4 Configuring Forms Services

4.2.1 Using Enterprise Manager Application Server Control to Manage Forms Sessions

By default, Enterprise Manager Application Server Control provides some information about Forms which allows you to centrally modify the configuration files. But you won't experience the full functionality that Enterprise Manager can provide for Forms unless you do the following:

1. In the Forms configuration file (formsweb.cfg) make sure the following variable is set in the default section.

   em_mode=1

   This will let Application Server Control show user information for each running Forms application. Only sessions created after setting em_mode to 1 will be shown. By default, this value is 0, which is off.

2. In the Forms configuration file (formsweb.cfg) make sure the following variable is set. You can either set it in the default section or in a specific application section. As with step 1, you can set this variable using Application Server Control:

   allow_debug=true

   This will let you turn tracing on and off.

3. (Windows only) For the middle tier user that installed Oracle Application Server, you need to give them the "Log on as a batch job" privilege. Logon as either that user, or another user with administrator privileges. Select Administrative Tools in the Control Panel. Then select Local Security Settings| Local Policies | User Right Assignment. Add the username of the user who installed Oracle Application Server.

4. (Windows only) As the user who installed Oracle Application Server or as a user with administrator privileges, bring up the Windows Services, which can be found in the Control Panel. Find the Oracle/xxxxxx/ProcessManager service. Right-click it and choose Properties. In the Logon tab, make sure Allow service to interact with desktop is selected.

5. (Windows only) You will need to restart this service. Note that even after it is restarted, it can take up to several minutes for the changes to take effect in Application Server Control.

4.2.2 Configuring Enterprise Manager Grid Control to Manage Forms Services

When you install Forms Services, the Oracle Universal Installer automatically edits Enterprise Manager Grid Control targets.xml file. The targets.xml file contains a list of all the services to be managed by Enterprise Manager.

The first time you use Enterprise Manager to monitor Forms Services, you must perform the following steps for each Forms Services instance to be monitored.

See the Enterprise Manager documentation for information on how to use the Application Server Control Console to access the Enterprise Manager Administration page for a node. (You will need to provide an administrator's username and password.)

To configure Enterprise Manager Grid Control to Manage Forms Services: 

1. On the Agent Administration page, all services that are being monitored are listed under the Agent Monitored Targets heading.

2. Select the radio button next to the Forms instance to be configured for Enterprise Manager.

3. Click Edit.

4. Provide the ORACLE_HOME and URL for the Forms instance.

5. Click OK.

   
   

   Note: See the Enterprise Manager help system for more information about other tasks that you can complete on this page.

   
   

4.2.3 Accessing Forms Services with Application Server Control Console

To perform most management tasks for a Forms server using Application Server Control Console, you start by navigating to the Forms Home page for the Forms Server in Application Server Control Console.

To navigate to the Forms Home page for a Forms Server in the Application Server Control Console: 

1. Using Application Server Control Console, navigate to the home page for the application server that contains Forms server you want to manage.

   For introductory information about using the Enterprise Manager Application Server Control Console, see "Introduction to Administration Tools" in the Oracle Application Server Administrator's Guide.

2. In the System Components section on the application server home page, click the link for the Forms server that you want to manage. This displays the Forms home page for the Forms server in the Application Server Control Console.

4.3.1 Configuring Parameters with Application Server Control Console

For a description and the location of the Forms Servlet configuration file (formsweb.cfg), see Chapter 3, "formsweb.cfg".

4.3.2 Managing Configuration Sections

You create new configuration sections from the Configuration tab of Application Server Control Console, which creates the named configurations in the formsweb.cfg file. These configurations can be requested in the end-user's query string of the URL that is used to run a form.

To create a new configuration section: 

1. Start the Enterprise Manager Application Server Control Console.

2. From the Application Server Control Console main page, select the link to the Forms Services instance that you want to configure.

3. From the Forms Services instance, select the Configuration tab.

4. Click Create New Section at the top of the Configuration tab.

   The Forms New Section Name page appears.

5. Enter a name for your new configuration and click OK.

6. If you enter a description of your new section, make sure you save it clicking Apply before editing the section and adding parameters.

For example, to create a configuration to run Forms in a separate browser window with a "generic" look and feel, create a new section and add the following parameters from Table 4-2, "Sample Parameters to Add to a New Configuration Section":

Your users would type the following URL to launch a form that uses the "sepwin" (or whatever name you applied) configuration:

http://server:port/forms/frmservlet?config=sepwin

See Appendix C, "Default formsweb.cfg File" for other examples of special configurations.

4.3.3 Managing Parameters

Use Application Server Control Console to manage parameters within a named configuration. You can add, edit, or delete parameters from the Edit Section page of Application Server Control Console.

To edit a parameter in a configuration section: 

1. From the Configuration tab of Enterprise Manager Application Server Control Console, select the radio button next to the configuration section that contains the parameter that you want to edit.

2. Click Edit at the top of this page.

   The Edit Section page appears for that selected configuration.

3. Select the radio button next to the parameter you want to edit.

4. Make your changes in the text fields.

5. Click Apply.

   Your changes are saved.

To add a parameter to a configuration: 

1. From the Configuration tab of Application Server Control Console, select the radio button next to the configuration section to which you want to add a parameter.

2. Click Edit at the top of this page.

   The Edit Section page appears for that selected configuration.

3. Enter a name and value for the new parameter and click Add New Parameter.

   The Edit Section page refreshes and displays the new parameter.

4. Add a description for the new parameter, and click Apply.

5. To return to the Forms page, click Forms in the breadcrumb trail.

To delete a parameter in a configuration: 

1. To edit a configuration section, select the radio button next to it and click Edit at the top of this page.

   The Edit Section page appears for the selected configuration.

2. Select the radio button next to the parameter you want to delete.

3. Click Delete.

4. Confirm the deletion on the Confirmation page that appears.

   The parameter is deleted from the configuration section.

4.3.4 Default Forms Configuration Parameters

Table 4-3, "System Default Configuration Parameters" describes the default forms configuration parameters in the formsweb.cfg file. For additional information on OracleAS Single Sign-On parameters, see Chapter 6, "Enabling OracleAS Single Sign-On for an Application".

These sections include:

• Section 4.3.4.1, "System Default Configuration Parameters"

• Section 4.3.4.2, "Runform parameters (serverArgs parameters)"

• Section 4.3.4.3, "HTML page title, attributes for the BODY tag and HTML to add before and after the form"

• Section 4.3.4.4, "Applet or Object Parameters"

• Section 4.3.4.5, "Parameters for JInitiator"

• Section 4.3.4.6, "Parameters for the Sun Java Plug-in"

• Section 4.3.4.7, "Enterprise Manager Configuration Parameters"

• Section 4.3.4.8, "Oracle Internet Directory Configuration Parameters"

4.5.1 Allowing New Users Sessions

By default, users can create a new Forms session, which is indicated by the green traffic light. You can also enable users to create Forms sessions after you've disabled them.

To allow new Forms User sessions: 

• From the Enterprise Manager Oracle Application Server Forms Services Overview page, click Enable (default).

  The traffic light changes to green

4.5.2 Disabling New User Sessions

To disable new user Forms user sessions: 

• From the Enterprise Manager Oracle Application Server Forms Services Overview page, click Disable.

  The traffic light changes to yellow.

When you press Disable, a new parameter is added to the default section of the formsweb.cfg file. The parameter is called allowNewConnections and pressing Disable sets it to false. When new user sessions are disabled, attempted connections will be directed to a URL identified by the formsweb.cfg parameter connectionDisallowedURL (default section) e.g:

connectionDisallowedURL=www.oracle.com
connectionDisallowedURL=http://www.oracle.com

If no connectionDisallowedURL is specified then the following message will be displayed in the browser:

The Forms Servlet will not allow new connections. Please contact your System Administrator.

However, when you disable new user sessions, existing forms sessions are unaffected and the OC4J instance remains up.

4.5.3 Terminating a User Session on a Forms Services Instance

1. Start the Oracle Enterprise Manager 10g Application Server Control Console.

2. Select the link to the Forms Services instance that has the user session to be terminated.

3. From the Overview page for the Forms Services instance, select the Session Details link.

4. Click the radio button next to the user session to be deleted.

5. Click Stop.

6. The Confirmation page appears.

7. Click Yes.

   The user session is deleted and the Runform instance is terminated.

4.6.1 Securing the Oracle Forms Test Form

The test form runs when you access an Oracle Forms URL but do not specify an application to run. For example, normally you call an Oracle Forms application with the following syntax:

http://<host>:<port>/forms/frmservlet?config=myApp

The Forms Servlet will locate [myApp] in the formsweb.cfg file and launch that application. However, when no application is specified, for example:

http://<host>:<port>/forms/frmservlet

the Forms Servlet uses the settings in the default section of the formsweb.cfg file. These settings are located under [default] in the Forms Configuration file (anytime an application does not override any of these settings, the defaults are used). The default section has the following setting:

form=test.fmx

This is the test form which allows you to test your Oracle Forms Services installation and configuration. Thus if you don't specify an application, Forms will launch the test.fmx file. You could change this to:

form=

and the form will not run. However, this is not optimal; the Forms Servlet still sends the dynamically generated HTML file to the client, from which a curious user could obtain information. The optimally secure solution is to redirect requests to an informational HTML page that is presented to the client instead. You'll need to change some parameters in the formsweb.cfg file.

Here are the parameters to change, along with their default values when you install Oracle Forms Services:

    # System parameter: default base HTML file
    baseHTML=base.htm
    # System parameter: base HTML file for use with JInitiator client
    baseHTMLjinitiator=basejini.htm
    # System parameter: base HTML file for use with Sun's Java Plug-In
    baseHTMLjpi=basejpi.htm
    # System parameter: base HTML file for use with Microsoft Internet Explorer
    # (when using the native JVM)
    baseHTMLie=baseie.htm

These parameters are templates for the HTML information that are sent to the client. Create an informational HTML page and have these variables point to that instead. For example, in the ORACLE_HOME/forms/server directory, create a simple HTML page called forbidden.html with the following content:

    <html>
      <head>
        <title>Forbidden</title>
      </head>
      <body>
       <h1>Forbidden!</h1>
        <h2>You may not access this Forms application.</h2>
      </body>
    </html>

Next, modify the formsweb.cfg parameters by commenting out or modifying the original parameters:

    # System parameter: default base HTML file
    #baseHTML=base.htm
    baseHTML=forbidden.html
    # System parameter: base HTML file for use with JInitiator client
    #baseHTMLjinitiator=basejini.htm
    baseHTMLjinitiator=forbidden.html
    # System parameter: base HTML file for use with Sun's Java Plug-In
    #baseHTMLjpi=basejpi.htm
    baseHTMLjpi=forbidden.html
    # System parameter: base HTML file for use with Microsoft Internet Explorer
    # (when using the native JVM)
    #baseHTMLie=baseie.htm
    baseHTMLie=forbidden.html

When a user enters the URL

http://<host>:<port>/forms/frmservlet

the customized Web page is presented. Of course, you can customize forbidden.html, including its contents, its filename, and its location as long as you make the corresponding changes to these parameters in the formsweb.cfg file. Administrators can put any information, such as warnings, errors, time stamps, IP logging, or contact information in this information Web page with minimal impact on the server configuration.

[myApp]
form=myApplication.fmx
lookandfeel=oracle
baseHTML=base.htm
baseHTMLjinitiator=basejini.htm
baseHTMLjpi=basejpi.htm
baseHTMLie=baseie.htm

4.8.1 Oracle Graphics 6i and Oracle Database 9.0.1.4.0 (64bit)

Due to a limitation in the 8.0.6 RSF, Oracle Graphics 6i on Windows cannot connect to a 64-bit database. Thus, if you are using Oracle Forms 10g (9.0.4) or later to connect to a 64-bit database, and want to integrate with Oracle Graphics, you will need to upgrade your Oracle 6i Home (where Graphics is installed) to include an RSF version that contains a fix to bug 3088708. Please contact Oracle Support regarding availability of such an RSF.

4.8.2 Configuring Graphics 6i for use by Reports Server

Perform the following to correctly setup Reports/Graphics for Forms/Reports/Graphics integration:

1. In the graphicsrun.sh script enter the following:

   ORACLE_GRAPHICS6I_HOME=<location forms6i>
   export ORACLE_GRAPHICS6I_HOME
   TK_PRINTER=<real printer>
   

2. In the reports.sh script enter the following:

   ORACLE_GRAPHICS6I_HOME=<location forms6i>; export ORACLE_GRAPHICS6I_HOME
   REPORTS_DEFAULT_DESPLAY=NO; export REPORTS_DEFAULT_DESPLAY
   DISPLAY=<computer name>:0.0; export DISPLAY
   

4.9.1 Managing Registry.dat with Application Server Control

Use Application Server Control to change, add, or delete parameters from Registry.dat.

To change a Registry.dat parameter value:

1. Select the Configuration page of Enterprise Manager.

2. From the View dropdown list, select Forms Font and Icon Mapping (Registry.dat).

3. Select a radio button next to a parameter and change the value(s) for it in the Value text field.

4. Click Apply.

   Your changes are saved.

To add a Registry.dat parameter and its value:

1. Select the Configuration page of Enterprise Manager.

2. From the View dropdown list, select Forms Font and Icon Mapping (Registry.dat).

3. At the bottom of the Registry.dat page, enter a name for the parameter in the Name text field.

4. Enter a value for this new parameter in the Value text field.

5. Click Add New Parameter.

   Your changes are saved.

To delete a Registry.dat parameter and its value:

1. Select the Configuration page of Enterprise Manager.

2. From the View dropdown list, select Forms Font and Icon Mapping (Registry.dat).

3. Select a radio button next to a parameter and click Delete.

4. The Confirmation page appears, click Yes.

5. The parameter is deleted and the Configuration page reappears.

4.9.2 Deploying Application Icons

When deploying an Oracle Forms application, the icon files used must be in a Web-enabled format, such as JPG or GIF (GIF is the default format).

By default, the icons are found relative to the DocumentBase directory. That is, DocumentBase looks for images in the directory relative to the base directory of the application start HTML file. As the start HTML file is dynamically rendered by the Forms Servlet, the forms directory becomes the document base.

For example, if an application defines the icon location for a button with myapp/<iconname>, then the icon is looked up in the directory forms/myapp.

To change the default location, set the imageBase parameter to codebase in the Forms Web Configuration page of Enterprise Manager Application Server Control Console. Alternatively, you can change the default.icons.iconpath value of the Registry.dat file in the forms/java/oracle/forms/registry directory.

Setting the imageBase parameter to codebase enables Oracle Forms to search the forms/java directory for the icon files. Use this setting if your images are stored in a Java archive file. Changing the image location in the Registry.dat configuration file is useful if you want to store images in a central location independent of any application and independent of the Oracle Forms installation.

4.9.3 SplashScreen and Background Images

When you deploy your applications, you have the ability to specify a splash screen image (displayed during the connection) and a background image file.

Those images are defined in the HTML file or you can use the Forms Web Configuration page in Enterprise Manager:

<PARAM NAME="splashScreen" VALUE="splash.gif">

<PARAM NAME="background" VALUE="back.gif">

The default location for the splash screen and background image files is in the DocumentBase directory containing the baseHTML file.

4.9.4 Custom Jar Files Containing Icons and Images

Each time you use an icon or an image (for a splash screen or background), an HTTP request is sent to the Web server. To reduce the HTTP round-trips between the client and the server, you have the ability to store your icons and images in a Java archive (Jar) file. Using this technique, only one HTTP round-trip is necessary to download the Jar file.

jar -cvf myico.jar Splash.gif Back.gif icon1.gif

archive=frmall.jar, icons.jar
imageBase=codebase

4.9.5 Search Path for Icons and Images

The icons and images search path depends on:

• What you specify in your custom application file (for the icons).

• What you specified in the splashScreen and background parameters of your default Forms Web configuration or HTML file (for the images).

• What you specify in the imageBase parameter in the Forms Web Configuration page of Application Server Control for the file or HTML file (for both icons and images).

Forms Services searches for the icons depending on what you specify. This example assumes:

• host is the computer name.

• DocumentBase is the URL pointing to the HTML file.

• CodeBase is the URL pointing to the location of the starting class file (as specified in the formsweb.cfg file or HTML file).

• mydir is the URL pointing to your icons or images directory.

4.10.1 Specifying Language Detection

For each configuration section in the Forms Web Configuration page, you can create language-specific sections with names like <config_name>.<language-code>. For example, if you created a configuration section "hr", and wanted to create French and Chinese languages, your configuration section might look like the following:

[hr] 
lookAndFeel=oracle 
width=600 
height=500 
envFile=default.env 
workingDirectory=/private/apps/hr 
[hr.fr] 

envFile=french.env 
workingDirectory=/private/apps/hr/french 

[hr.zh] 
envFile=chinese.env 
workingDirectory=/private/apps/hr/chinese

4.10.2 Inline IME Support

Inline IME support enables Forms Web applications to properly display the composing text in which each character may not be directly represented by a single keystroke (e.g. Asian characters) near the insertion cursor (so called inline, or on-the-spot). It is enabled by default. To disable, set the applet parameter "inlineIME" to "false" in the baseHTML file:

<HTML>
<!-- FILE: basejini.htm (Oracle Forms) -->
 <BODY>
 ...
 <OBJECT classid=...
>
<PARAM NAME="inlineIME" VALUE="false">
<EMBED SRC="" ...
inlineIME="false"
>
...
.
</BODY>
</HTML>
.
To have inline IME support, forms client needs to be Jinitator 1.3.1 or Plug-in 1.4.1+.

For more information about using baseHTML, see Appendix C, "base.htm, basejini.htm, and basejpi.htm Files".

4.10.3 How Language Detection Works

When the Forms Servlet receives a request for a particular configuration (for example, http://myserv/servlet/frmservlet?config=hr) it gets the client language setting from the request header "accept-language". This gives a list of languages in order of preference. For example, accept-language: de, fr, en_us means the order of preference is German, French, then US English. The servlet will look for a language-specific configuration section matching the first language. If one is not found, it will look for the next and so on. If no language-specific configuration is found, it will use the base configuration.

When the Forms Servlet receives a request with no particular configuration specified (with no "config=" URL parameter, for example, http://myserv/servlet/frmservlet), it will look for a language-specific section in the default section matching the first language (for example, [.fr]).

4.11.1 Customizing fmrweb.res

fmrweb.res is a text file which can edited with a text editor such as vi in UNIX or Notepad or Wordpad on Windows. Unlike Oracle 6i Forms, Oracle Terminal editor is no longer required. The text file is self-documented.

122 : 0 : "F11" : 76 : "Enter Query"
122 : 2 : "Ctrl+F11" : 77 : "Execute Query"

122 : 2 : "Ctrl+F11" : 76 : "Enter Query"
122 : 0 : "F11" : 77 : "Execute Query"

113: 0 : "F2" : 95 : "List Tab Pages"

113: 8 : "F2" : 95 : "List Tab Pages"

113: 0 : "F2" : 84 : "Function 2"
113: 8 : " " : 95 : " "

10 : 0 : "Return" : 75 : "Return"

10 : 0 : "Return" : 27 : "Return"