Advanced Forms Programming

IN THIS CHAPTER

• The Work-around for PL/SQL 2.x Limitations in Forms 4.5
• Populating a PL/SQL Table from a Block
• Taking Advantage of PL/SQL 2.x in Forms
• File Output from a Block
• An Exclusive Server-Side Commit from Forms
• Intersession and Interdatabase Communication from Forms
• Sharing a Record Group Across Forms
• Summary

This chapter describes useful tips and techniques in Forms advanced programming (Forms 5.x and above). The chapter starts with the work-around for PL/SQL limitations in Forms 4.5. It then goes on to detail these techniques: populating a PL/SQL table from a block using Forms'implicit populating method, taking advantage of PL/SQL 2.x in Forms and how it can be used as an elegant alternative to a major Find requirement, file output from a block, how to get the query count without executing the query, and two powerful techniques for exclusive server-side commit and intersession and interdatabase connection from forms. Sharing data by means of record groups has been a long-felt need and is finally possible, as discussed in the final section.