iAS

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

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The Migrated Application
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Migrated functionality

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

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Lost functionality

• Help files
• Using Notepad to edit items
• Performance
• Using Forms to launch apps
• Using timers instead of W-N-F-I
• CLIENT_OLE2 time lag
• IDENTIFIED EXTERNALLY
• DLL transactions

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Intangible benefits

• Supported platform
• Easier deployment
• Standardisation of third party products

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Any questions?
andrew.clarke_at_logicacmg.com