Introduction of Oracle Form Builder

Oracle Forms is a software product for creating screens that interact with an Oracle database. It has an IDE including an object navigator, property sheet and code editor that uses PL/SQL. It was originally developed to run server-side in character mode terminal sessions. It was ported to other platforms, including Windows, to function in a client–server environment. Later versions were ported to Java where it runs in a Java EE container and can integrate with Java and web services.

The primary focus of Forms is to create data entry systems that access an Oracle database.
 Introduction:

• Native frontend tool of Oracle.
• Supports PL/SQL coding.
• Supports communication with database.
• Supports all database objects of SQL and PL/SQL ( Tables, Views, Synonym, Sequence, Triggers, Sub programs)
• Supports to view and define database objects from forms environment.
• Supports to share properties of controls using visual attributes and property classes.
• Supports OOPS features.
• Supports to share application with multiple users and multiple platforms.

Forms Developer 10g  suite:
It consists of three components

Oracle Forms
Used to develop user friendly application screens for data manipulations and retrieval purpose.

Oracle Reports
Used to represent information for read only purpose in a user friendly format.

Oracle Graphics
Used to represent the information in char formar with X and Y co-ordinates.

Forms 10g
Supports to manipulate data or retrieve data available in RDBMS.

Interfaces in forms

• Object Navigator  ( F3 ): Allows to create components and navigate between other screens of forms.
• Layout Editor  ( F2 ): Used to design application screens. Supports to create controls ( GUI Controls).
• Property pallete ( F4 ): Used to assign properties for controls.
• PL/SQL Editor ( F11 ): Used to provide code for procedures, functions, packages, triggers.
• Menu Editor: Used to design menus.
• Wizards: Used to  make components like blocks, canvas, charts, LOV.

Form Components
There are two important forms components.

• Blocks
• Canvas

Blocks :
Represents collection of controls (items). There are two types of blocks

• Base table block
• Control block

Base Table Block:
Block created based on table, view or synonym or stored procedure.

Control Block:
Block created without any table. It will not represent any table.
Control blocks are created manually.

Canvas
Used to hold block items. It is a container which can hold more than one block on it.
Canvas can be created through layout wizard or manually.

Note

• The default type of canvas is content canvas.
• Default type of item is text item.
• Text item:   It is an editable control, used to represent column of a table.
• At least one content or tab canvas must be there to run the application.
• At least one editable item must be available to run the application.
• Whenever base table block is created in a form, it automatically frames an internal insert, update, delete and select statements.

Shortcut keys :
ctrl + s save the FMB file
ctrl + t compiles the FMB file and gives FMX file
ctrl + r Runs FMX file ( Gives the final output )
F8 Execute the query ( used to retrieve the data from table

Wizards
Data block wizard  —  Used for creating datablock.
Layout wizard        —  used for creating  Canvas.
LOV wizard            — used for creating list of values
Chart wizard         — used for creating chart.
Report   wizard     —  used for creating wizard.