“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”

Helen Keller

Form Builder (Hands-On)

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?

“College isn't the place to go for ideas.”

Helen Keller

Tab canvas, Master-Detail relationship

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

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?

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

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

Q: Having performed Fact Finding, and determine the user's initial requirements, you are ready to create a data entry form based on those requirements. Keeping in mind that this is an iterative process, and the User is closely involved in the design. During your interviews, you have identified that tables Customer, Ord, and Items will be required, and you have an idea of the "Look-and-Feel" of the Form. Your client asks you to create an easy to use data entry Form for their “Customer Order” data entry application.

See Figure 1, 2, and 3 for screen layout requirements.

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. Security does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than exposure.”

Helen Keller

Help , Hint , format mask , properties

Figure 4

Q: Describe a property palette for an object in the Form Module.

Q: What does a property palette provide for you to modify an object?

Q: How do you manipulate an object in the Form Builder tool?

Q: During your prototyping iterations, the user thought it would be useful to have a Help option on the Form. A Help function will enable them to view descriptions of Form items as they move from item to item, and see helpful hints for each item. They also want to have multi-lines on their “comments” item with word wrap; and apply their display format mask requirements.

Your tasks are:

1- Build Help functionality on the data entry Form at the items' level. The Figure 4 is an example of tool tip for the “CUSTID” item.

2- Provide “Display Format Mask” for all currency and date items based on your client’s layout requirements and content. For example, date should be keyed in the format MM-DD-YY, or currency amounts displayed with the dollar '$' sign, with format mask $99,999.99.

3- Provide a multi-lines “comments” box for comments and make sure the text is word wrapped.

4- Run and test all user functional requirements.

Q: How can you create a help for an item in the From Module?

Q: How can you create a hint for an item in the Form Module?

Q: What are the differences between a help object and hint object?

Q: How can you change a format mask of an item in the Form Module?

Q: How can you execute a query?

“Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.”

Helen Keller

LOVs , Record Group

Figure 5

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

Q: How can you search a List of Values for a string?

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

Q: What is a Tab Canvas?

Q: How does a Record Group work with a List of Values?

Q: Your client needs more robust customer’s information retrieval. You are going to provide them with a list of customer names by adding a List Of Values (LOV) to the Form. This will help the data entry clerks to find a customer quickly without knowing the customer’s ID. The list should contain at a minimum, the customer's name and ID.

This will provide a fast and quick way to access customer information and increase the accuracy of the data entry.

See Figure 5.

Your tasks are:

1- Add a List Of Values (LOV) to the Form.

2- Retrieve customer ID by using customer name.

3- Query specific customer information using customer name.

4- Run and test all user functional requirements.

“One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar.”

Helen Keller

Radio Buttons

Figure 6

Q: Describe a Radio Button Group.

Q: How do you use a Radio Button Group?

Q: Describe a Radio Button Item.

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

Q: When do you use a Radio Button?

Q: Your users have indicated that they keep track of their salesmen's commission plans. The company has commission plans "A," "B," "C," and Blank. The “Blank” commission plan means that this is not applicable to salesman. Middle Management would like to stream line their salesmen contract assignment process. The company assigns salesmen, based on their commission performance. Those salesmen with higher than average commission will be rewarded and assigned to lucrative contracts.

To accommodate Management's need for tracking high performing salesmen, they ask you to change the commission plan item to the radio button style.

See Figure 6.

Your tasks are:

1- Change the commission plan column to the Radio Buttons .

2- Change the "order tab page" to implement the Radio Buttons .

3- Run and test all user functional requirements.

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

“People do not like to think. If one thinks, one must reach conclusions. Conclusions are not always pleasant.”

Helen Keller

Display items , Summary and function columns

Figure 7

Q: Describe a Display Item in the Form Module.

Q: What are the Summary Columns in the Form Module?

Q: What are the Function Columns in the Form Module?

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

Q: How do you calculate a SUM of a group of items in a block?

Q: While designing the tables, you have identified a derived field in one of the tables (Item). There should not be a column in a table that is calculated or generated by two other columns. This is the Third Normal form rule. It should be rectified for good database design. Their DBA will remove any columns whose contents are depended on the other columns. In the "Item" table the "itemtot" column is a column depended on quantity * actualprice.

See Figure 7.

Your tasks are:

1- Modify the "Items " tab canvas layout to generate a new item called "itemtotal". This field will be populated from other “Item” table’s column during order entry (quantity * actualprice).

2- Avoid populating the “itemtotal” from the table’s column.

3- Add a display field to calculate the grand total of all calculated field call "itemtotal" for each customer's order.

4- Run and test all user functional requirements.

“Self-pity is our worst enemy and if we yield to it, we can never do anything good in the world.”

Helen Keller

Triggers

Figure 8

Q: What is a Forms Trigger?

Q: Describe the WHEN-BUTTON-PRESSED trigger.

Q: Describe the PRE-QUERY trigger.

Q: Describe the POST-QUERY trigger.

Q: Describe the PRE-INSERT trigger.

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

Q: Now, the user’s DBA removed the “itemtot” column whose content was depended on the other columns. Your client wants you to remove the “itemtot” item from layout screen.

Also, your application only shows products' ID. Your client wants to see product's description since product's ID does not tell them what the product is.

They want you to remove duplicate item information from "Items " tab canvas ; and add a new item to display product's description in the "Items" tab canvas.

See Figure 8.

Your tasks are:

1- Remove duplicate item information from "Items " tab canvas .

2- Add a new item to display product's description “Product Description” in the "Items " tab canvas .

3- Run and test all user functional requirements.

“Smell is a potent wizard that transports you across thousand of miles and all the years you have lived.”

Helen Keller

Horizontal Toolbar, Push Button , Trigger

Figure 9

Q: Describe a canvas in the Form Module.

Q: The four types of canvases are: ________

Q: Describe all four types of canvases.

Q: How do you create a horizontal toolbar?

Q: How do you create a push button item?

Q: New functional requirements came in from the users. They need a horizontal toolbar to have on their Form. The toolbar should contain all the frequently used options. This will make ease of use of some options.

The following are the list of all the frequently used functions they expect to use:

Move to previous record,

Move to next record,

Add new record,

Delete current record,

Save work, and

Exit the application.

See Figure 9.

Your tasks are:

1- Adding more functionality to the application.

2- Create a horizontal Toolbar.

3- Create push button for above frequently used functions list.

4- Create and compile triggers for each push button created on step 3.

5- Run and test all user functional requirements.

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt within the heart.”

Helen Keller

Sizing , Layout appearances

Figure 10

Q: Describe a Window in the Form Module.

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

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

Q: How do you resize an object in the Layout Editor?

Q: How do you move an object or a group of objects in the Layout Editor?

Q: What are the handlers in a selected object?

Q: On pervious Hands-On, your users only see the horizontal toolbar canvas instead of the Customer, Orders, and Items canvases. They have to drag the window in order to see their “Customer Order” application. They complain that it is cumbersome to drag the window in order to use the application. You have been assigned to fix this problem. The requirement from your client is: to make sure your layout was properly sized so your client doesn't need to drag or expand the window size.

See Figure 10.

Your tasks are:

1- Make sure the canvas was sized properly.

2- Run and test all user functional requirements.

“We could never learn to be brave and patient, if there were only joy in the world.”

Helen Keller

Trigger (PRE-QUERY ), Set dynamically properties

Figure 11

Q: Describe the PRE-QUERY trigger.

Q: How do you set a block property dynamically?

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

Q: On the "Orders" tab, your client wants to see the most recent or last customer orders. They ask you to sort the customer orders list based on their order’s date. They like to have two radio buttons to allow them to manipulate the order of displayed records by order date.

You have been assigned to create two radio buttons, Labeled "Ascending" and

"Descending" to sort displayed record order by "order date."

See Figure 11.

Your tasks are:

1- Create a Radio Group.

2- Create two Radio Buttons associated with step 1 (Radio Group).

3- Label the first Radio Button “Ascending.”

4- Label the second Radio Button “Descending.”

5- Run and test all user functional requirements.

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.”

Helen Keller

Sequence object, Trigger (PRE-INSERT )

Figure 12

Q: Describe a Sequence object in a Form Module.

Q: How do you create a sequence object in a Form Module?

Q: Describe the PRE-INSERT trigger.

Q: How do you create and use a PRE-INSERT trigger in a Form module?