33 Oracle Forms

33.1.1 Backwards Compatibility with Earlier Releases

For information about upgrading from Forms 6i, see the "Upgrading to Oracle Forms Services 11g" chapter in Oracle Fusion Middleware Forms Services Deployment Guide. For information about changed or obsolete features, see the Oracle Forms Upgrading Oracle Forms 6i to Oracle Forms 11g Guide.

For upgrading from Oracle Forms 10g and prior releases, you can use the Upgrade Assistant. For more information, see the Oracle Fusion Middleware Upgrade Planning Guide and Oracle Fusion Middleware Upgrade Guide for Oracle Portal, Forms, Reports, and Discoverer.

Additional information about backwards compatibility is included in My Oracle Support Note 113987.1 at: http://myoraclesupport.oracle.com

Regardless from which version of Oracle Forms you are upgrading, you will need to recompile your applications and restart Oracle Forms.

33.1.2 Linux/Unix Issues and Workarounds

This section describes issues related to Oracle Forms and Linux/Unix. It includes the following topics:

• Section 33.1.2.1, "LD_PRELOAD Setting Required for Signal Chaining Facility"

• Section 33.1.2.2, "Check the Reports Engine Logs for FRM-41214"

• Section 33.1.2.3, "Forms Builder Does not Launch on Linux RHEL5"

• Section 33.1.2.4, "Changing User Permissions"

33.2.1 Non-Internet Explorer Browser Proxy Settings when Using One-Button-Run

If you encounter a FORBIDDEN error when using One-Button-Run with any of the supported browsers other than Internet Explorer, verify if 127.0.0.1 (localhost) is in the proxy settings for your browser. If 127.0.0.1 is not in the exceptions list, then add it. This ensures that the browser will bypass the proxy server.

33.2.2 WebUtil Client Files Allow Configuration of Destination Directory

WebUtil downloads install.syslib libraries into the bin directory of the JRE or JVM on Windows and into the lib directory of JRE on Linux. This location can be specified in the parameter install.syslib.location.client.<OS> = <Path on client machine> (where <Path on client machine> represents the path to the location where libraries used on the client by WebUtil are stored and is either absolute or relative to client user home) in webutil.cfg.

33.2.3 webutil.properties Files Renamed for Different Libraries

When install.syslib libraries are downloaded, WebUtil creates the webutil.properties file which is located in the client user home. Different webutil.properties files are maintained on client side to allow different servers to download and manage their libraries on client. The files are named webutil.<HOST>.<CONFIG>.properties on the client, where HOST is the server computer name and CONFIG is the name of configuration section in formsweb.cfg.

33.2.4 Forms does not Work with JDK 1.6.0_12 on Client with WinRunner

Forms does not run when using JDK 1.6.0_12 as the client on a computer that also has WinRunner installed.

As a workaround, rename the two environment variables _JAVA_OPTIONS and JAVA_TOOLS_OPTIONS. For example, rename them to test_JAVA_OPTIONS and test_JAVA_TOOLS_OPTIONS. This will disable WinRunner but allows Forms to run.

33.2.5 JavaScript Communication Does not Work in IE7 for Framed HTML File

JavaScript communication does not work in framed HTML file that is opened in Internet Explorer 7 with file:// protocol.

As a workaround, use the IP address instead of the machine name in the URL for the frame. For example in testform.htm, change:

<frame noresize="noresize" 
 src="http://testform.us.oracle.com:8888/forms/java/js2frm1.html" name="fr2" 
 frameborder="0"> 
   <frame noresize="noresize" 
 src="http://testform.us.oracle.com:8888/forms/frmservlet?play=&record=forms& 
 form=js2frm1&userid=scott/tiger@adt10220" name="fr1" frameborder="0">

to

<frame noresize="noresize" 
 src="http://10.229.147.186:8888/forms/java/js2frm1.html" name="fr2" 
 frameborder="0"> 
   <frame noresize="noresize" 
 src="http://10.229.147.186:8888/forms/frmservlet?play=&record=forms&form=js2fr 
 m1&userid=scott/tiger@adt10220" name="fr1" frameborder="0">

33.2.6 Association using OID's SSL Port from Enterprise Manager is not Supported

When associating a Forms Java EE application deployment with Oracle Internet Directory (OID) from Oracle Enterprise Manager, association is supported using only Oracle Internet Directory 's non-SSL Port. Association using Oracle Internet Directory SSL port is not supported.

33.2.7 Forms Java EE Application Diagnostic Log Files not Generated on Remote Host

When Forms is configured using expand cluster or extend domain on a remote host, then Forms Java EE application diagnostic log files may not be generated.

As a workaround, manually add the Forms Java EE application ODL handler entries to the ODL configuration file (for the remote managed server) on the Administration Server host. The ODL configuration file logging.xml is located in the directory $DOMAIN_HOME/config/fmwconfig/servers/<MANAGED_SERVER>/ on the Administration Server host, where <MANAGED_SERVER> is the name of the remote Forms managed server (prefixed by WLS_FORMS).

1. Add the following entry under the parent <Log-Handlers> parent element.

   <log_handler name='forms-handler'
   class='oracle.core.ojdl.logging.ODLHandlerFactory'>
      <property name='path'
   value='${domain.home}/servers/${weblogic.Name}/logs/formsapp-diagnostic.log'/>
      <property name='maxFileSize' value='10485760'/>
     <property name='maxLogSize' value='104857600'/>
     <property name='useSourceClassAndMethod' value='true'/>
    </log_handler>
   
   

2. Add the following entry under the <Loggers> parent element.

   <logger name='oracle.forms.servlet' level='NOTIFICATION:1'
   useParentHandlers='false'>
     <handler name='forms-handler'/>
   
   

3. Restart the managed server on the remote host.

33.3.1 Jar Files Require Signing

In the Oracle Fusion Middleware Forms Services Deployment Guide, in Chapter 7, the example in section 7.2.3 does not mention that the jar files need to be signed. After step 4, perform the following task: Sign the jar file. You can use sign_webutil.sh (sign_webutil.bat in Windows) that is available in $ORACLE_INSTANCE\bin to sign the jar file.

Continue with step 5 as given in the guide.

33.3.2 Run ssoreg.sh Script for Associating OID Host

In section 9.7 of the Oracle Fusion Middleware Forms Services Deployment Guide, the procedure to re-associate an OID Host with a Forms application describes the tasks of generating and copying the osso.conf file. The same tasks must be performed when associating OID Host with a Forms application for the first time.

33.3.3 Register Oracle HTTP Server with Oracle SSO

In section 9.7 of the Oracle Fusion Middleware Forms Services Deployment Guide, the procedure does not mention how to register Oracle HTTP Server with Oracle SSO. These steps are required if you chose to install and configure Forms in non-SSO mode and later need to enable SSO. Perform the following steps to register the module mod_osso in the WebTier OHS with the SSO Server as a partner application.

1. Generate and copy the osso.conf file as mentioned in steps 3, and 4 of section "To re-associate an OID Host with a Forms Application".

2. Create a mod_osso.conf file under $ORACLE_INSTANCE/config/OHS/<OHS_INSTANCE>/moduleconf directory. The contents of the file should look similar to this:

   LoadModule osso_module ${ORACLE_HOME}/ohs/modules/mod_osso.so 
   <IfModule mod_osso.c> 
   OssoIpCheck off 
   OssoSecureCookies off 
   OssoIdleTimeout off 
   OssoConfigFile osso.conf 
   # 
   # Insert Protected Resources: (see Notes below for 
   # how to protect resources) 
   # 
   #______- 
   # 
   # Notes 
   # 
   #______- 
   # 
   # 1. Here's what you need to add to protect a resource, 
   #    e.g. <ApacheServerRoot>/htdocs/private: 
   # 
   <Location /private> 
   require valid-user 
   AuthType Osso 
   </Location> 
    
   </IfModule> 
    
   # 
   # If you would like to have short hostnames redirected to 
   # fully qualified hostnames to allow clients that need 
   # authentication via mod_osso to be able to enter short 
   # hostnames into their browsers uncomment out the following 
   # lines 
   # 
   #PerlModule Apache::ShortHostnameRedirect 
   #PerlHeaderParserHandler Apache::ShortHostnameRedirect 
    
   

3. Add the following lines to the beginning of forms.conf file.

   <IfModule !mod_osso.c> 
   LoadModule osso_module  ${ORACLE_HOME}/ohs/modules/mod_osso.so 
   </IfModule> 
   <IfModule mod_osso.c> 
   OssoHTTPOnly off 
   </IfModule>
   
   

4. Associate the OID Host in Enterprise Manager as given in section 9.7 of the Guide.

5. Restart the Oracle WebLogic Managed Server and the front-end OHS for the changes to take effect.

33.3.4 Include Directive WLExcludePathOrMimeType for aliasMatch in forms.conf

In section C.5 of the Oracle Fusion Middleware Forms Services Deployment Guide, the following note must be added:

When including any user-defined aliasMatch with the prefix /forms/ in forms.conf, add the directive WLExcludePathOrMimeType. For example, in Linux, when defining the aliasMatch for /forms/usericons in forms.conf, the directive WLExcludePathOrMimeType is defined as following:

AliasMatch /forms/usericons/(..*) "/home/userx/myicons/$1"
WLExcludePathOrMimeType /forms/usericons/

33.3.5 Location of WebUtil Scripts

In the section "Additional WebUtil Installation Steps" of the Forms Builder Online Help, the following corrections must be made:

• The scripts sign_webutil.bat (on Windows) or sign_webutil.sh (on Linux) are available in the $ORACLE_INSTANCE/bin directory.

• Step 5 is described as:

  5. Check that CLASSPATH=/ORACLE_INSTANCE/config/FormsComponent/forms/jdk/bin is in the path. If it is not, add it.

  However, this step is incorrect (the variable used in prior releases was PATH, not CLASSPATH) and is not required. To use these scripts, you do not need to add the jdk/bin directory to the PATH or CLASSPATH variable.

33.3.6 MaxEventWait not a PL/SQL property

Forms Builder Online Help describes MaxEventWait as a PL/SQL property used for SET_APPLICATION_PROPERTY and GET_APPLICATION_PROPERTY. However, MaxEventWait is not a PL/SQL property but an applet parameter. The property must be removed from the description of SET_APPLICATION_PROPERTY and GET_APPLICATION_PROPERTY.