Mia Urman @miaurman [email protected] Strategies to Move
Forward with Oracle Forms What Now? What Next? Slide 2 Who am I Mia
Urman Oracle ACE, CEO, AuraPlayer Oracle Development Geek for 14
years. 7 years at Oracle as a senior support analyst and local
product manager of Forms and ADF. CEO and Founder of AuraPlayer -
Addressing Oracle Forms modernization challenges encountered at
blue chip customers. Including: ADF Integration, Forms to Mobile,
Cloud and SOA. Board member of ODTUG, Leader of the ilOUG Oracle
Developer Group and presenter of Oracle tools at international
conferences OOW, Kscope, UKOUG Slide 3 CLEAN UP UPGRADE
UPGRADEMODERNIZE INTEGRATE INTEGRATEINNOVATE! Our Game Plan: Our
Game Plan: Leverage your EXISTING investment Slide 4 NOW Forms
Today HUGE Forms investment Trained developer pool Mission
critical, complex systems Best development tool for OLTP Systems -
Desktop Low maintenance, stable system for over 10 years Mostly
undocumented systems VERY fast productive development Slide 5 Slide
6 Then Next . Slide 7 Oracle Forms remains a viable and valuable
technology asset for mainstream IT strategies, but has limited
scope in next-generation Gartner: Modernization and Migration
Strategies for Oracle Forms Nov. 2011
http://www.gartner.com/technology/reprints.do?id=1-
198LN9P&ct=120208&st=sb Oracle has no plan to discontinue
support of Oracle Forms. continue to leverage their existing
investments for many years while offering a path to incrementally
move to Java EE, at their own pace. Oracle Application Development
Tools SOD, March 2012
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/issue-archive/2010/toolssod-3-129969.pdf
State of the Union Slide 8 CLEAN UP UPGRADE UPGRADEMODERNIZE
INTEGRATE INTEGRATEINNOVATE! Game Plan: Game Plan: Leverage your
EXISTING investment Slide 9 Clean Up Dont Migrate/Upgrade Whats Not
in Use 10 Year old system Are any modules obsolete? Review usage of
the system What forms are now obsolete? What reports are not run?
Do we will use PLL / OLBs? Remove dead code - PITSS Delete multiple
copies of same sources Merge forms that perform similar tasks Slide
10 CLEAN UP UPGRADE UPGRADEMODERNIZE INTEGRATE INTEGRATEINNOVATE!
Game Plan: Game Plan: Leverage your EXISTING investment Slide 11
Why Upgrade Your Forms? Ensure support (C/S de-supported 2004/10g
Dec. 2011) Certification New browsers, O/S, Java versions New
features - SOA, REUI, JavaScript Strategic Middleware - Runs on
WebLogic Upgrade is Seamless from 10g to 11g Platform for
integration Slide 12 Basic Architecture Forms 11g Slide 13 WebLogic
High Availability Topology WLS Oracle DB Oracle HTTP Server Load
Balancer Internet Desktop Porafrm1,2,3 Poralnx Slide 14 Forms
Servlet Forms Services Architecture JRE Application logic layer
Data manager/ PL/SQL engine User interface layer Forms Listener
Servlet Forms Runtime Client tierDatabase tier Middle tier:
WebLogic managed server UI rendered to client FMX containing app
code Net Services Forms Client DB Slide 15 Oracle Forms 9i/10gIAS
Forms 11g WeblogicServer Forms 3.0 Oracle Forms 4.0 6i Client
Server Upgrade RoadMap Slide 16 Suggested Work Plan Backup ALL
related files !! Pilot Upgrade of application (50-100 forms) Check
forms for C/S or OS Specific features Get an estimate of the work,
time, cost Clean up environment unused, dead code Modernize Look
and Feel of the application Freeze C/S - all new developments
should be web Do full upgrade in modules / Phases Testing should be
with each module! Do Production Pilot (Phased rollout) Slide 17
CLEAN UP UPGRADE UPGRADEMODERNIZE INTEGRATE INTEGRATEINNOVATE! Game
Plan: Game Plan: Leverage your EXISTING investment Slide 18 Forms
Look and Feel Modernization Toolbar and navigation Look and Feel
Project Color / Font / Size Prompts / Titles Images Frames OLB,
templates for visual standards Slide 19 Slide 20 Slide 21 Look and
Feel (LAF) Project Dynamic LAF UI of Forms runtime. Read from a CSS
file then applied to the Forms elements at runtime. Have a more
HTML look Components Set of Java Beans/PJCs (laf_xxx.jar) PL/SQL
library (laf.pll) External CSS file Slide 22 Yes - Java in Forms!
Java Beans Java Bean Area - layout object on canvas Use custom
trigger to get and set properties PJC Portable Java Component
Change default behavior/properties of objects Java Classes Run
webservices Run Java code in forms triggers Java importer PLSQL
java wrapperJavaScript Interact with objects in the browser page -
Maps Slide 23 Java Beans & PJCs Slide 24 Java Importer
Importing Java Classes into Forms Slide 25 Webservices Call
External Services From Forms package CurrencyConverter /*
currconv3.mypackage.CurrConv3Stub */ IS function new return
ora_java.jobject; function getrate( obj ora_java.jobject, a0
varchar2, a1 varchar2) return ora_java.jobject; end; > Run
external Webservices from within Oracle Forms triggers >Create a
Web Service proxy in Jdeveloper >Call the WS client from the
Forms application using the Java Importer Slide 26 Javascript
Integration Two way client Side communication Slide 27 JavaScript
Two Way JavaScript Communication > HTML page uses raiseEvent
JavaScript method on applet object to pass event with payload to
the form document.forms_applet.raiseEvent(event_name, payload);
> Trigger: WHEN-CUSTOM-JAVASCRIPT-EVENT Variables:
system.javascript_event_value, name > Form executes JavaScript
in the browser web.javascript_eval_expr_function
web.javascript_eval_expr > JavaScript event handling can be
disabled in the forms configuration files Slide 28 Javascript
Integration > Communicate between forms and browser page objects
> web.javascript_eval_expr > web.javascript_eval_function
With return value > JavaScript calls from Applet page (Forms
object in the DOM ) into the form >
document.forms_applet.raiseEvent(event_name, payload); > Two new
forms system variables: > system.javascript_event_value
(payload) > system.javascript_event_name (event_name) >
Oracle Forms fires new trigger called:
WHEN-CUSTOM-JAVASCRIPT-EVENT. > enableJavascriptEvent in
formsweb.cfg to enable or disable JavaScript integration >
FORMS_ALLOW_JAVASCRIPT_EVENTS in default.env to override Slide 29
Using Events in Forms Slide 30 Advanced Queues Highly Available
Asynchronous Communication > Messages are pushed to forms from
DB msg queue New event object in forms builder attached to queue
WHEN-EVENT-RAISED trigger > Code that should be initiated when a
message is received in the subscribed queue > Use DBMS_AQ
package from within forms triggers DBMS_AQ.ENQUEUE( queue, enqopt,
msgprop, payload, enq_msgid); Slide 31 Steps Required to Use
Database Events: > Database > Create a queue table >
Create a queue > Start the queue > Enqueue a message >
Forms Builder > Create an event object > Subscribe event
object to the queue > Code necessary notification > Forms
Server > Run the form and register the subscription > Invoke
the When-Event-Raised trigger upon event notification Slide 32
CLEAN UP UPGRADE UPGRADEMODERNIZE INTEGRATE INTEGRATEINNOVATE! Game
Plan: Game Plan: Leverage your EXISTING investment Slide 33 Hybrid
Options Living Side By SideLiving Side By Side Forms running
alongside new technologies Visual IntegrationVisual Integration
Create a common UI Forms & ADF/APEX/Java Process / Service
IntegrationProcess / Service Integration Run common business logic
DB/Events InnovationInnovation Run Forms business process from new
environments - AuraPlayer Slide 34 Forms & External Apps Living
In Harmony Form System External System Security / Management
Web.show_doc ument Common Bus Logic AQ Messages web.javascript_ev
al_expr Slide 35 What is Visual Integration? Portal \ Unified
Desktop \ Dashboards Concept Integrating Oracle Forms and Other
Technologies Into a single user experience One point of access -
SSO Customized based on users business needs Implementation iFrames
Javascipt guiMode Remove menus Slide 36 Process / Service
Integration Share Forms Business Logic SOA / BPM Concept Reuse the
business logic locked inside your Forms Separate GUI from business
logicImplementation Decoupling Remove and Centralize bus logic to
DB Events Use AQ events for messaging Slide 37 CLEAN UP UPGRADE
UPGRADEMODERNIZE INTEGRATE INTEGRATEINNOVATE! Game Plan: Game Plan:
Leverage your EXISTING investment Slide 38 BlockMode
CharacterModeClientServerWeb SOA SOA ?? ?? Evolving With Oracle
Forms AuraPlayer Slide 39 What is AuraPlayer Leverage existing
Oracle Forms systems by modernizing them to work in new
environments like Mobile, Cloud and SAAS Slide 40
WebDesktopMobileOffice Database Web Services Legacy Systems
Applications Unlimited Oracle Development Today Web ServicesCloud
Slide 41 The Oracle Forms Modernization Challenge Preserve Oracle
Forms investments while Enabling Forms business processes as
WebServices in the cloud. Launching new ADF Mobile applications on
Forms business logic Integrating with Oracles next generation
development technologies ADF, ADF Mobile, Webcenter Suite Running
Forms silently from SOA / BPM systems Creating collaborative
applications Dashboards, Portals Avoiding risky and costly
migration/re-development Slide 42 Oracle 11g DB Desktop DMZ
External Network FW Mobile Webservices Any UI Solution Architecture
Internal Network Slide 43 Dont run Forms on mobile Run your
BUSINESS on the mobile Customer Story Slide 44 AuraPlayer Same
Forms Business Logic Multiple UIs ADF Mobile Slide 45 Innovation By
Migration Things to Consider This is a PROJECT. No silver bullet
Need a business reason to redevelop Need thorough understanding of
the Forms application No tool can re-write your business logic Need
deep knowledge of the new technologies UI implications HTML vs
Applet Investigate 3rd party tools for migration assistance
Benefits of Migration No Oracle Forms maintenance/licenses Fully
portable system No applet, full HTML client Larger developer pool
Slide 46 Forms isnt dead it just smells funny Francois Degrelle
www.oracleformsinfo.com Slide 47 Moving Forward Considerations For
Modernization Projects Asses Your Requirements What systems do we
need to integrate with? UI requirements? What platforms do we need
to deploy to? Understand Your Existing System Where does the
business logic sit today? What functionality is duplicated in other
systems? Do we have documentation? Developer resources? Define
Timeline and Budget Decide on Implementation Method Integrate,
Migrate, 3 rd party solution Slide 48 Summary Clean up Forms
environment unused, dead code Upgrade to Latest version Forms 11gR2
Modernize Look and Feel - Incorporate Java elements Chose right
tool for the job Refactor code to the DB Systems on common
infrastructure Weblogic SSO Slowly evolve teams and systems Start
thinking about system INNOVATION ADF Mobile Use AuraPlayer to move
systems to the next generation platforms / environments without
migration Slide 49 Questions? Slide 50 Mia Urman (Me )
[email protected] [email protected] @miaurman Oracle
Forms Homepage ADF Mobile on OTN Forms Community Blog
www.oracleformsinfo.com www.oracleformsinfo.com AuraPlayer
www.AuraPlayer.com www.AuraPlayer.com PJC Master site
http://forms.pjc.bean.over-blog.com/
http://forms.pjc.bean.over-blog.com/ Forms Look and Feel Project
http://fdtool.free.fr/LAF/doc/Oracle_Forms_Look_and_Feel_project.htm
http://fdtool.free.fr/LAF/doc/Oracle_Forms_Look_and_Feel_project.htm
PITSS www.pitss.com More Information Slide 51 Demos Demo:
JavaScript in oracle FormsJavaScript in oracle Forms Demo: Oracle
Look and Feel ProjectOracle Look and Feel Project Demo: Demo:
Oracle Forms running from ADFOracle Forms running from ADF Slide 52
Training Materials JavaScript Information Demo- Integrating Oracle
Forms 11g with JavaScript
http://st-curriculum.oracle.com/obe/forms/11g/jsinteg/formsjsinteg/setup.htm
Documentation - Oracle Forms and JavaScript Integration
http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E15523_01/web.1111/e10240/javascript.htm
AQ Information Demo - Integrating Advanced Queuing in Oracle Forms
11g
http://st-curriculum.oracle.com/obe/forms/11g/formschataq/formschataq.htm
Documentation: Working with Server Events
http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E12839_01/web.1111/e10240/server_events.htm#CHDIAJDH
WebServices Information Demo - Calling a Web service from Oracle
Forms 11g
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/developer-tools/forms/webservices-forms-11g-094111.html
Slide 53 We thank you for your feedback!
