Introduction To Form
Builder
Part A
Eyad Alshareef
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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
form in Enter Query mode
Type a search condition
Click the Execute Query button
selected records

to place the
to retrieve
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
Canvas
Name
Block of items
Cash
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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