Introduction To Form Builder

1
Introduction To Form Builder

• Part B

2
Objectives

• Create data block from view
• Modify properties using Property Palette
• Text item properties
• Master-detail relationship
• Create master block first
• Specify relationship automatically or manually

3
Creating a Form Based on a Database View

• View can be derived from one or more database
  tables
• Form based on a view allows you to display data
  from table(s)
• Form could be used to insert, update, or delete
  data if the view is a simple view only.

4
Creating a Form Based on a Database View

• Similar to form based on table but read-only

5
Modifying Properties
6
Modifying Form Properties
7
Guidelines For Configuring Form Windows

• Change the window title
• Allow user to minimize the window
• Do not allow the user to maximize the window
• Do not allow the user to resize the window
• Include horizontal and vertical scrollbars if
  items appear beyond window boundaries
• Make the form window fill the Forms Runtime window

8
Configuring Form Windows
Window Title
Minimize/ Maximize buttons
Window size
9
Property Palette
10
Modifying Form Properties

• Every form object has a Property Palette that
  allows you to configure form properties

Property Nodes
Property List
11
Modifying Form Properties

• Use Property Palette of form object to modify
  desired properties
• To access right click object, select Property
  Palette from menu
• Intersection mode modifies properties for
  multiple objects at the same time
• To open in intersection mode, select multiple
  objects before opening Property Palette

12
Property Palette
13
Intersection Property Palette

• Used to change property of several items to the
  same value
• Intersection/Union button appears as
• Name appears as

14
Frame Properties

• Update Layout
• Automatically
• Frame items are automatically repositioned based
  on their order in the Data Blocks list when you
  move or resize a frame, or modify the form layout
  using the Layout Wizard in reentrant mode
• Manually
• Items are automatically when layout is modified
  in Layout Wizard in reentrant mode
• Items are not repositioned if you move or resize
  the frame
• Locked
• Items are never automatically repositioned

15
Modifying Text Item Properties Using the Property
Palette

• Intersection mode
• Values appears as when objects have
  different values
• Text item properties
• Control how users enter data values
• How form displays data values
• Hint
• ToolTip

16
Text item Appearance Properties
17
Text Item Data Value Properties
18
Text Item Database Properties
19
Master-detail relationship
20
Multiple-Table Forms

• Data block forms can display data from multiple
  tables that have a master-detail relationship
• Master record has multiple related detail records
• Examples
• One ITEM record has multiple related INVENTORY
  records
• One CUSTOMER might have multiple CUST_ORDER
  records

21
Creating the Detail Data Block

• Master-Detail page
• Auto-join feature of Data Block Wizard
• Create link manually
• Click Create Relationship
• Explicitly select related items
• Join Condition field syntax
• detail_block.join_item master_block.join_item

22
Master-Detail Forms
Master block
Detail block
23
Multiple Master-Detail Blocks
24
Creating a Master-Detail Form

• Create the master block first
• Specify the relationship on the Data Block Wizard
  Master-Detail page of the detail block

25
Complex Master-Detail Relationships

• A master block can have multiple detail blocks
• An item can be in multiple customer orders, and
  have multiple shipment records
• A detail block can be a master block in a second
  master-detail relationship
• A customer can have multiple CUST_ORDER records
• One CUST_ORDER record can have multiple
  ORDER_LINE records

26
Complex Master-DetailRelationship Example
Master
Detail
Detail
Master
27
Creating a form based on two linked tables

• In order to create a form based on 2 tables
• Create a form similar to the STUDENT form we
  created (name it REGISTRATION)
• Create an additional data block using a wizard
• Establish master-detail relationship

28
Creating a form based on two linked tables

• Follow the steps suggested by the wizard

29
Creating a form based on two linked tables

• For the STUD_COURSE frame, select tabular layout,
  4 records per page and a scrollbar.

30
Compile and run your form
31
Formatting Mask
32
Formatting Text Items

• Specify desired format mask in text item Format
  Mask property
• If format mask makes value wider than text item
  Data Width property, data appears as
• E.g make the format mask for the empno field in
  the form builder 99- - 99 and make the data
  length for the field 4.

33
Formatting Character Text Items

• Place embedded characters in double quotes

34
Format Mask Examples

• Value Format Mask Result
• 7945 999
• 7945 9999 7945
• 7945 99-99 79-45
• 34.28 99.9 34.3
• 34.28 99.999 34.280
• SYSDATE Day-MON-YY Friday-NOV-06