Mia Urman@miaurman

miaurman@AuraPlayer.com

Strategies to Move Forward with Oracle Forms

What Now? What Next?

Who am IMia UrmanOracle 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 …

CLEAN UP

UPGRADE

MODERNIZE

INTEGRATE

INNOVATE!

Our Game Plan: Leverage your EXISTING investment

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 ….

“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. 2011http://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 2012http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/issue-archive/2010/toolssod-3-129969.pdf

State of the Union

CLEAN UP

UPGRADE

MODERNIZE

INTEGRATE

INNOVATE!

Game Plan: Leverage your EXISTING investment

Clean UpDon’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

CLEAN UP

UPGRADE

MODERNIZE

INTEGRATE

INNOVATE!

Game Plan: Leverage your EXISTING investment

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

Basic ArchitectureForms 11g

WebLogic High Availability Topology

WLS Oracle DB

Oracle HTTPServer

Load Balancer

Internet

Desktop

Porafrm1,2,3 Porafrm1,2,3 Poralnx

Forms Servlet

Forms Services Architecture

JRE

Applicationlogic layer

Data manager/PL/SQL engine

User interface layer

Forms Listener Servlet

Forms Runtime

Client tier Database tierMiddle tier:

WebLogic managed server

UI rendered to client

FMX containingapp code

Net Services

Forms Client

DB

Oracle Forms 9i/10g

IAS

Forms 11gWeblogic

Server

Forms 3.0

Oracle Forms 4.0 – 6i

Client Server

Upgrade RoadMap

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)

CLEAN UP

UPGRADE

MODERNIZE

INTEGRATE

INNOVATE!

Game Plan: Leverage your EXISTING investment

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

JavaScript– Interact with objects in the browser page - Maps

Java Beans & PJCs

Java ImporterImporting Java Classes into Forms

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

Javascript IntegrationTwo way client Side communication

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

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

Using Events in Forms

Advanced QueuesHighly 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

CLEAN UP

UPGRADE

MODERNIZE

INTEGRATE

INNOVATE!

Game Plan: Leverage your EXISTING investment

Hybrid Options• Living Side By Side

Forms running alongside new technologies

• Visual IntegrationCreate a common UI – Forms & ADF/APEX/Java

• Process / Service Integration

Run common business logic DB/Events

• InnovationRun Forms business process from new environments -AuraPlayer

Forms & External Apps Living In Harmony

Form System External System

Security / Management

Web.show_document

Common Bus Logic

AQ Messages

web.javascript_eval_expr

What is Visual Integration?Portal \ Unified Desktop \ DashboardsConcept• 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

Process / Service IntegrationShare Forms Business Logic – SOA / BPMConcept• 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

CLEAN UP

UPGRADE

MODERNIZE

INTEGRATE

INNOVATE!

Game Plan: Leverage your EXISTING investment

BlockMode

CharacterMode

Client Server Web SOA ??

Evolving With Oracle Forms

AuraPlayer

What is AuraPlayerLeverage existing Oracle Forms systems

by … modernizing them to work in new

environments like Mobile, Cloud and SAAS

Web Desktop Mobile Office

Database Web Services Legacy Systems Applications Unlimited

Oracle Development Today Web Services Cloud

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 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

Oracle11g DB

Desktop

DMZExternal Network

FW

Mobile

Webservices

Any UI

Solution ArchitectureInternal Network

Don’t run Forms on mobile Run your BUSINESS on the mobile

<iPad Demo from OOW>Customer Story

AuraPlayer Same Forms Business Logic Multiple UIs

ADF Mobile

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

“Forms isn’t dead it just smells funny”

Francois Degrellewww.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, 3rd party solution

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

Questions?

Mia Urman (Me ) miaurman@AuraPlayer.com@miaurmanOracle Forms HomepageADF Mobile on OTNForms Community Blogwww.oracleformsinfo.comAuraPlayerwww.AuraPlayer.com PJC Master sitehttp://forms.pjc.bean.over-blog.com/Forms Look and Feel Projecthttp://fdtool.free.fr/LAF/doc/Oracle_Forms_Look_and_Feel_project.htmPITSSwww.pitss.com

More Information

Demos • Demo: JavaScript in oracle Forms• Demo: Oracle Look and Feel Project• Demo: <iPad Demo from OOA>• Demo: 

Oracle Forms running from ADF

Training MaterialsJavaScript InformationDemo- Integrating Oracle Forms 11g with JavaScripthttp://st-curriculum.oracle.com/obe/forms/11g/jsinteg/formsjsinteg/setup.htmDocumentation - Oracle Forms and JavaScript Integrationhttp://docs.oracle.com/cd/E15523_01/web.1111/e10240/javascript.htm

AQ InformationDemo - Integrating Advanced Queuing in Oracle Forms 11g http://st-curriculum.oracle.com/obe/forms/11g/formschataq/formschataq.htm

Documentation: Working with Server Eventshttp://docs.oracle.com/cd/E12839_01/web.1111/e10240/server_events.htm#CHDIAJDH

WebServices InformationDemo - Calling a Web service from Oracle Forms 11ghttp://www.oracle.com/technetwork/developer-tools/forms/webservices-forms-11g-094111.html

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