“They say dreams
are the windows of the soul--take a peek and you can see the
inner workings, the nuts and bolts.” Henry Bromel, Northern
Exposure, The Big Kiss, 1991 |
Read
first then play the video:
FRM-VIDEO -Introduction
to complete Hands-On 01 to 06
FRM-VIDEO -Dasic
Intro about FORM Builder Tool
Form Builder (Hands-On)
Hands-on introduction
You use Form Builder to
simplify for the creation of data-entry screens, also known as Forms.
Forms are the applications that connect to a database, retrieve
information requested by the user, present it in a layout specified by
Form designer, and allow the user to modify or add information. Form
Builder allows you to build forms quickly and easily.
In this Hands-On, you learn
how to: Create a Data block for the “Customer” table, Create a
layout, Use “content” canvas, Use “execute query”, Navigate a
table, Use next, previous record, Enter query, Manipulate table’s
record, Insert, Update, Delete and Save record.
Form Builder Tool
Open the "Form
Builder" tool.
Welcome window
You will get the ‘Welcome
to the Form Builder’ window. If you don’t want to get this window
anymore uncheck mark the ‘Display at startup’ box. You can start
your entry with the following option:
· Use the data
Block Wizard
· Build a new
form manually
· Open an
existing form
· Build a form
based on a template
The default is ‘Use the
data Block Wizard.’ If you want to build a new form manually, click
on "Cancel” or checkmark ‘Build a new form manually’ and
click ‘OK.’
Connect to database
In the ‘Object Navigator’
window, highlight "Database Objects." Go to the Main menu
and choose "File," then "Connect."
In the ‘Connect’
window, login in as “iself” password “schooling,” then click
“CONNECT.”
Notice that the box next to
‘Database Objects’ is not empty anymore and it has a ‘+’ sign
in it. That will indicate that this item is expandable and you are
able to see its entire objects.
Click on the ‘+’ sign
next to the ‘Database Objects’ to expand all database schemas.
Create a Module
In the ‘Object Navigator’
window, highlight module1. This is a default name. Go to the Main menu
and choose “File,” select “Save as” to store the new object in
the “iself” folder and save it as customer data entry. "c:_de."
In this example the ‘DE’ abbreviation stands for Data Entry.
Create a Data Block
In the ‘Object Navigator’
window, highlight "Data Blocks,” and click on the "create”
icon. The ‘Create’ icon is in the vertical tool bar in the ‘Object
Navigator’ window. It is a green ‘+’ sign. If you drag your
cursor on the icon a tooltip will show ‘Create.’
New Data Block
In the ‘New Data Block’
window, choose the default option “Data Block Wizard” and click
"OK."
Welcome Data Block
In the ‘Welcome Data
Block Wizard’ window click on the “NEXT” icon.
Type of Data Block
Select the type of data
block you would like to create by clicking on a radio button. Select
the default option ‘Table or View’ and then click “NEXT”
again.
Selecting Tables
Click on “browse.” In
the ‘Tables’ window, highlight the "customer” table; then
click "OK."
Selecting columns for the
Data Block Wizard
To choose all columns,
click on the two arrow signs in the ‘Data Block Wizard’ window. To
choose selected columns, click on the one arrow sign. And then select
all columns, and click “next.”
Layout Wizard
End of the Data Block
Wizard and beginning of the Layout Wizard
In the ‘Congratulations’
screen, use the default checkmark radio button (Create the data block,
then call the Layout Wizard), and click "Finish." You can
also use the Data Block Wizard to modify your existing data block.
Simply select the data block in the Object Navigator and click the
Data Block Wizard toolbar button, or choose ‘Data Block wizard’
from the ‘Tools’ menu.
Welcome screen
In the ‘Welcome to the
Layout Wizard’ window, click ”Next.”
Selecting canvas
In the ‘Layout Wizard’
window, select the "new canvas" option. Canvas is a place
that you will have your objects such as columns, titles, pictures,
etc. If you have already had your canvas, select the canvas and then
click on the next. The following are different types of canvases:
Content, Stacked, Vertical Toolbar, Horizontal Toolbar, and Tab.
Think of the ‘Content’
canvas as one flat place to have all your objects. In the stacked
canvas, you can have multiple layers of objects and it is the same as
the tab canvas. You use the vertical or horizontal toolbar canvases
for your push buttons. Check the different types of canvases by
clicking on the ‘down arrow’ box next to the ‘Type’ field.
Select "content," then click “Next.”
Selecting Columns for the
Layout Wizard
In the ‘Layout Wizard’
window, select all the columns. These are the columns that you want to
be displayed on the canvas. Then click “Next.”
Change your objects
appearances
Change size or prompt if
needed. In this window, you can enter a prompt, width, and height for
each item on the canvas. You can change the measurement units. As a
default the default units for item width and height are points. You
can change it to inch or centimeter. When you change size, click “Next.”
Selecting a layout style
Select a layout style for
your frame by clicking a radio button. Select "Form," if you
want one record at a time to be displayed. Select “Tabular,” if
you want more than one record at a time to be displayed. Select
"Forms," and then click “next.”
Record layout
Type the "Frame
Title" and click "next." Checkmark the ‘Display
Scrollbar’ box when you use multiple records or the ‘Tabular’
option.
Congratulation Screen
In the ‘Congratulations’
window, click "Finish."
You will see the output
layout screen.
Make some window
adjustments and then run the form. To run the form, click on the ‘Run’
icon. The ‘Run’ icon is on the horizontal toolbar in the ‘CUSTOMER_DE’
canvas.
The object module should be
compiled successfully before executing the Form.
Execute Query
Click on the "Execute
Query" icon below the main menu. If you drag the cursor on the
toolbar in the ‘Forms Runtime’ window, a tooltip will be displayed
and you see ‘Execute Query.’
So to know all your option,
drag your cursor to view all the icon descriptions.
Next Record
Click on the "Next
Record" icon to navigate to the next record.
Previous Record
Click on the "Previous
Record" icon to navigate to the previous record.
This is an easy way to
navigate through the “Customer” table.
Enter Query
Click on the "Enter
Query" icon to query selected records.
Conditional query
To query all the customers
whom their creditlimits are more than 7000, first click on the ‘Enter
Query’ icon on the ‘Forms Runtime’ toolbar. All items will be
blanked. Go to the ‘creditlimit’ item and type ‘> 7000.’
Then click on the ‘Execute Query’ icon on the ‘Forms Runtime’
toolbar.
Now, you should get all
customers whom their creditlimits are more than 7000 dollars.
To query all customers whom
their names start with the letter "E," first click on the
‘Enter Query’ icon on the ‘Forms Runtime’ toolbar. All items
will be blanked. Go to the ‘NAME’ item and type ‘E%.’
Then click on the ‘Execute Query’ icon on the ‘Forms Runtime’
toolbar.
Now, you should get all
customers whom their names start with the letter "E."
Query all customers whom
their names start with the letter "E" and their creditlimits
are more than 7000 dollars. Now you should be able to do that.
Insert Record
Click "Insert
Record" to add new customer. All items on the forms will be
blanked. You can either type all the customer information or duplicate
it from pervious record.
Duplicate Record
To duplicate the previous
record, go to the main menu and select the ‘Record’ sub-menu. A
drop down menu will be displayed. Select the ‘Duplicate’ option in
the sub-menu.
Apply the changes. Remember
in this stage, your record was inserted but not committed yet.
Next and Previous Record
Click "next
record" and "previous record" to navigate through the
records and the one was added.
Save transactions
Click "Save" to
commit the insert statement.
Delete Record
Click "Remove
Record" to delete the record.
Lock a Record
You can also lock the
record.
Exit from Form Runtime
Exit the FORM Runtime. If
you have not committed any transaction, you will be prompted to save
changes. Click “YES” to save changes.
Click “OK” for
acknowledgement.
Don’t forget to save the
Form.
“A strong positive
mental attitude will create more miracles than any wonder drug.”
Patricia Neal |
Questions
Q: Use the Form Builder
tool to create a Data block for the “Customer” table.
Q: How to you connect to
the database objects using the Form Builder tool?
Q: How can you create a
"Datablock" for a form application using the "Form
Builder" tool?
Q: How can you create a
"layout" for a form application using the "Form
Builder" tool?
Q: How can you use a
"Content canvas" for a form application using the "Form
Builder" tool?
Q: Use the
"Execute Query" option to query customer's information.
Q: How can you navigate
a table using the "Form Builder" tool?
Q: What does the
"NEXT RECORD" option do?
Q: What does the
"PREVIOUS RECORD" option do?
Q: What does the
"Enter Query" option do?
Q: How can you
manipulate table's record?
Q: Insert, delete and
update a record.
Q: How can you save a
transaction using the "Form Builder" tool?
|