Integration of APEX and Oracle Forms

How to integrate APEX and Oracle Forms?

Roel Hartman

Who am I?

Who am I – somewhat more serious

roelhartman.blogspot.com

• Presenter at UKOUG (2x), OOW, ODTUG• APEX 3.2 EAR• OTN Forum• Articles• Blogger• Working for

Introduction

APEX 3.2 : Forms conversion

The challenge of converting Simple Forms (60%) Moderate Forms (30%) (Very) Complex Forms (10%)

Top 10 %

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The concept comes from…

OraFormsFaces

Thank you Wilfred!

Embed a Form in APEX• Insert HTML• PL/SQL Procedure • URLhttp://localhost:7778/forms/frmservlet?config=apex&module=orders

Embed a Form in APEX

APEX PAGEAPEX REGION

Embed a Form in APEX

ORACLE FORM

Visual Integration• Embed Forms HTML within two DIVs• Modify & Set• OuterDiv Width & Height• InnerDiv Width & Height• Applet Width & Height• Applet Margins• Address Applet by adding an

ID="formsapplet" line• Settings browser dependent

• Use same background color

<div id="outerdiv" style="overflow:hidden; border-style:none;"> <div id="innerdiv" style="overflow:scroll; border-style:none;"> #BODY# </div></div>

Visual Integration

Communicate from Forms to APEX• Use web.show_document( URL, target )• Attach a common library to your Form• Create procedure runJavascript

Requirement :When I move through a list of Products (Oracle Form), I want to see who bought it and where the customer is located.

web.show_document( ‘javascript:showOnMap()’, ‘_self’);PROCEDURE runJavascript( pScript varchar2) ISBEGIN web.show_document('javascript:'||pScript, '_self'); END;

Communicate from Forms to APEX• Call procedure from WHEN-NEW-RECORD-

INSTANCE• Create procedure TriggerApex

TriggerApex('WHEN-NEW-RECORD-INSTANCE');PROCEDURE TriggerApex( pTrigger varchar2 ) ISBEGIN if name_in('system.current_form') = 'PRODUCTS' then if pTrigger = 'WHEN-NEW-RECORD-INSTANCE' then -- Requery APEX Reports region with parameter on Page 9 -- & Show the data on the Map runJavascript('refreshReport('|| name_in('PRODUCTS.PRODUCT_ID')|| ', ''P9_PRODUCT_ID'');showOnMap();'); end if; end if;END;

Communicate from Forms to APEX

Communicate from Forms to APEX

APEX PAGEAPEX REGION

ORACLE FORM

APEX REGIONAPEX Form

APEX Report

APEX Chart

web.show_document

Communicate from APEX to Forms

Requirement :When I click on a customer in a report, I should be able to edit the customer data – using our current (very complex) Form. When I save the changes the report should be updated immediately.

Communicate from APEX to Forms• Read Forms-as-Web-Components-Step-by-

Step.pdf• raiseEvent procedure – extend the Forms runtime

• CommunicatorBean – receive external events

• Add PJC to your Form

Communicate from APEX to Forms• Define column link as : javascript:queryCustomer(#ID#);

• raiseEvent triggers (Bean’s) WHEN-CUSTOM-ITEM-EVENT• WHEN-CUSTOM-ITEM-EVENT calls execEvent• execEvent handles the request• Add code to TriggerApex procedure in library to refresh report

PROCEDURE execEvent IS BeanEventDetails ParamList; ParamType number := text_parameter; Event varchar2(1000); Payload varchar2(1000);begin BeanEventDetails := get_parameter_list(name_in('system.custom_item_event_parameters')); get_parameter_attr(BeanEventDetails, 'Event', ParamType, Event); get_parameter_attr(BeanEventDetails, 'Payload', ParamType, Payload); if name_in('system.current_form') = 'CUSTOMERS' then if upper(event)='EXECUTE_QUERY' then set_block_property('DEMO_CUSTOMERS' , DEFAULT_WHERE, 'WHERE CUSTOMER_ID = '||payload ); execute_query; end if; end if;end;

function queryCustomer( pCustId ){ //Setting Customer Id in Form and Requery execFormAction( 'execute_query', pCustId)}function execFormAction(pAction, pParam){ //Raising an event in Forms //Execute the Action (like 'execute query') $x('formsapplet').raiseEvent(pAction, pParam );}

if pTrigger = 'POST-DATABASE-COMMIT‘then -- Requery APEX Reports region with pValue, pField parameters runJavascript('refreshReport('''', '''')');end if;

Communicate from APEX to Forms

APEX PAGEAPEX REGION

ORACLE FORM

APEX REGIONAPEX Form

APEX Report

APEX Chart

web.show_document

PJC

APEX REGION

Extended Forms Applet : raiseEvent

CommunicatorBean / PJC

WHEN-CUSTOM-ITEM-EVENT

Library

Using the Applet Life Cycle• Prevent multiple frmweb processes• HTML must be 100% identical• Start up the same Form every time (landing)• Pass the ‘real’ Form name to the landing form• Use WHEN-APPLET-ACTIVATED event to call that Form• Details are in Wilfred’s doc!!

if upper(event) = 'WHEN-APPLET-ACTIVATED‘then while true loop -- get the form name set_custom_property('BLK_PJC.PJC', 1,'EvalExpression','$v("CALL_FORM_NAME")'); formName := get_custom_property('BLK_PJC.PJC', 1, 'EvalResult'); call_form(formName); appletActive := get_custom_property('BLK_PJC.PJC', 1, 'AppletActive'); if appletActive = 'FALSE‘ then exit; end if; end loop;end if;

Some additional remarks• Forms 10.1.2.0 • other versions tested by Oracle Support (incl

F11)

• SUN JRE version (1.6.05) • < 10 or • switch off “Enable next-generation Java Plug-

In

• Focus and Sticky Cursor Issues • Metalink Note 730581.1

Some additional remarks• Forms 11g• web.javascript_eval• WHEN-CUSTOM-JAVASCRIPT-EVENT• legacy lifecycle• rebuild the jar file with new class files

Some additional remarks• Authentication• ‘fixed’ user in formsweb.cfg• pass APEX credentials (DB Auth.) to the Form• use SSO• login into Forms (once)

http://localhost:7778/forms/frmservlet?config=apex&userid=&APP_USER./&P101_PASSWORD.@XE

Conclusions

The challenge of converting Simple Forms (60%) Moderate Forms (30%) (Very) Complex Forms (10%)

Top 10 %

projectstart

projectfinish

Conclusions

Convert the major part at once Convert the rest when

necessary/possible So reducing

effort – (re)build and test money risk

But you still need the Forms Server ($)

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Coming soon….

Whitepaper on OTN In cooperation with Iloon Ellen (@

Oracle)

Question Time

My blog : http://roelhartman.blogspot.comMy e-mail : [email protected]