Strategies to Move Forward with Oracle Forms What

Strategies to Move Forward with Oracle Forms What Now? What Next? Mia Urman @miaurman@Aura. Player. com

Who am I Mia Urman Oracle ACE, CEO, Aura. Player • 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 Aura. Player - 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 il. OUG Oracle Developer Group and presenter of Oracle tools at international conferences OOW, Kscope, UKOUG …

Our Game Plan: Leverage your EXISTING investment CLEAN UP UPGRADE MODERNIZE INTEGRATE INNOVATE!

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

Whats Next…

Then Next ….

State of the Union “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 “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=1198 LN 9 P&ct=120208&st=sb

Game Plan: Leverage your EXISTING investment CLEAN UP UPGRADE MODERNIZE INTEGRATE INNOVATE!

Clean Up Don’t Migrate/Upgrade What’s 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

Game Plan: Leverage your EXISTING investment CLEAN UP UPGRADE MODERNIZE INTEGRATE INNOVATE!

Why Upgrade Your Forms? • Ensure support (C/S de-supported 2004/10 g Dec. 2011) • Certification – New browsers, O/S, Java versions • New features - SOA, REUI, Java. Script • Strategic Middleware - Runs on Web. Logic • Upgrade is Seamless from 10 g to 11 g • Platform for integration

Basic Architecture Forms 11 g

Web. Logic High Availability Topology Porafrm 1, 2, 3 Poralnx Desktop Internet Oracle HTTP Server Load Balancer WLS Oracle DB

Forms Services Architecture Client tier Middle tier: Web. Logic managed server Database tier Forms Listener Servlet Forms Runtime User interface layer UI rendered to client JRE Forms Client Application logic layer Data manager/ PL/SQL engine FMX containing app code Net Services DB

Upgrade Road. Map Forms 3. 0 Forms 11 g Weblogic Server Oracle Forms 4. 0 – 6 i Client Server Oracle Forms 9 i/10 g IAS

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)

Game Plan: Leverage your EXISTING investment CLEAN UP UPGRADE MODERNIZE INTEGRATE INNOVATE!

Forms Look and Feel Modernization • Toolbar and navigation • Look and Feel Project • Color / Font / Size • Prompts / Titles • Images • Frames • OLB, templates for visual standards

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

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 wrapper Java. Script – Interact with objects in the browser page - Maps

Java Beans & PJCs

Java Importer Importing Java Classes into Forms

Webservices Call External Services From Forms > 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 package Currency. Converter /* currconv 3. mypackage. Curr. Conv 3 Stub */ IS function new return ora_java. jobject; function getrate( obj ora_java. jobject, a 0 varchar 2, a 1 varchar 2) return ora_java. jobject; end;

Javascript Integration Two way client Side communication

Java. Script Two Way Java. Script Communication > HTML page uses raise. Event Java. Script method on applet object to pass event with payload to the form › document. forms_applet. raise. Event(event_name, payload); > Trigger: WHEN-CUSTOM-JAVASCRIPT-EVENT › Variables: system. javascript_event_value , name > Form executes Java. Script in the browser › web. javascript_eval_expr_function › web. javascript_eval_expr > Java. Script event handling can be disabled in the forms configuration files

Javascript Integration > Communicate between forms and browser page objects > web. javascript_eval_expr > web. javascript_eval_function – With return value > Java. Script calls from Applet page (Forms object in the DOM ) into the form > document. forms_applet. raise. Event(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. > enable. Javascript. Event in formsweb. cfg to enable or disable Java. Script integration > FORMS_ALLOW_JAVASCRIPT_EVENTS in default. env to override

Using Events in Forms

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);

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

Game Plan: Leverage your EXISTING investment CLEAN UP UPGRADE MODERNIZE INTEGRATE INNOVATE!

Hybrid Options • Living Side By Side Forms running alongside new technologies • Visual Integration Create a common UI – Forms & ADF/APEX/Java • Process / Service Integration Run common business logic DB/Events • Innovation Run Forms business process from new environments -

Forms & External Apps Living In Harmony Form System Web. show_doc ument AQ Messages External System web. javascript_ev al_expr Common Bus Logic Security / Management

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 • i. Frames • Javascipt • gui. Mode – Remove menus

Process / Service Integration Share Forms Business Logic – SOA / BPM Concept • Reuse the business logic locked inside your Forms – Separate GUI from business logic Implementation • Decoupling – Remove and Centralize bus logic to DB • Events – Use AQ events for messaging

Game Plan: Leverage your EXISTING investment CLEAN UP UPGRADE MODERNIZE INTEGRATE INNOVATE!

Evolving With Oracle Forms Aura. Player Block Mode Character Client Mode Server Web SOA ? ?

What is Aura. Player Leverage existing Oracle Forms systems by … modernizing them to work in new environments like Mobile, Cloud and SAAS

Oracle Development Today Web Services Database Cloud Web Services Desktop Legacy Systems Mobile Office Applications Unlimited

The Oracle Forms Modernization Challenge Preserve Oracle Forms investments while … – Enabling Forms business processes as Web. Services in the cloud. – Launching new ADF Mobile applications on Forms business logic – Integrating with Oracle’s 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

Solution Architecture DMZ External Network Internal Network Mobile Oracle 11 g DB Webservices FW Desktop Any UI

Don’t run Forms on mobile Run your BUSINESS on the mobile <i. Pad Demo from OOW> Customer Story

Aura. Player Same Forms Business Logic Multiple UIs ADF Mobile

Innovation By Migration Benefits of Migration • • No Oracle Forms maintenance/licenses Fully portable system No applet, full HTML client Larger developer pool 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 3 rd party tools for migration assistance

“Forms isn’t dead it just smells funny” Francois Degrelle www. oracleformsinfo. com

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

Summary • • • Clean up Forms environment – unused, dead code Upgrade to Latest version – Forms 11 g. R 2 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 Aura. Player to move systems to the next generation platforms / environments without migration

Questions?

More Information Mia Urman (Me ) miaurman@Aura. Player. com @miaurman Oracle Forms Homepage ADF Mobile on OTN Forms Community Blog www. oracleformsinfo. com Aura. Player www. Aura. Player. com PJC Master site 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 PITSS www. pitss. com

Demos • • Demo: Java. Script in oracle Forms Demo: Oracle Look and Feel Project Demo: <i. Pad Demo from OOA> Demo: Oracle Forms running from ADF

Training Materials Java. Script Information Demo- Integrating Oracle Forms 11 g with Java. Script http: //st-curriculum. oracle. com/obe/forms/11 g/jsinteg/formsjsinteg/setup. htm Documentation - Oracle Forms and Java. Script Integration http: //docs. oracle. com/cd/E 15523_01/web. 1111/e 10240/javascript. htm AQ Information Demo - Integrating Advanced Queuing in Oracle Forms 11 g http: //st-curriculum. oracle. com/obe/forms/11 g/formschataq. htm Documentation: Working with Server Events http: //docs. oracle. com/cd/E 12839_01/web. 1111/e 10240/server_events. htm#CHDIAJDH Web. Services Information Demo - Calling a Web service from Oracle Forms 11 g http: //www. oracle. com/technetwork/developer-tools/forms/webservices-forms-11 g-094111. html

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