This document provides an overview of Oracle's Application Development Framework (ADF). It discusses how ADF is Oracle's strategic solution for developing enterprise applications, as Oracle itself uses ADF extensively. The document outlines key aspects of ADF like its origins, how it provides a productive framework through declarative development as long as best practices are followed. It also notes that developing full ADF applications requires skills in areas like SQL, Java and HTML/CSS. The document demonstrates features through examples and emphasizes that getting started with ADF requires learning its capabilities and limitations.

1. Lucas Jellema
OUGF Harmony 2014 – 4-5 June 2014 – Finland
ADF in action – getting
(re)acquainted with Oracle’s premier
application development framework

2. Some first reactions…
Complex!!
Functionally
rich.
Hard to style to
pixel perfection
Really not the
latest HTML 5
web site style
Powerful stuff
Attractive,
with
visualization
and that
Simplified UI
Non standard,
Oracle
proprietary
(dixit Java
developer)
Enterprise
grade
Vast…
Productive Elegant
development
Heavy
(un-lean)
Shields
developer from
multi browser
nightmare
Not for the
faint hearted

3. Overview
• From where to where
• Developing Applications
• Business Service
– From Middle Tier to Database
– Demo
• User Interface
– From Middle Tier to Browser
– Demo
• Advanced features in the ADF Framework
– Demo
• How to get started

4. 4
Origins
• ADF = Application Development Framework
• Launch of ADF: 2004
– Birth of BC4J (now ADF BC): 1999
– First incarnation of JDeveloper: 1998
• Oracle’s toolstack for developing enterprise applications
– As such: the successor to Oracle Forms

5. ADF == Advanced Dog Food

6. 6
ADF at Oracle
• ADF == Advanced Dog Food
• ADF is used inside Oracle for development of
– Fusion Applications
– Large parts of most Oracle Applications products
– User interfaces in many other FMW products (GoldenGate, Enterprise Manager, OBI
EE, WebCenter, IdM)
– User interfaces in Oracle Cloud services
• Over 10,000 developers within Oracle use ADF for their daily work
• Oracle’s investment in and dependence on ADF is enormous
– ADF is strategic, long term

7. Some user interfaces
in Fusion Applications

8. 8
Simplified UI created with ADF

9. 9
Infographic-inspired, tablet-
friendly, and interactive Analytics

10. 10
ADF outside Oracle
• Uptake around the world
• Challenges
– Learning curve
– Complexity
– Availability of skilled resources
– Scalability, performance and responsiveness at run time
• Typical Use Cases

11. 11
Use Cases for ADF
Fusion
Apps
Extension
Public
Web Site
(no login)
Admin UI
(DBA, App
Admin)
Pixel
Perfect
application
ISV
Product
Case of
FMW
(SOA, BPM,
…)
1000s
concurrent
users
Self
Service
UI,
infrequent
use
Forms to
Future
Not very well suited Well suited
Simple
survey app
(30 day
campaign)

12. 12
Application Architecture

13. ADF Model
RDBMS
EJB & JPA
(EclipseLink)
ADF BC
WebService Content
Repository
BAM
Server
POJO
SOA
Suite
Mobile
ADF Faces
Rich Client
Web
Service
Desktop
(Excel)
View
Business Services
Enterprise Resources

14. 14
Business Service
• Adapt to and from Java and expose to UI tier
• Main enterprise resource: Database
• Various options: JPA, EJB, POJO with JDBC, POJO with WebService
calls
• Most common in ADF applications: ADF BC
Business
Service

15. 15
ADF BC
• Expose tables, views and custom SQL queries as Java Services
• Declarative
• Productive
• Very similar to Forms blocks
• Features
– Optimistic & pessimistic locking
– Transaction Management
– Pooling of database session connections
– Caching of queried and manipulated data
– Validation of data manipulations
– Enrichment of data fetched from the database
– Web session (state) management
– Oracle SQL comes naturally (sequence, return after DML, joins, BLOBs, PL/SQL,..)
– Master/detail coordination
ADF BC

16. 16
Demo
• HRService from tables in HR schema
– Add custom SQL with salary aggregation per department
– Add business rules
• Run the ADF BC Service Tester
• Expose
HRService as a
SOAP/XML
Web Service

17. 17
Business Service: HRService
ADF BC
Depart
ments
Emplo
yees
SalaryPer
Depart
mentVW
DepartmentsVw EmployeesVw
EmployeeDepartmentEntity Objects
View Objects

18. 18
ADF Model

19. 19
ADF Model & Data Controls
• ADF Model exposes business services to UI developers in an abstracted
way
• Each business service is exposed as a Data Control
• Data Controls make available:
– Entity, attribute, operation, collection
• ADF Model supports Data Controls for
– ADF BC
– POJO (Plain Old Java Object) (JPA, EJB)
– Web Service (SOAP and REST)
– JMX
– Custom Data Control (anything you want and implement yourself)

20. 20
Business Service: HRService
Exposes an ADF Model Data Control
ADF BC
Departments
Employees
SalaryPer
Depart
mentVW
DepartmentsVw EmployeesVw
EmployeeDepartment

21. 21
User Interface
• ADF supports various UI options:
– Web Browser
• Desktop
• Tablet
– Mobile
• Mobile Browser (feature phone)
• ADF Mobile (semi native)
– Excel (ADF Desktop Integration)

22. 22
Primary focus: ADF Faces for
Web Browser desktop/tablet
• Run time technologies
– Browser: HTML 5, JavaScript, CSS 3
– Server:
WebLogic Server (Java, Java EE: JavaServer Faces, Servlet)
Or:
ADF Essentials – run on JBoss, Tomcat, Glassfish (and MySQL or Oracle XE)

23. 23
ADF Faces and ADF Data
Binding
• Data Binding connects UI components to Data Controls
– Thereby breathing data into these components, making them come alive!
• Based on standards (JavaServer Faces)
• Declarative
• Productive (*
• Rich functionality
• Modular
• Geared towards reuse
• Enterprise scale development
• Browser independence
• Framework and embraces hides “raw” technology
– For example replacement of Flash with HTML 5

24. 24
Some characteristics of ADF
Faces
• Rich data bound components (table, form, tree, input elements)
declaratively bound to data controls with easy business service access
• AJAX (partial page refresh)
• Skinning for consistent and attractive look and feel
• Client side support for validation, calculation, drag & drop etc.
• Customization and Personalization
• Security through integration with WebLogic OPSS
• Data Push
• Fantastic set of Data Visualization components
• Quick start followed by steep learning curve
– Specialization recommended for team members
• Resource intensive on the middle tier
• Smooth experience as long as you work with the framework
– For example: forget pixel perfect designs

25. 25
Audience Challenge

26. 26
Audience Challenge – 1/2

27. 27
Audience Challenge – 2/2

28. 28
Data Visualization

29. 29
Demo (objective)
Depart
ments Employ
ees

30. 30
To get started with ADF
• Download and install JDeveloper 12c (12.1.2)
– Or Eclipse with Oracle Enterprise Package for Eclipse and stand alone WebLogic
• Build up skills
– SQL, Java (SE), Java EE (Servlet, JavaServer Faces), HTML 5, CSS, JavaScript
• Leverage the many resources available online
– OTN Community Forum
– ADF Documentation
– 100s of Blog articles & White Papers
– ADF Demo Application (live and downloadable)
– ADF Architecture TV (YouTube)
– ADF Insider Tips
– ADF Architecture Square
– Oracle Magazine – ADF column
– Plugins, Extensions, Tools
– ADF EMG (Enterprise Methodology Group) – Google Group
• Just do it!

31. 31
Summary
• Oracle’s strategic application development solution
– Taken the place Oracle Forms used to occupy
• Enterprise scale development of enterprise applications
– As Oracle itself puts into practice
• High productivity through rich
framework and declarative development
– As long as you work with the framework (and accept its limitations)
• Developing end to end ADF applications requires many skills
– Specialization is probably a good strategy
• The imminent 12.1.3 release continues a long history of evolution
– No major upheaval – new features, ease of development, more tablet and more UX
• ADF Essentials makes free ADF development and deployment possible
– ADF Essentials on [Glassfish | JBoss | Tomcat] against [MySQL | Oracle XE]
ADF