OAF Basic Part 1

Index What is OA Framework Why OA Framework OAF Vs FORMS OA Framework Architecture MVC Architecture and its Components Profile Options JDeveloper Structure Naming Standards What is OA Framework? Oracle Application Framework(OA Framework) is a proprietary framework developed by Oracle Corporation for application development within the Oracle E-Business Suite. Available to customers for personalization, customizations and custom-application development. The OA Framework is a Model-view-controller (MVC) framework built using J2EE (Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition)technologies. Why OA Framework? Advantages : Enterprise-Grade Performance and Scalability Improved End User Productivity Highly extensible architecture Browser Look and Feel (BLAF terminology) for all applications Open industry Standards such as XML, HTML, Java, JSP, SQL and Web Services.  Using Oracle Forms OA Framework  With Oracle Forms I can create custom Apps modules and modify seeded Apps Forms. JDeveloper is the development tool for creating custom Apps web pages and modifying seeded Apps web pages. I use SQL and PL/SQL in Oracle Forms We will still use SQL statements, specifically in View Objects.  We can execute PL/SQL, but within Java code.  If your Java skills are nil or weak, now might be a good time to plan a training program.  See What To Do Next for more information. An Oracle Forms file (.fmb) contains screen design and custom procedures and functions. Reusable code, that is the mantra for JDeveloper and OA Framework.  In Oracle Forms a data block references a table or view, and that definition is contained within the .fmb.  With JDeveloper, we create view objects or entity objects that can be reused by other web pages. In Forms, I can reuse forms, libraries, and menus by referencing. OA Framework is an assembly of reusable objects. I use TEMPLATE.fmb as the starting point for any custom Apps forms.  TEMPLATE.fmb contains references to libraries, property settings, and menus that will help make custom forms look-and-feel like Oracle-provided forms. OA Framework is a development and deployment platform presented through JDeveloper.  The seeded objects and settings give custom web pages the same look-and-feel as Oracle-provided web pages In Forms I create and use canvases: Forms requires a root canvas I use stacked canvases for controlling access to groups of items Fields and buttons appear on a canvas Properties control the appearance of canvases and items In OA Framework we use the concept of a region: *A web page requires a root region *Regions can be nested *Widgets (fields, buttons, images, etc) appear in a region * Properties control the appearance of widgets

Components of MVC Architecture

Interaction between model, view and controller

Entity Object (EO)

Entity Object is based on database table or other data source. Entity Object contains attributes which represent database columns. All insert/update/delete (DML Operations) transactions go through EO to database.

View Object (VO)

Two types      1. SQL based      2. EO based Represents a query result. Is used for joining, filtering, projecting, and sorting your business      data. Can be based on any number of entity objects (EOs) and provides      access to EOs.

Application Module (AM)

Every page must have a root application module. Handles transactions. Application Modules serve as containers for related BC4J Objects. The objects are related by participating in the same task (for example, a multi-page UI for creating purchase orders) Application Modules provide transaction context Application Modules establish database connections Application Modules may be nested to provide more complex application modules

Controller (CO) in MVC Architecture

Responds to user actions and directs application flow. Model objects like EO and VO can't be accessed directly from the Controller Class, except AM. Contains methods such as            1. ProcessRequest: Fires when OAF page loads for the first time.            2. ProcessFormRequest: Fires when user submits the page.                                            (Ex: clicking GO button)

MVC Architecture

Model-View-Controller (MVC) Design Pattern

Profile Options

To Enable the “about this page” link on the page set the below profile option as “yes” FND: Diagnostics : Yes To Enable the “personalize page” link on the page set the below profile options as “yes” Personalize Self-Service Defn : Yes FND: Personalization Region Link Enabled : Yes

Jdeveloper Structure

Naming Standards

Page Name Ends with PG/PAGE Region name ends with RN Entity Object Name ends with EO View Object ends with VO Application Module Name Ends with AM Controller Name ends with CO

References:

http://oafadfmahi.com/oaf/oafbasic1.html