Introduction To Form

Builder
Part A

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 Forms
 Application with a graphical user interface that
looks like a paper form
 Used to insert, update, delete and view
database data

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 Primary Form Uses
 Viewing/retrieving records
 Inserting/updating/deleting records
 Counting the number of records a query
will retrieve

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 Data Block Forms
 Form associated with a specific Oracle
database table (object)
 System automatically creates:
 Text fields associated with table fields
 Programs for inserting, modifying, deleting,
and viewing data records

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 Data Block Forms

 ORACLE 10g forms are displayed on web

browser as a web page.
 They are displayed in Forms Services
Window.
 The form specification is translated into
Java Applet.
 They are Dynamic Web Pages.
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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 (IE, Mozilla, Foxfire)
 Web servers
 Web page
 Static (always displays the same information )
 Dynamic (the content varies based on user inputs
or data retrieved from external resources )
 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
 Self-contained Java program that runs in a web
browser generic java runtime environment
 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 table’s data
fields
 Text items
 Form menu
 Contains selections to manipulate form
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Using a form to view
table record

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 Form Modes
 Normal
 You can view records and sequentially step
through records
 Enter Query
 You can enter search parameters in form fields and
then retrieve the associated records
 To place the form in Enter Query mode, click the
Enter Query button

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 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

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Forms Services Window

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 Inserting New Records
 In Normal mode, click the Insert Record
button to insert a new blank record
 Type the data values in the form fields
 Click the Save button to save the values in
the database

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 Retrieving Records
 Click the Enter Query button to place
the form in Enter Query mode
 Type a search condition
 Click the Execute Query button to
retrieve selected records
 If you click , do not enter a search condition,
and then click , all table records will be
retrieved

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 Form Search Types
 Exact search: only retrieves records that
exactly match the entered search condition
 Restricted search: retrieves records that fall
within a range of values

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 Restricted Search Operators
 _: wildcard replacing a single character
 %: wildcard replacing multiple characters
 >, <: greater than, less than
 >=, <=: greater than or equal to, less than or
equal to
 <> or !=: not equal to

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 Scrolling Through Retrieved
Records
 To view the next record, click the Next Record
button
 To view the previous record, click the
Previous Record button

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 Updating and Deleting Records
 Retrieve the record to be updated or
deleted
 To update, change the data value and click
the Save button
 To delete, click the Remove Record button

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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

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Creating Data Block
Form

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Start Oracle Form Builder

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Start OC4J Instance

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 Creating a new form
 Create a new module
 Create a data block
 Create a layout

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Data Block Form File Types
 .fmb
 Form design file, used by form programmer
in Form Builder
 .fmx
 Form executable file, run by form users

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 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

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The Object Navigator

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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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 Form Components
 Form module: form application
 Form window
 Title bar on top
 Horizontal and vertical scrollbars
 Can be resized, maximized, minimized

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 Form Components
 Canvas
 Surface that displays form items
 Block
 Object that contains form items
 Form items
 Command buttons, radio (option) buttons, text items
 Items in the same block can appear on different
canvases

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 Form Components
Window
Name Canvas

Cash Block of items

Check
Credit Card

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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

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 Layout Editor
 Use to customize form display

 Can add images and static text to

enhance form appearance

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Layout Editor

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 Creating a Data Block Form
 Steps:
1. Create the data block using the Data Block
Wizard
2. Create the form layout using the Layout
Wizard

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 Data Block Wizard
 Welcome page
 Type page
 Select table or view on which to base the block
source
 Table page
 Select table associated with form
 Enforce Integrity Constraint Check Box
 Finish page
 Option to use the Layout Wizard to automate
creating the layout
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 Layout Wizard
 Canvas page
 Select the canvas where the block is displayed
 Data Block page
 Select the fields that are displayed on the layout
 Items page
 Specify the column labels, heights and widths
 Style page
 Specify to create a form- or tabular-style layout

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 Layout Styles
 Form style
 One record appears on the form at a time
 Tabular style
 Multiple records display on the form in a
table

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Create a new form based on MODULE1
 Go to File/New/Form – a new module is added
to your object navigator window
 Click on MODULE2 and rename it into
STUDENT

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Create a data block based on a table
 Right click on the STUDENT module and select Data
Block Wizard
 Click next on the Data Block Wizard welcome page

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 Creating a data block (cont’s)
 Select Table/view option
 Select a table by clicking on Browse button

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 Selecting a table (cont’d)
 When you click browse, you will be prompted to log
in
 Login into your usual account and select table
STUDENT from the displayed list

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 Select database items
 Move all the attributes into selected attributes
pane using arrow buttons

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Name your data block

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Select the “… then call the Layout
wizard” option

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 Creating a layout
 Layout wizard allows you to create a form layout
 Click next on the welcome page and select content
canvas type

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 Select items to be displayed
 Select items to be displayed
 Modify the labels (prompts) and widths of
corresponding text boxes if necessary

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 Select a layout
 Select form layout
 Name the frame
 Select the number of students to be displayed

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 Complete and view the form
 Complete and view the form design

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 Form Builder Wizards
Are Re-entrant
 You can select a block or layout, then re-enter it and
modify its properties using the Wizard
 A Wizard is in re-entrant mode when its pages appear
as tabs

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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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 Creating a Form to
Display Multiple Records
 Use tabular layout to edit multiple table records at the same time

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