"Using Cursor Variables and Procedures Within and Oracle Form Builder Data Block" Link to Article

This article describes how to use cursor variables inside an Oracle form.

Cursor variables are a named area of memory that can receive the results of a select statement. They are used to transfer the results of a select statement to a calling application. With the advent of Forms 5.0, the developer is allowed to use stored procedures within a data block. This opens some interesting possibilities.

The developer can create a sophisticated algorithms to produce special information or values displayed in the data block. Stored procedures can be used to insert/update/delete records from tables that may not even have supplied values to the data block. They can produce complicated calculations before the database values are updated. In this article, you will see that it is extremely easy to embed procedures into a block.

2001

This month’s article will explain how to use them within Oracle’s Report Builder.

2001

Cursor variables are a special Oracle PL/SQL tool that can be used to return the records produced by a cursor to a calling application. The calling application can be another procedure, an Oracle Form, or an Oracle Report. When cursor variables are used in an Oracle Form or Report, they can be used as the source of data for the report query or the form data block. This can have some advantages for the developer.

One of the more apparent advantages is the ability to use PL/SQL control structures (if-then-else) to change the select statements used to return data. For example, one select statement is used if condition A exists, a second statement if condition B exists. The control structure logic determines which statement to use.

This is the first of three articles that discuss the use of cursor variables. This article will cover the basics of cursor variables.

2001

This article describes an Oracle Form application that can be used to deploy Oracle reports.  The application is a search vehicle that can be used to locate a specific report from a report database.   The application is also the heart of a Report configuration management system.  It records how many times a report was executed, when the report was last executed, report file name, and a description of the the report.   The application also allows each user to develop their own personal list of employees.  The download consists of the database scripts, a working application, and two sample reports based upon the practice database.

This article describes how to create a Record Directory.  This is a special application that is used to identify a record.  It differs from the normal Oracle form in that the search values always remain visible.  The user can visibly see the values used to produce the record list.  The values can be quickly modified and a new list displayed.   This download consists of a working example of an Employee Directory.  It uses the Practice Database as its source of information.

This article describes how to create an Oracle Form wizard.  A wizard is a series of form panels that prompt the user to complete a task.  Examples of a wizard are the Developer 6i Database Block Wizard and Layout Wizard. The download consists of an Oracle form that uses a wizard to enter employee information.  The form is based upon the Practice Database.

This article is the second of two articles on Oracle Form Hierarchical Items (or tree views).  This article describes how to populate the hierarchy with values as the nodes of the hierarchy are expanded.  Techniques discussed in this article will allow you to use Hierarchical items to display and drill down through extremely large data sets with excellent response time.  This download consists of a sample Oracle form based upon the Practice Database.

This article is the first of two articles on Oracle Form Hierarchical Items (or tree views).   This article describes how to create and use Hierarchical Items.  The article also describes how to populate the table using recursive data as well as non-recursive data.
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