Manual Installation Steps for Working with Stored Java Objects

Before you can work with Stored Java objects in Oracle Forms, you must install the necessary Java classes and PL/SQL package on the Oracle database.

To install the Java Object support in Oracle Forms:

1.    Locate the installation scripts in your <oracle_home>/dbs directory. You will need the following files to install Java Object support:

·        dejavins.sql

·        dejavaux.sql

·        derefls.plb

·        dereflb.plb

·        dedbjava.jar

Manipulating a Stacked Canvas Programmatically in Oracle Forms

To programmatically display a stacked canvas in the window to which it is assigned:

o   Use the SHOW_VIEW built-in procedure. (Note that a stacked canvas' Visible property is set to No by default.)

To scroll a stacked canvas so that a different region of the canvas is visible:

o   Use the built-in procedure SCROLL_VIEW (which moves the view relative to its canvas).

To move the stacked canvas to a different location on the underlying content canvas:

o   Use the built-in procedure SET_VIEW_PROPERTY (which changes the canvas' Viewport Position property). Note that this will not change the region of the canvas that is visible in the view.

To increase the dimensions of a stacked canvas' view (so that more of the canvas is visible):

o   Use the built-in procedure SET_VIEW_PROPERTY. Note that increasing the of the view does not change the X,Y coordinates of its upper-left corner on the stacked canvas, nor does it change the position of the view itself relative to the underlying content canvas.

Manipulating a stacked canvas programmatically:

Examples:

/* Example 1: These 2 procedure calls both display the stacked

** canvas STACK_IT:

*/

SHOW_VIEW('stack_it');

SET_VIEW_PROPERTY('stack_it', visible, property_true);

/* Example 2: This procedure call scrolls the view of the stacked

** canvas STACK_IT to X,Y coordinates 12 and 0:

*/

SCROLL_VIEW('stack_it', 12, 0);

/* Example 3: This procedure call changes the position of the

** stacked canvas STACK_IT to X,Y coordinates 12 and 20 on the** underlying content canvas:*/

SET_VIEW_PROPERTY('stack_it', display_position, 12, 20);

/* Example 4: This procedure call increases the width of the view,

** thereby making more of the canvas visible:

*/

SET_VIEW_PROPERTY('stack_it', width, 22);

How Stacking Order Changes at Runtime - Oracle Forms

At runtime, the stacking order you established at design time changes as canvases are raised in response to navigation and programmatic control.

When an end user or the application navigates to an item on a canvas that is hidden behind another canvas, Oracle Forms automatically raises the target canvas to the front of the window, thus changing the current stacking order. (Therefore, if you design your form such that stacked or tab canvases always are invoked in response to navigation, the design-time stacking order is unimportant.)

Events that Change the Current Content Canvas - Oracle Forms

When a content canvas is displayed in a window—in response to navigation or programmatic control—it becomes the window's current content canvas. Unless it is replaced by another content canvas, it remains the current content canvas for the duration of the runtime session (even if the end user closes or iconifies the window).

Displaying a Content Canvas' Stacked Views in the Layout Editor - Oracle Forms

Displaying a Content Canvas' Stacked Views in the Layout Editor To display stacked views assigned to a content canvas' window:

1.      In the Object Navigator, under the Canvases node, double-click the content canvas' object icon.

2.      In the Layout Editor, choose View | Stacked Views.Oracle Forms displays the Stacked Canvases dialog, which shows all stacked canvases assigned to the same window as the content canvas currently displayed in the Layout Editor.

3.      Select the stacked canvas(es) that you want to display in the Layout Editor. (Deselect those you do not want to display).

4.      To select a stacked canvas, click it in the Stacked Canvases dialog. Control-click multiple stacked canvases to display them on the same content canvas.

5.      To deselect a stacked canvas already displayed on the content canvas, Control-click the selected stacked canvas in the Stacked Canvases dialog.

6.      When you display a stacked canvas this way, you see exactly what the end user will see at runtime. That is, you see only the portion of the stacked canvas that is within its view, as defined by the Viewport Width and Viewport Height properties.

7.      Once the stacked canvas is displayed, you can change its properties in the Layout Editor by manipulating it graphically, as follows:

8.      Move the stacked canvas to change its Viewport X Position and Viewport Y Position properties.

9.      Resize the stacked canvas to change its Viewport Width and Viewport Height properties. Resizing the view this way does not change the size of the canvas, only the size of the view. To resize the canvas, set the Width and Height canvas properties in the Property Palette. Only items and boilerplate that are completely on the canvas will display at runtime, even if the view is larger than the canvas.

10.   For a stacked canvas with scroll bars, scroll the canvas to change the initial runtime settings for the Viewport X Position on Canvas and Viewport Y Position on Canvas properties.

Creating and Deleting a tab page in Oracle Forms

To create a tab page:

1.      In the Object Navigator, under the Canvases node, click the Tab Pages node of the tab canvas.

2.      Click Create in the toolbar once for each tab page you wish to create. Oracle Forms creates the tab page(s) and provides a default name for each, such as PAGE3.

3.      Choose Tools | Property Palette.

4.      In the Property Palette, under the Functional node, set the Label property to the text you want to appear on the tab page's tab area at runtime. (End users will click the tab area to navigate between the pages of a tab canvas

To delete a tab page:

1.      In the Object Navigator, under the Canvases node, click the Tab Pages node of the tab canvas.

2.      Click the tab page's object icon, and click the Delete button in the toolbar. Oracle Forms displays a confirmation alert.

3.      Click Yes to delete the tab page. Oracle Forms deletes the tab page.

Note: Deleting the last page of a tab canvas does not delete the canvas itself.

How to create Tab Canvas in Oracle Forms

To create a tab canvas:

1.      In the Object Navigator, under the Canvases node, double-click the object icon of the content canvas on which you wish to create a tab canvas.

2.      In the Layout Editor, click in the toolbar.

3.      Click-drag the region where you want to place the tab canvas. Oracle Forms creates a tab canvas (with two tab pages), and gives it a default name, such as CANVAS6.

4.      In the Object Navigator, under the Canvases node, click the tab canvas' object icon, then choose Tools | Property Palette to display the Property Palette.

5.      Under the Viewport node: Set the Viewport X/Y Position on Canvas properties. (Enter X,Y display coordinates of the view's upper-left corner, relative to the upper-left corner of the content canvas currently displayed in the window. 0,0 (the default) displays the tab canvas at the upper-left corner of the content canvas.) Set the Viewport Width/Height properties. (Enter dimensions of the tab canvas' view. If the view is smaller than the canvas, end users can scroll the canvas at runtime.)

6.      Under the Physical node: Set the Visible property to Yes (tab canvas will be visible when window is invoked), or No (tab canvas remains hidden until displayed in response to navigation or programmatic events). Set the Width/Height properties. (Enter dimensions of the canvas. Tab canvases typically are smaller than the content canvas (es) in the same window.)

7.      Define the tab canvas' position in the stacking order. If the tab canvas is not displayed programmatically or in response to navigation, make sure that its position in the stacking order places it in front of the content canvas assigned to the same window. If not, it will be shown behind the content canvas, and will not be visible at runtime. Recall that the stacking order of canvases in a window is defined by the sequence in which they are listed under the Canvases node in the Object Navigator.

About Stacking Order in Oracle Forms

When you work with canvases, you must define each canvas' position in the stacking order, with respect to other canvases assigned to the same window. The stacking order determines which canvases are displayed in front of (or "on top of") other canvases in the same window. The stacking order of canvases can change at runtime in response to navigation and programmatic events. Stacking order is important, particularly when you have multiple content and stacked canvases assigned to the same window. You always should position a stacked canvas in front of any content canvas(es) assigned to the same window; if not, the content canvas(es) will completely obscure the stacked canvas(es) at runtime.

About Stacked Canvases in Oracle Forms

Stacked canvases are displayed in a window along with the window's content canvas(es) and any number of other stacked canvases. You can set the bevel, color, and pattern attributes of a stacked canvas to make it look different than the underlying content canvas. Contrarily, you can make the stacked canvas look like the content canvas, and then show and hide the stacked canvas pro-grammatically so end users are unaware that a separate canvas is being displayed.

About Scrolling Windows - Oracle Forms

A scrolling window allows an end user to use scroll bars to scroll the content canvas currently displayed in that window. Conceptually, think of scrolling as moving the content canvas to change the X,Y coordinates of the view's point of origin, thereby revealing a different part of that canvas. Note that scrolling does not change the size of the view, merely its location on the canvas.

About Content Canvases in the Stacking Order - Oracle Forms

When you assign multiple content canvases and at least one stacked canvas to the same window, be aware of how Oracle Forms manages content canvases in the stacking order. Since Oracle Forms can display only one content canvas at a time in a single window, it treats all content canvases assigned to the same window as if each one had the same position in the stacking order, relative to the stacked canvases assigned to that window.

Resizing a Canvas in the Layout Editor - Oracle Forms

To resize a canvas in the Layout Editor:
1. In the Layout Editor, make sure the canvas object is displayed by choosing View and checking the Show Canvas option (the default).

2. Scroll the Layout Editor window until the lower right corner of the canvas is visible, then click on the right edge or bottom edge of the canvas to select it.When the canvas is selected, a black selection handle is displayed at its lower-right corner.

3. Click and drag the selection handle to resize the canvas as desired

Editing Text in Oracle Forms

This Blog post describes the commands you can use to edit and select text in Oracle Forms. You can enter text in Insert mode or Replace mode. The current editing mode is displayed on the status line in Oracle Forms. To switch modes, press [Insert/Replace].

You can use the following commands to edit text.

Using EDIT_TEXTITEM to Display an Editor - Oracle Forms

The EDIT_TEXTITEM procedure invokes the editor associated with the current text item in the form (the default editor, a user-named editor, or the current system editor). The following example navigates to a text item and then displays the editor associated with that item.

Go_Item('cust.comments');

Edit_TextItem;

The input focus must be in a text item for EDIT_TEXTITEM to execute successfully. If the input focus is in any other type of item, Oracle Forms displays the message: FRM-41026: Item does not understand operation. EDIT_TEXTITEM has optional parameters that allow you to specify dynamic size and position coordinates: Edit_Textitem(x, y, width, height);

Using SHOW_EDITOR to Display an Editor - Oracle Forms

The SHOW_EDITOR procedure displays a user-named editor at the specified display coordinates.

SHOW_EDITOR takes message_in and message_out parameters that allow you to pass a text string in to the editor and to get the edited text string back when the operator accepts the editor.

SHOW_EDITOR(editor_name, message_in, x, y, message_out, result);

The result parameter is a BOOLEAN IN OUT parameter. If the operator accepts the editor, SHOW_EDITOR sets result to TRUE, and sets message_out to the current text string. If the operator cancels the editor, SHOW_EDITOR sets result to FALSE and sets message_out to NULL.

Setting the Properties of Container Objects in Oracle Forms

Oracle Applications forms use the following container objects:

•       Modules

•       Windows, including standards for modal and non-modal windows

•       Canvases, including standards for content and stacked canvases

•       Blocks

•       Regions

Modules

Module properties establish an overall framework for the look and feel of each form.

For more information, see the Oracle Applications User Interface Standards for Forms-Based Products.

Property Class

The TEMPLATE form automatically applies the MODULE property class to the module. The settings of this class vary on each GUI platform.

Warning: Do not change any values set by the MODULE property class.

Deployment of Oracle Forms Application

Follow the below steps:

1.    Login to the server with the user with which Oracle Application Server installation was carried out.

2.    Take a backup of the default.env file located at C:\<MidTier

Home>\forms\server and rename the file as app.env. Where app represents the application name and .env - represents the environment file.

Steps for Developing Custom Forms in E-Business Suite

Follow these steps to create custom forms in E-Business Suite:

1.    Create TEMPLATE form Make a copy of TEMPLATE.fmb and rename it to your custom form name. Your form name will begin with XX. For developing HRMS-related screens, use HRTEMPLT.fmb.

2.    Develop form Develop your form as per programming guidelines and standards in Oracle Applications Forms Development Guide. Detailed guidelines are available at