Chapter 5: Introduction to Forms Builder

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Chapter 5 Introduction to Forms Builder
Guide to Oracle 10g
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Lesson A Objectives

• After completing this lesson, you should be able
  to
• Display Forms Builder 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
• Use the Object Navigator to change form object
  names

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Lesson A Objectives (continued)

• Use the Data Block and Layout Wizards to modify
  form properties
• Create a tabular-style data block form that
  displays multiple records

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Displaying Forms in a Web Browser

• Developer10g displays forms as Web pages
• In Web browser
• Form appears in Forms Services window within
  browser window
• Forms Services application displays menus and
  toolbar
• Provide general functions for all form
  applications

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Architecture of the World Wide Web

• Web browsers
• Web servers
• Web page
• Static
• Dynamic
• Forms Builder form
• Dynamic Web page
• Derives content from Oracle 10g database

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How Forms Builder Displays a Form in a Browser

• Java applet
• OC4J Instance
• Translates compiled .fmx file into Java applet
• Downloads Java applet to Web browser

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Using a Data Block Form

• Block
• Group of related form items
• Data block
• Corresponds to specific database table
• Contains objects that display values from tables
  data fields
• Text items
• Form menu
• Contains selections to manipulate form

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Using a Data Block Form (continued)

• Modes
• Normal
• Enter query
• Message line

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Using a Form to View Table Records

• Click Enter Query button
• Type search expression
• Click Execute Query button
• To retrieve all records
• Do not enter search expression
• Inexact search
• Use comparison and wildcard operators in search
  fields

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Using a Form to Insert, Update, and Delete Records

• Insert
• Enter data in blank form
• Click Save button
• Update
• Modify existing record using form
• Click Save button
• Delete
• Click Remove Record button
• Click Save button

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Viewing and Interpreting Form Errors

• When error occurs
• Error code and message displayed in message line
• Errors generated by
• Form
• DBMS

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Creating a Data Block Form

• Forms Builder
• Automatically generates text items and labels for
  data fields in table
• Provides code for inserting, modifying, deleting,
  and viewing data records

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The Object Navigator

• Displays Forms Builder objects and underlying
  components
• As hierarchical tree
• Forms Builder toolbar displays buttons
• Form module
• Object node
• indicates lower-level objects
• - indicates node expanded fully

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The Object Navigator (continued)

• Window
• Canvas
• Form contains one or more windows
• Windows can have multiple canvases
• Canvas can have multiple blocks

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Creating a New Data Block Form

• Use Object Navigator
• Data Block Wizard
• Pages
• Welcome
• Type
• Table
• Name
• Finish

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Data Block Wizard Table Page
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Creating a New Data Block Form (continued)

• Form layout
• Form Layout Wizard pages
• Welcome
• Canvas
• Data Block
• Items
• Style
• Rows
• Finish

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Layout Editor Window
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The Layout Editor

• Graphical display of form canvas
• Draw and proportion form items
• Boilerplate objects
• Static imported image

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Form Components and the Object Navigator

• Object Navigator
• Hierarchical display of all form components
• Different views

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Viewing Form Components

• Expand All and Collapse All
• Icons indicate node type
• Items
• Text items
• Trigger
• Event
• Relation

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Object Navigator Views

• Ownership View
• Visual View

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Object Navigator Window in Visual View
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Changing Object Names in the Object Navigator

• Change default names to descriptive names

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Modifying Forms Using the Data Block Wizard and
Layout Wizard

• Reentrant mode
• Modify existing data block or layout
• Select data block or form before opening wizard
• All pages appear at once

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Creating a Form to Display Multiple Records

• Tabular layout
• Display multiple records on same form
• Select Tabular on Style page of Layout Wizard

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Northwoods University Faculty Multiple Record Form
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Lesson A Summary

• Form
• Provides graphical view of database data
• Use to view or modify data
• Appears as Web page in browser
• Components
• Data block
• Layout

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Lesson A Summary (continued)

• Forms Builder environment
• Object Navigator
• Data Block Wizard
• Layout Wizard
• Layout Editor