A Guide to Oracle9i1 Creating an Integrated Database Application Chapter 8.

A Guide to Oracle9i 1

Creating an IntegratedDatabase Application

Chapter 8


Lesson A Objectives• Understand the steps for developing a database application

• Design a database application interface

• Use timers in a Forms Builder application to create a splash screen

• Create form templates to ensure consistency across application modules

• Learn how to reference application components in an integrated database application

• Understand how to open and close form modules in a multiple form application

• Learn how to display a report in a database application


Developing an Integrated Database Application

• Design– Creating the specifications for the application

components

• Module development– Creating the individual form and report modules

• Module integration – Integrating the individual modules into a single

application


Developing an Integrated Database Application

• Testing– Unit testing: testing the individual form and report

modules to confirm that they work correctly as single applications

– System testing: evaluates whether the modules work correctly when you integrate them into the rest of the system

• Deployment– Packaging the integrated modules in an installable

format that you can deliver to customers


Development Process

• Good practice to create separate form modules– Developers can each work on part of an

application– Easier to work with– Load faster in Web-based applications

• Files are integrated in project folder including– All fmb files– Graphic images


Integrated Application

• Single entry point• Single exit point• Create a main form module

– Splash screen– Switchboard - consists of command buttons that

enable users to access the most commonly used forms and reports

– Pull-down menus


Main Form Screen Design


Creating a Splash Screen

• First image that appears when you run an application

• Displays for limited time• Use PRE-FORM trigger to set a timer• Switch to main window when timer finishes


Splash Screen Sample


Creating a Splash Screen Timer


Ensuring a Consistent Appearance Across Form Modules

• Forms should have consistent look, feel and behavior• Template form

– Generic form that includes graphics, command buttons, and program units

– Store in a location that is accessible to all developers– Base new forms on the template form– Saves time– Ensures consistent look and behavior

• To use:– Select New --> Form Using Template from File menu when

creating new form


Template Form


Visual Attribute Group

• A form object that defines object properties, such as text item colors, font sizes, and font styles

• Assigned to Visual Attribute Group property of form windows, canvases, and items


Referencing Application Components

• Main form application uses program commands to open other form modules and to run report modules

• Application also references files that provide graphic image data for images


Path Specification Approach

• Specify the complete path, including the drive letter and folder path, to the application file

• Works well for a development team that has standardized on saving all of the project files to a specific location on a file server

• Difficult to move the application to a different storage location

• Can create a global path variable– References a text string specifying the complete path to the drive

and folder– Path information is stored in a single location– Set global variable in PRE-FORM trigger


Referencing Forms and Reports Using Module Names

• Assign a module name to the form or report in the Object Navigator

• Main application form can reference any form or report using the module name if file is stored:– In default form or report folder– Or available on Oracle Application Server


Opening and Closing Forms in an Integrated Database Application

• Use built-in procedures to open one form from another• Opening form is parent, new form is child


Closing Forms


Displaying a Report in an Integrated Database Application

• Report displays a summary view of database data at a specific point in time

• Can run as stand-alone applications or appear within integrated database applications

• To integrate with database application:– Install and start the local report server– Configure the main application form so it generates the

report as an HTML file – Display the report in a browser window


Installing a Local Report Server

• Run an Oracle9i utility named Rwserver• Pass parameters that instruct it to install a

new local report server and assign a name to the local report server

• Installed as Windows service• Start from control panel


Starting Local Report Service


Creating a Report Object

• Create a report object in the main application form

• Top-level Forms Builder object in the Object Navigator window that represents a Reports Builder report file

• Configure its properties using the report object Property Palette


Displaying the Report Object

• Create a form trigger for the button that the user clicks to display the report

• Trigger contains commands– To configure the report filename and output

filename dynamically– To run the report and generate an HTML output

file– To display the HTML file in a browser window

• 8


Displaying the Report in a Browser Window


Lesson B Objectives

• Learn how to create custom pull-down menus• Understand how to display custom pull-down menus

in form modules• Explore how to write program commands to control

menu items• Learn how to create context-sensitive pop-up menus


Creating Custom Pull-Down Menus

• Replace the default Forms Services pull-down menu choices with custom pull-down menu choices

• Create a menu module– Independent of any specific form– Attach the executable (.mmx) menu file to a form

module in the form module Property Palette– Contains one or more menu items


Menu Components


Creating Menus

• Use Menu Editor• Menu code trigger performs action when

menu selected• Menu properties are specified on Property

Palette


Menu Item Types

• Plain– Displays a text label and has an associated menu

code trigger that fires when the user selects the menu item

• Check– Specifies a property that users can enable or

disable

• Radio– Specifies a selection in a group of menu selections

that behave like radio buttons


Menu Item Types

• Separator– Specifies that the menu selection appears as a

separator bar

• Magic– Specify that the menu selection is one of the

following predefined magic types: Cut, Copy, Paste, Clear, Undo, About, Help, Quit, or Window

– Have built-in functionality supplied by Forms Builder


Menu Access Keys

• Pull-down menu selections have an underlined letter in the selection label

• Called the menu item’s access key• Allows user to open or select the menu item by using

the keyboard instead of the mouse pointer• First letter of each menu item label is the default

access key• To override the default access key choice

– Type an ampersand (&) before the desired access key letter in the menu label


Menu Code Triggers

• Perform actions like opening a form• Cannot reference specific form items• Right-click menu item to open PL/SQL editor


Displaying a Menu Module in a Form

• Compile the menu module• Attach to form:

– Open the form module Property Palette– Reference the compiled menu module file in the

form module’s Menu Module property value

• Copy the compiled menu module file to the default form folder


Using Program Commands to Control Menu Items


Using Program Commands to Control Menu Items

• To use built-ins, reference menu items using their system-assigned names

• Determine the system-assigned names of individual menu items by viewing the menu structure in the Object Navigator

• To dynamically change menu properties:– SET_MENU_ITEM_PROPERTY('menu_name',

property, value);


Menu Names


Pop-Up Menus

• Context-sensitive menus that appear when the user right clicks a specific screen display item

• Top-level form objects• Associate a pop-up menu with a specific form

— pop-up menu can appear only in that form


Creating a Pop-Up Menu

• Create in Object Navigator• Open in Menu Editor• Define menu items• Change menu labels• Create menu code triggers


Attaching a Pop-Up Menu to a Form Object

• Attach a pop-up menu object to a form canvas or to a data block item, such as a text item, command button, or check box

• Change the object’s Popup Menu property value to the name of the associated pop-up menu object


Summary

• Forms and reports can be integrated into a database application

• A splash screen introduces an application and loads a main “switchboard” screen with command buttons to access commonly used forms

• Form templates and visual attribute groups are used to maintain a common appearance between forms

• Pull-down and pop-up menus are used to launch windows and perform application tasks

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A Guide to Oracle9i1 Creating an Integrated Database Application Chapter 8.

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