ANSWERS

FORMS Fundamental Exam Answers

NOTE: The answers go with their sequences. If a question was not answer, that means that it a repeating question and the answer was given by the previous questions or it is not in the scope of this subject.

Answers:

Q:   The Back-End development tool consists of ______

A:   The “Back-End ” development tool consists of:

            Schema Builder ,

            Query Builder , and

            Procedure Builder

Q:   The Front-End development tool consists of ______

A:   The “Front-End ” development tool consists of:

            Form Builder ,

            Report Builder , and

            Graphics Builder .

Q:   The Form Builder components are _____

A:   The main Form Builder  components are:

            FORM modules ,

            MENU modules ,

            PL/SQL libraries , and

            Object libraries  

Q:   What is a menu module in the Form Builder?

A:    The Menu Module  is a binary menu code that should be compiled and used by the Form Module  (mmb).

Q:   What do you store in a PL/SQL library?

A:   The PL/SQL libraries  are storage for stored procedure (pll).

Q:   What do you store in an Object Library?

A:   The Object libraries  are storage for FORM objects.

Q:   What are the main objects of a Form Module?

A:   The main objects in a Form module are:

            Windows ,

            Blocks ,

            Items , and

            Canvases .

Q:   What are the types of canvases in a Form Module?

A:    The four types of canvases  are: Content, Stacked, Tab, and Toolbar.  All can coexist within a single window. A content canvas is the basic background for all windows. A stacked canvas  lays on top of the others. A tab canvas  is the same as stacked canvases with handy “tabs” at the top.  It can simply move from one canvas to another. A toolbar canvas  contains push buttons giving users quick access such as horizontal canvas  or vertical canvas

Q:   Describe the Object Navigator in a Form Module.

A:   The Object Navigator will be used on all development tools.  It gives you a hierarchical listing of all the modules open in your current session.  You use this listing to navigate to, and work on, those objects.  It gives you access to all database objects you own or have grant to, and a list of all the built-in functions and procedures.  Clicking on the plus sign next to an object in the Object Navigator will expand the object and clicking on the minus sign will collapse the object.

Q:   Describe the property palette.

A:   A Property Palette contains object properties   The contents of the Property Palette are referred to as the “Property sheet” for the object.  You use the Property Palette to modify object properties.  To open the Property Palette of an object, go to the object and right click on the mouse button then select Property Palette. The Property Palette provides complete control over your objects.  It contains the property list of an object. Remember that the properties of an object can be changed to control the behavior of the object.

Q:   Describe the Layout Wizard tool.

A:   The Layout Wizard  tool will be used  in Form Builder  to create, and modify forms quickly and efficiently.  The Layout Wizard asks you a series of questions and then generates a basic form that fulfills the criteria you have specified. You can later use the Layout Wizard to modify the form if you want to change its fundamental design or contents.  You always can modify the layout manually to better suit your applications’ needs.

Q:   What does the "Enter Query " option do?

A:   The "Enter Query " option provides users to query selected records.

Q:   What is a Master/Detail relationship between two data blocks in the Form Module?

A:   A master/detail relationship or parent/child relationship is a relationship between two data blocks.  A primary key  of a master table is referenced by a foreign key  in the detail table.

Q:   Can a Form Module contain more than one canvas?

A:   Yes

Q:   What is a List of Values (LOV) in a Form Module?

A:   A List of Values (LOV)  is a modal window that populates a text item based on a selection made by the user from the list. The user can search a List of Values (LOV) for strings that occur anywhere within the values.

Q:   What is a Record Group in the Form Module?

A:   A Record Group  is a query that displays data from the database into the List of Values.

Q:   What is a Tab Canvas?

A:   A tab canvas  is the same as stacked canvases with handy “tabs” at the top.  It can simply move from one canvas to another.

Q:   What are the differences between a Radio Button Group and a Radio Button Item?

A:   A radio button group allows values stored in a data source column to display in a more graphical fashion, by having one radio button assigned to each possible value. Once a radio group is created, we should create radio button items in the radio button group and each radio button within the radio button group must be assigned a unique value.

Q:   When do you use a Radio Button?

A:   The Radio Buttons  are useful when there are two or more possible values but only one value can be true. 

Q:   Describe a Display Item in the Form Module.

A:   The Display items  are read-only items and are only useful for calculated data such as subtotals and unchangeable data.

Q:   What are the differences between Summary Columns and Function Columns?

A:   You use Summary  Columns to calculate average, sum, min, and max of a group of items in a block. It can be read-only or text items. But you use Function columns to return calculation of binding variables to your screen. It also can be read-only or text items.

Q:   What is a Forms Trigger?

A:   A forms trigger  is a block of PL/SQL code that adds functionality to your application.  Triggers are attached to objects in your application. When a trigger is fired, it executes the code it contains.  Each trigger’s name defines what event will fire it; for instance, a WHEN-BUTTON-PRESSED  trigger executes its code each time you click on the button to which the trigger is attached. Or, we can say, a forms trigger is a set of PL/SQL actions that happen each time an event such as when-checkbox-changed, when-button-pressed, or when-new-record-instance occurs. You can attach several triggers to a data query.  The most popular of them are the PRE-QUERY  and POST-QUERY

Q:   Describe the PRE-QUERY and POST-QUERY triggers.

A:   The PRE-QUERY  trigger fires before the select statement is finalized. The POST-QUERY  trigger fires before selected records are presented to the user. It fires after records are retrieved but before they are displayed.  So, you can use it to enhance a query’s records in a number of ways.  Your Post-Query trigger can contain code to calculate or populate control items.

Q:   Describe a canvas in the Form Module.

A:   A canvas is a place to hold the objects.

Q:   How do you create a horizontal toolbar?

A:   To create a horizontal toolbar, go to the Object Navigator  window and highlight the Canvases  item. Click on the green ‘+’ sign in the toolbar in the Object Navigator. A canvas will be created for you (CANVASnn). The nn could be any Oracle assigned number. Then, right click on it and open its Property Palette. Change “name.” Change "Canvas type" to "Horizontal toolbar."

Q:   The properties of an object can be changed to control the behavior of the _____.

A:   object

Q:   What is a Data Block in the Form Module?

A:   A Data Block is a link to your database information and holds database data.

Q:   Can you attach several triggers to an object in the Form Module?

A:   Yes.

Q:   What are the differences between the OPEN_FORM, CALL_FORM, and NEW_FORM build-in subprograms?

A:   The CALL_FORM  built-in subprogram opens a form with the same database connection and can be run also in query mode.  The NEW_FORM  built-in subprogram opens a form and closes the calling form. The OPEN_FORM  built-in subprogram opens a form and its own database connection.

Q:   What is a Global variable?

A:   A Global variable can be used to pass a value from one form to other. A Global Variable  is a binding variable that can be used by multiple Form Modules

Q:   Describe the "WHEN-NEW-FORM-INSTANCE " trigger.

A:   The “WHEN-NEW-FORM-INSTANCE ” trigger will be used to prepare objects or an action when entering to a new form.  It fires when the form is entered.

Q:   What is a main menu in the Form Builder?

A:   Main Menu is independent of form module and has its own module. 

Q:   How do you use NAME_IN and COPY build-in subprogram?

A:   You use the NAME_IN  built-in subprogram to read a value from a global variable or an indirectly referenced object and the COPY  built-in subprogram to place a value into a global variable or an indirectly referenced object.

Q:   Describe a Pop-Up menu in a Form Module.

A:   Pop-up menu is a "mini-menu" that appears when you right click on an object.  They are intended to include only items relevant to the object they are attached to.  Therefore an application may have many pop-up menus.  Pop-up menu does not have module file.  It is owned by the FORM module

Q:   Describe a Control Block in the Form Module.

A:   A Control Block holds information that has nothing to do with database.

Q:   What are the differences between a control block and a data block?

A:   Block is a logical container that holds form objects such as data items and control buttons. There are two types of block: Data Block  and Control Block. A Data Block is a link to your database information and holds database data. A Control Block holds information that has nothing to do with database.

Q:   What is a REF Cursor?

A:   REF cursors hold cursors in the same way that VARCHAR2 variables hold strings. This is an added feature that comes with PL/SQL v2.2.  A REF cursor allows a cursor to be opened on the server and passed to the client as a unit, rather than one row at a time.  One can use a Ref cursor as a target of assignments and can be passed as parameters to the Program Units.  Ref cursors are opened with an OPEN FOR statement and in all other ways, they are the same as regular cursors.

Q:   What is a table of records?

A:   A table of records  is a new feature added in PL/SQL v2.3.  It is the equivalent of a database table in memory.  If you structure the PL/SQL table of records with a primary key  (an index) you can have array-like access to the rows.

Q:  What is a transactional trigger?

A:   A transactional trigger is a trigger that enables an application to perform INSERT, UPDATE, QUERY, and DELETE statements on a non-Oracle environment.