Enhanced Guide to Oracle8i Chapter 12: Form Builder Objects and Flexible Code

Object-Oriented Principles


Object


Abstract representation of something in the real world Group of objects with the same structure and properties Object that belongs to a specific class Specifies that when you create a new object, it inherits its structure and properties from its class
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Class


Class instance


Inheritance


Subclasses


Classes that have similar properties and structure of their parent class Subclasses have specializations, which are properties that make them different than their parent class

Form Builder Approaches For Creating Reusable Objects

   

Property Classes Object Groups Object Libraries PL/SQL Libraries

Property Classes


Top-level Form Builder objects that specify a collection of properties with specific values Property classes can be associated with Form Builder objects to define object properties
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Creating a Property Class



Approaches:


Create the property class based on an existing object Explicitly create the property class object, and then define its properties and associated values

Creating a Property Class Based on an Existing Object



Create the object and configure its properties as desired In the object s Property Palette, select the desired properties and then click the Property Class button on the toolbar to create the property class

Creating a Property Class Explicitly



Create the property class object in the Object Navigator and open its Property Palette To add a property, click the Add Property button To remove a property, select the property and then click the Remove Property button
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Using Property Classes to Subclass Form Objects



When you apply a property class to a form object, the form object is subclassed to the property class To subclass a form object, open the object s Property Palette, and the the property class name in the Subclass Information dialog box
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Using the Subclass Information Dialog box



Select whether you are subclassing from an object or a property class Select the property class name

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Object Groups


Top-level form objects that contain groups of objects that can be reused in different forms Examples of object types in object groups:
  

LOVs Data blocks Alerts

Object groups are created in a source from, and then subclassed into target forms
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Creating an Object Group



Create a new object group object in the form template Rename the object group

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Adding Objects to an Object Group

 

Create the objects Drag and drop the objects on the object group Object Group Children node

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Subclassing Object Groups in Target Forms



Select the object group in the source form Drag the object group to the Object Groups node in the target form, drop the object group, and click the Subclass button

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Subclassing vs. Copying Objects



When you subclass an object, changes to original object are propagated to subclassed objects When you copy an object, changes to original object do not affect subclassed objects

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Form With Objects Subclassed From Object Group

Subclassed objects

Subclassed object group

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Object Libraries


Top-level Form Builder objects that are independent of specific forms Contain form objects that can be referenced in specific forms

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Creating an Object Library



Create a new object library object in Form Builder Save the object library file
 

File has an .olb extension Filename specifies object library name

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Object Library Structure



Consists of multiple library tabs



Tab pages that contain one or more similar object instances

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Creating and Configuring Tab Pages



To create a new tab page, select the Library Tabs node, and then click the Create button Right-click the new tab page, and then click Property Palette to open the tab page Property Palette Change the tab page Name and Label values
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Opening the Object Library



Double-click the object library icon to open the Object Library window

Library tabs Object on tab page

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Adding Form Objects to Library Tab Pages

 

Create and configure the object in a source form Open the source form Object Navigator and the Object Library window side-by-side
 

Maximize the Object Navigator window Open the Object Library window, and then click the Restore button so the Object Library appears in a window Reposition the windows as necessary

Drag and drop the object onto the Library Tab page
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Window Configuration For Adding Objects

Object Navigator window Object Library window

Object to be stored in library

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Using Object Library Objects in Forms



Open the target form Object Navigator and the Object Library window side-byside Drag and drop the object library object into the target form Subclass the object into the target form

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SmartClasses


Object library objects that are defined as standard object types for an application SmartClassed objects appear as selections on a pop-up menu when you create a new object and then right-click the object Speeds up the process of using object libraries

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Creating a SmartClass
 

Select the object in the object library Click Object on the menu bar, and then click SmartClass

Green check indicates object is a SmartClass

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Selecting a SmartClass

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PL/SQL Libraries


Library of PL/SQL named program units that can be used in forms Top-level Form Builder object that is not associated with a specific form Specific program units can be attached to forms
 

Code is not part of form .fmb file Code is only loaded when program unit is called

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Creating a PL/SQL Library in Form Builder



Select the PL/SQL Libraries node, and then click the Create button Save the library in the file system


Library name is the same as the filename File has a .pll extension
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Saving PL/SQL Library Files



In general, PL/SQL library files should be saved in the default PL/SQL library folder


Path: Developer_Home\TOOLS\OPEN60

If you save a library file in a different location, that path and file must always be available when you open forms that reference the library
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Adding Program Units to PL/SQL Libraries



Select the library Program Units node, and then click the Create button Select the named program unit type (procedure, function, package) Type the program unit code in the PL/SQL Editor window

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Using PL/SQL Libraries in Forms

 

Attach the library to the form Call the library program units from form triggers

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Attaching a PL/SQL Library to a Form



Select the form s Attached Libraries node, and then click the Create button Navigate to the library file and attach the file


If the library is saved in the default library folder, click Yes to discard path information If the library is not saved in the default library folder, click No to save path information
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Calling a Library Program Unit From a Form Trigger



Reference the program unit and pass the required parameters as specified in the attached library specification in the Object Navigator

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Calendar Windows


Associated with a form text item that displays date values Allows the user to select a date The selected date value is returned to the form text item

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Creating a Calendar Window



Open the STNDRD20.OLB object library and copy or subclass the Calendar object group into the form Attach the CALENDAR.PLL PL/SQL library to the form Create a trigger associated with the form text item that calls a procedure in the CALENDAR.PLL PL/SQL library
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Subclassing the Calendar Object Group Into the Form

  

Open the target form Open the STNDRD20.OLB object library Subclass the CALENDAR object group into the target form

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Subclassing the Calendar Object Group Into the Form

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Attaching the CALENDAR.PLL PL/SQL Library to the Form

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Create a new attached library object in the target form Click Browser, select CALENDAR.PLL, click Open, and then click Attach to attach the library
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Creating a Trigger to Open the Calendar Window



Create a Show Calendar button next to the date text item Create the trigger to call the GET_DATE procedure in the DATE_LOV package

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Creating a Trigger to Open the Calendar Window

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Flexible Code


Allows you to create objects that can be configured at runtime Approaches



Use system variables to retrieve and set system values Use built-in subprograms that dynamically retrieve and set form object properties

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Using Built-in Subprograms to Create Flexible Code



GET_ built-ins


Allow you to retrieve current object properties Allow you to dynamically set object properties

SET_ built-ins


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GET_APPLICATION_PROPERTY Built-in


Returns information about the current Form Builder application Syntax:

GET_APPLICATION_PROPERTY(property_name);

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Retrieving Specific Object Properties



Syntax:

return_value := GET_object_PROPERTY (object_id | object_name, property_name);

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Retrieving Object ID Values Using the FIND_ Built-ins



Syntax:

return_value := FIND_object(object_name);

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Dynamically Setting Object Properties



Syntax:

SET_object_PROPERTY(object_id | object_name, property_name, property_value);

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Using Indirect Referencing to Write Flexible Code



Direct referencing


Directly referencing a form object using the format :block_name.object_name Specifying block and item names in single quotation marks Allows you to reference objects that are not in the current form
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Indirect referencing


Commands For Indirect Referencing



COPY


Indirectly sets the value of a form item

Syntax:
 Value: desired value  Destination: form item
 Format: block_name.item_name

COPY(value, destination);

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Commands For Indirect Referencing



NAME_IN


Indirectly retrieves the value of a form item

Syntax:
 Return_value: retrieved value
 Is always a character string

return_value := NAME_IN(source);

 Source: form item

 Format: block_name.item_name
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