Web Forms: What Works and What Doesn

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Web Forms What Works and What Doesnt?

• Peter Koletzke

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Perception
You can always deploy client/server forms on the
Web without changes.
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Agenda

• Overview of the architecture
• Tips and techniques
• Whats new with R.6/6i?
• Advice and conclusions

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Framework for this Talk

• Attempting Web Forms in production
• Developer 1.5, 1.6, 2.1, 6.0
• Your mileage may vary
• Observations and comments by other users
• Paper reviewed by Oracle

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Survey

• Whos tried Web Forms?
• (a.k.a., Web-deployed forms, Forms Server)
• Used it in production
• R.2, R.6?, R6i?
• Happy with it?
• Favorite thing?
• Unhappy with it?
• Least favorite thing?

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Why is this Question Worth Asking?

• Oracle is seriously promoting the technology
• Mixed reports from Oracle and from users
• What else is new?
• Different because this is the Web
• Some people are confused about how Web Forms
  works
• Some try it, and become frustrated and
  discouraged
• Some rush in like a pack of lemmings diving into
  the ocean

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Architecture

• Multi-tier
• Client
• Application server (also called the client)
• Database server
• New Developer working environment
• Need to copy files to app server
• Need to compile on app server
• Pre-R.6 run the browser to test
• R.6 use the Run Form Web button
• Best understood by examining the communication
  flows

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Forms Server Flow Form Startup

• Client browser requests the startup HTML file
  using the Uniform Resource Locator (URL)
• Web Listener finds file in the file system
• Listener sends HTML back to the browser

Application Server
Client
Web Listener
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Forms Server Flow Form Running

• HTML file requests loading of Java files
• Class libraries and applet window (JInitiator)
• Listener sends files to client browser
• Browser starts applet window (Forms Client)
• Listener requests runtime session from Forms
  Server Listener
• Forms Listener connects Forms Runtime to client
• Forms app runs on app server but displays on
  client in applet window

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Application Server
Web Listener
Database Server
Client
Database
Forms Server Listener
Applet window
Forms RuntimeEngine
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Why is This Better?

• Centralization of runtime
• Centralization of code
• Centralization of maintenance
• Centralization of administration
• Thin client
• Easily scalable
• Highly available

Average Number of Packets
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Why is This Different?

• The form is running on the app server not the
  client
• Only the presentation layer is on the client
• The presentation layer uses a Java window
• Forms objects are rendered in Java classes
• The environment is Java

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Where Does Web Forms Run?
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Tip Read The Manuals

• Yes, there are manuals - online
• Form Builder menu Help?Manuals, Online Manuals
• Guidelines for Building Applications
• Deploying Applications on the Web chapter
• Configuring the Oracle Developer Server
• Mandatory reading
• Feature restrictions
• Font mapping
• Startup HTML file
• Introduction to the Forms Server
• Search for Note 68814.1 on MetaLink for setup
  tips
• OOW 2000 Paper on Forms Server

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Tip Read the White Papers

• 1. Oracle Developer Server - Technical FAQ
• 2. Oracle Developer Server How to Tune
  Deployment of Internet Applications
• Oracle Technology Network
• Link from the opening page to products - Forms,
  Developer

http//technet.oracle.com/products/developer http
//technet.oracle.com/products/forms
These may change
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System Variables

• Some values are different from client/server
• SYSTEM.MOUSE_BUTTON_SHIFT_STATE
• In c/s,Ctrl for control key and mouse button
• In Web Forms, it is Control
• SYSTEM.MOUSE_BUTTON_PRESSED
• Normally 1 and 3
• For left and right button
• Web Forms 1 and nothing
• Test for the environment

get_application_property(USER_INTERFACE) WEB
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Use SYSTEM.MOUSE_BUTTON_MODIFIERS

• O/S independent
• No need to test for USER_INTERFACE
• Returns values like
• "Shift "Command"
• "Caps Lock "Super"
• "Control "Hyper
• "Alt"
• Documented in the help system
• Use the Find tab to locate the topic

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Operating System Calls

• Forms runs on the app server
• The host operating system is on the app server
• HOST built-in works on the application server
• Registry reads and writes go to the app server
• OCX, OLE, DDE, HINT.PLL dont work
• ORA_FFI and TEXT_IO operate on the app server
• If the server can see the client machine, you can
  read and write client files with TEXT_IO
• Same idea with printers
• FFI calls may break if you port to another O/S

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Why Worry About This?
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Trigger Considerations

• Some mouse triggers dont work
• WHEN-MOUSE-ENTER
• WHEN-MOUSE-LEAVE
• WHEN-MOUSE-MOVE
• Be careful with form-level mouse triggers
• Avoid other mouse triggers
• WHEN-MOUSE-CLICK, WHEN-MOUSE-UP, and
  WHEN-MOUSE-DOWN
• Extra network traffic
• Trigger events are bundled and sent as one packet
  
• Item triggers, for example

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Other Tips and Differences

• Use the most current version of JInitiator
• No client install - downloads when needed
• You can use IE or Netscape - any version after 3
• Not required for IE v.5, but recommended
• Key mappings are different
• Uses FMRWEB.RES by default
• Substitute FMRPCWEB.RES for the same key mapping
  as client/server
• These are editable ASCII files
• No magic menu items for Cut, Copy, Paste
• Ctrl-X, Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V do work

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Tuning

• Simplify the user interface (UI) features, in
  general
• Reduce the size of the first form
• Faster to start up the application
• Use the splash page trick
• Syntax later
• Reduce Bandwidth
• Avoid timers
• One-time triggers are OK
• Avoid extra graphics
• Use rectangles and lines, no circles or curves

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More Tuning

• Use the prompt property not boilerplate text
• Hide objects not initially required
• Set the Visible property to No
• Development tuning use a form shell
• A form that starts other forms
• Compile your forms and start from a running form
  (the shell)
• Helps speed up development
• Especially useful in the Web environment

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Windows and Canvases

• There is no MDI window in R.1 and R.2
• You can show multiple windows
• To show the console (status line), set the form
  property Console Window
• No MDI toolbar - use menu or window toolbar
• Developer R.6 has MDI windows
• Consider not using a toolbar
• Not an HTML standard
• Use canvas buttons instead

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Visual Aspects

• Use visual attributes for buttons
• The Windows manager does not color them as it
  does in client/server
• Toolbar icons are .GIF files
• Not .ICO files
• Should be located with the forms files
• Fonts should have Java equivalent
• There are only a few fonts in Java (Dialog,
  Serif, SansSerif, Monospaced, DialogInput)
• MS Sans Serif becomes Dialog, use 9 point
• Documented in Chapter 2 of the manual

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Memory Issues

• Memory on the app server
• Each client connection takes a chunk
• Some memory is shared
• Code segments and boilerplate
• Memory on the client
• OPEN_FORM takes more memory
• Form startup will be faster if you return to an
  open form
• NEW_FORM releases client and server memory
• If no one else using the form
• Requires more startup time

Oracle can get100-500 usersper CPU
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New R.6 Parameters

• Used in the HTML startup file (serverArgs)
• Default is an MDI frame
• You can turn Multiple Document Interface off
• usesdiyes
• Run form in the browser window
• Not separate window
• separateFramefalse
• Splash page that shows while Forms loads
• Can trick the users
• splashScreenco_logo.gif

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More R.6 Parameters - OLAF

• Oracle look and feel
• Rounded buttons, scrollbars, everything
• Animated alert icons
• lookAndFeeloracle
• Pre-designed color palettes for Oracle look and
  feel
• Blue, Khaki, Olive, Purple, Red, Teal, Titanium
• colorSchemeolive
• Background density
• darkLooktrue

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More R.6 OLAF Parameters

• LOV button
• Button appears automatically if item has an LOV
• In registry.dat file on the app server
• app.ui.lovButtontrue
• Required items with yellow background
  (registry.dat)
• app.ui.requiredFieldVAtrue
• app.ui.requiredFieldVABGColor255,242,203
• Read-only items with light gray background
• ServerArgs again
• readOnlyBackgroundtrue

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Other New R.6 Stuff

• You can use JavaBeans in Web Forms
• Replaces objects such as buttons and items
• Can also use a Bean Area
• HTTP 1.1 support
• Full production with v.6i
• Details in white paper 2 (mentioned above)
• Run Form Web button
• Tests the form in a JVM
• Use this frequently
• Also test the form on the Web

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Advice

• Mostly common sense
• Do careful tests of this environment
• Note the things that work differently
• Get on the list serves forums
• IOUG-A - www.ioug.org
• ODTUG - www.odtug.com
• Learn to use the word deployment (not Web
  Forms)
• Forms running on the Web using the Forms Server
• Remember that Oracle Apps are a driving force
• R 10.7 is web-enabled, 11i is only Web
• Apps are the biggest user of Developer

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Advice

• Set user expectations
• Its not client/server, its web-deployed Forms!
  Read the docs and white papers
• Keep in mind that this is a new environment
• There will be a new set of workarounds and
  bugs for the Web
• Expect response time and look and feel to be
  different

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Conclusions

• You can deploy on the Web
• Performance improves daily
• Centralization, centralization, centralization
• Intranet, Extranet, Internet
• Client/server apps may not run the same way on
  the web
• You must design for the Web
• Trigger and other differences

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Conclusions

• Although it is the same tool, it is a totally new
  environment
• R.1 was beta
• R.2 is V.1 is useable, but a bit bumpy
• R.6/6i holds some promise

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Author Contacts

• Peter Koletzke
• http//www.quovera.com
• http//ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Peter_Ko
  letzke
• Oracle Press books

• Oracle Developer Advanced Forms and Reports
• Designer Handbook, 2nd Ed.
• Watch for JDeveloper book in early 2001
• All co-authored by Dr. Paul Dorsey