Forms Concepts
description
Transcript of Forms Concepts
Forms ConceptsTriggers
– Fired when Internal/External events occur– Replace, supplement or initiate default
processing– Initiate “External” events, to make Forms
behave as if user performed action E.g. Simulate User key-press
TriggersTrigger
– Forms trigger– Database trigger
TriggersForms Trigger
– Fires in response to Forms EventsDatabase Trigger
– Fires in response to Database EventsTHESE ARE COMPLETELY
INDEPENDENT OF EACH OTHER!!!
The Forms Application
Form Builder builds Forms, Menus and Libraries
Application consists of at least one Form
Can also include one or more Menu and Library modules
Oracle provides default Menu
File Types Forms Modules
– .FMB; Forms Source– .FMX; Forms Executable
Menu Modules– .MMB; Menu Source– .MMX; Menu Executable
Libraries– .PLL; PL/SQL Source and Executables– .PLX; PL/SQL Executable Only
The Forms Application What You See
exitenter
File Edit View Query Block Record Insert Help Whatever
Are you really sure you want to do this?
Canvas
ViewControl Item
Base-TableItem
Menu
WindowYes No
The Forms Application
What you see;– Window– Menu– Canvas/View– Items
Base-block items Control-block items
– Database records
Forms ComponentsHighest Level of Hierarchy- Forms- Menu- Built-in Packages- Database Objects
Forms ComponentsWindows- Displays canvases.- Form can have multiple windows.- Modal; user must respond and dismiss window before doing anything in another window.- Modeless; user can move to another window.
Forms ComponentsCanvas-Views- Visual element of Forms. This is how you display all those Items.- Canvas; Background on which text and items are placed.- View; Visible portion of canvas.- Form can have multiple canvases.- Canvases can be stacked, scrolled.
Forms ComponentsBlocks- Base-Table Block corresponds to Database Table; set of items representing database table columns. An ‘instance’ of a Base-Table Block corresponds to a Database Record.- Control Block is usually a collection of control items (e.g. Buttons, Check-Boxes, Radio Groups), but can also be collection of Display Items (read-only text), Text Items (‘variables’), images, etc.
Forms ComponentsBlock Properties
Forms ComponentsItems- Base-Table Items are text items that correspond to Database Columns. Forms creates them automatically.- Control Items can be Buttons, Check-Boxes, Radio Groups, Display Items (read-only text), Text Items (‘variables’), images, etc.
Forms ComponentsItem Properties
Forms ComponentsVisual Attributes- Collection of display properties.- Refer to Named Visual Attribute in Items to standardise appearance. Change in NVA will affect all Items referring to it.
Property Classes- Collection of ANY properties.- When items refer to Property Class, only properties that make sense for that item will be used.
Forms ComponentsTriggers- At Form, Block or Item level- Lower level triggers fire before higher level triggers- If same trigger-type occurs at different levels, only lowest will fire
TriggersCan be coded at Form, Block, and/or Item
LevelSome Triggers apply to multiple levels of
hierarchy, others are specific– When creating new trigger, List of Values
presents list of appropriate triggersEach Trigger-type executes only onceLowest level Triggers fired first
Forms ComponentAlerts- Window that displays message- Modal; User must respond- One, two or three buttons- Three types;
- Stop (stop sign)- Caution (exclamation)- Information (‘i’ symbol)
- Use SHOW_ALERT built-in function
Forms ComponentsLOVs- Allows user to select from specific set of values.- Displays Record Group.
Forms ComponentsEditors- Editor; simple text-editor dialog box for entering lines of text into Text Item.- Can create editors with different appearances for different text fields.
Forms ComponentsParameters- Used as a Form variable. - Pass values between Forms.
Forms ComponentsProgram Units- PL/SQL Procedures and Functions used in this Form.
Forms ComponentsAttached Libraries, Libraries & Built-in Packages- PL/SQL procedures and functions.- Attached Library; Reference collected routines.- Library; Maintain and reference collected routines.- Built-in Packages; Oracle supplied procedure and functions.
Forms ComponentsObject Groups- Package reusable objects for later copying or reference.- E.g. Your Form includes an alarm clock to wake the user after ten minutes inactivity. This includes Triggers, Procedures, a Window, some graphics, etc. You can package these objects together to conveniently include this functionality in other forms.
Tour of Form Builder
Starting forms– Virtual session
Connecting to the database
Client
What Is Forms Looking For
FormsRuntime
FormsServer
(Compiled Objects)
Database
RegistryFORMS_PATHConnect
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