1. ISOM3260
Database Design and Administration
Lab 7: Oracle Forms Developer VI –
user‐friendly Oracle Forms objects

2. Agenda
Oracle Project
Analysis, Design
Implementation,
Maintenance
Oracle Forms
Developer
SQL Tools
Oracle Reports
Developer and
integration

3. Agenda
• User‐friendly Oracle Forms Objects
– Alerts
– Radio Groups and Buttons
– Checkboxes
– Pull‐down List Boxes
– List of Values (LOV)

4. Alerts (1)
• Commonly known as “Message boxes”
• Obvious and more attractive

5. Alerts (2) – Insert a blank alert
• Highlight “Alerts” and press add
• A blank alert is created

6. Alerts (3) – Modify the Property
• Right click the blank alert and choose
“Property Palette”
Change the Name, Title, Alert Style,
Button 1,2,3 Labels and
Default Alert Button

7. Alerts (4) – Write a PL/SQL trigger
DECLARE
return_value number;
BEGIN
-- Select the Alert and put message texts into it (can be concatenated with variables)
SET_ALERT_PROPERTY(‘<Alert Name>',alert_message_text, ‘<Message Text>’);
-- To capture the choices that users check into a variable
return_value := show_alert(‘<Alert Name>');
-- Condition when users press Button 1
IF return_value = alert_button1 THEN
<Condition 1>
--Condition when users press other buttons
ELSE <Condition 2>
END IF;
END;

8. Checkboxes (1)
• Protect the data integrity using a different
style
• Same purpose as Radio Buttons

9. Checkbox (2)

10. Checkboxes (3)
Create checkboxes in Layout
Editor

11. Checkboxes (4)
Change the Checkbox Name,
Value when checked,
Value when unchecked and
Initial Value

12. Checkboxes (5)
• The checkbox values (checked and unchecked)
defined in the Property can be referenced by
its location (:<Datablock>.<Name>)

13. Checkboxes (6)
Datablock: INTEREST
Object: COMPUTER
• Value of :INTEREST.COMPUTER
– When checked  ‘Computer’
– When not checked  ‘‐’

14. Radio Buttons (1)
• Prevent users from typing in values on their
own
– May harm data integrity
• Set up radio buttons to limit the choices of
users.

15. Radio Buttons (2)
• Change the existing Text Box (Year) from Text
Item into “Radio Group”

16. Radio Buttons (3)
• You can add appropriate amount of radio
buttons in Object Navigator

17. Radio Buttons (4)
• Change the Label and the Radio Button
Value (when it is selected)

18. Radio Buttons (5)
Datablock: STUDENT_INSERT
Object: YEAR
• Value of :STUDENT_INSERT.YEAR 
The value of the Radio button that users click

19. Pull‐down List and LOV
• Pull‐down list
– Static value, will not change overtime
• List Of Values (LOV)
– Dynamic value based on SQL statements

20. Pull‐down List and LOV
Pull‐down List List Of Values (LOV)

21. Pull‐down List (1)
• Change the existing text box into List Item

22. Pull‐down List (2)
• Modify “Element in List”

23. Pull‐down List (3)
• Add new Pull‐down elements and the
corresponding values
The representing value of the element

24. LOV (1)
• Add a blank LOV Object in Object Navigator

25. LOV (2)
• Select LOV Wizard

26. LOV (3)
• LOV as a query
•Write the SQL query

27. LOV (4)
• Write PL/SQL Trigger to call the LOV
– For example: When user click a button…..
DECLARE
LOVReturnValue BOOLEAN;
BEGIN
LOVReturnValue := show_LOV(‘<LOV Name>');
END;

28. LOV (5)
• Result Preview :

29. Summary
• Understand components to make user‐
friendly canvases and improve data integrity
– Alerts, Radio Buttons, Checkboxes, Pull‐down List
and LOV

30. Project Work
• Apply the components into the project
• ** Especially apply List of Value (LOV), it helps
save programming efforts, and helps users
manipulate data in database effectively **

31. Progress Demonstration 2 (8%)
• Deliverable
1. Workable system with the following functions
• Search Engine  View Detail
• Shopping cart
– Add products into shopping cart
– View shopping cart
– Modify quantity and proceed
» Notify when the product has no inventory
• Make purchase
• View order record history  View Detail
• Dummy Managerial report page

32. Progress Demonstration 2 (8%)
2. Documentation
• Relational Schema
• Problem Log (Cancelled)