Oracle Application Framework
Developer’s Guide
Release 12
January, 2007
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Table of Contents
ORACLE APPLICATION FRAMEWORK DEVELOPER'S GUIDE......................9
Preface........................................................................................................................ 9
Oracle Application Framework Support Guidelines for Customers............................. 11
CHAPTER 1: GETTING STARTED ...................................................................15
Introduction to OA Framework................................................................................... 15
Setting Up Your Development Environment............................................................... 22
Customer, Consultant or Support Representative Using JDeveloper on Windows ............... 22
Overview................................................................................................................................. 22
Customer, Consultant or Support Representative Using JDeveloper on Linux ..................... 24
Building and Running 'Hello, World!'.......................................................................... 27
OA Framework Development Runtime Configuration ................................................ 56
CHAPTER 2: OA FRAMEWORK ESSENTIALS ...............................................59
JSP Application Primer.............................................................................................. 59
Anatomy of an OA Framework Page ......................................................................... 67
Page Basics............................................................................................................................ 67
The Model............................................................................................................................... 68
The View................................................................................................................................. 72
The Controller......................................................................................................................... 77
Web Bean Architecture........................................................................................................... 79
Guide to OA Framework Javadoc .......................................................................................... 81
OA Framework State Management ........................................................................... 84
Architectural Overview............................................................................................................ 84
Root Application Modules (Database Session and Transaction State).................................. 85
Servlet Session....................................................................................................................... 89
Oracle Applications User Session .......................................................................................... 89
Page Context.......................................................................................................................... 90
Request .................................................................................................................................. 93
State Persistence Model ('Passivation') ................................................................................. 94
Application Module Pooling .................................................................................................... 94
CHAPTER 3: BUILDING AN OA FRAMEWORK APPLICATION (THE BASICS)97
Implementing the Model ............................................................................................ 97
Designing Model Objects........................................................................................................ 97
Recommended Build Approach.............................................................................................. 99
Business Components Packages........................................................................................... 99
Entity Objects.......................................................................................................................... 99
Entity Associations (Association Objects) ............................................................................ 106
View Objects and View Rows............................................................................................... 108
View Links............................................................................................................................. 114
Application Modules ............................................................................................................. 117
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Entity Objects, Entity Experts, 'Validation' Application Modules and 'Validation' View Objects126
Validation View Objects (VVOs) ...................................................................................................... 127
Validation Application Modules (VAMs)........................................................................................... 127
Entity Experts .................................................................................................................................. 127
Reusing Business Objects.................................................................................................... 128
Implementing the View ............................................................................................ 130
Designing the User Interface ................................................................................................ 130
Pages.................................................................................................................................... 131
Reusable Components ......................................................................................................... 132
Attribute Sets ........................................................................................................................ 135
URL Parameters: Tokens, Encryption, Encoding................................................................. 137
Style Sheets.......................................................................................................................... 138
Accessibility .......................................................................................................................... 139
Internationalization ............................................................................................................... 139
Model Interaction .................................................................................................................. 140
Menus and Page Security .................................................................................................... 144
Implementing the Controller..................................................................................... 148
Designing an OA Controller.................................................................................................. 148
Creating an OA Controller .................................................................................................... 150
Handling an HTTP GET........................................................................................................ 151
Modifying Bean Properties ................................................................................................... 153
Creating Beans Programmatically........................................................................................ 154
Handling an HTTP POST (Form Submit)............................................................................. 155
Model Interaction .................................................................................................................. 157
Disabling Validation .............................................................................................................. 159
Javascript.............................................................................................................................. 160
Error Handling ......................................................................................................... 162
Creating Attribute Sets ............................................................................................ 173
Designing Attribute Sets ....................................................................................................... 173
Creating Attribute Set Packages Manually........................................................................... 173
Creating Attribute Sets Manually.......................................................................................... 174
Generating Attribute Sets Automatically (Only on Linux)..................................................... 174
Internationalization .................................................................................................. 178
User Preferences.................................................................................................................. 178
Language.............................................................................................................................. 178
Timezone .............................................................................................................................. 179
Date and Time ...................................................................................................................... 180
Numbers/Currency................................................................................................................ 181
Text and Component Alignment........................................................................................... 182
Localized Layouts................................................................................................................. 182
Files in a Typical OA Framework Application........................................................... 183
CHAPTER 4: IMPLEMENTING SPECIFIC UI FEATURES..............................187
Accelerator Keys ('Hot Keys') .................................................................................. 187
Attachments ............................................................................................................ 189
Auto-Repeating Layouts .......................................................................................... 205
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Bound Values.......................................................................................................... 208
Branding.................................................................................................................. 214
Bulleted List............................................................................................................. 218
Buttons (Action/Navigation) ..................................................................................... 220
Buttons (Global) ...................................................................................................... 228
Charts and Graphs .................................................................................................. 234
Component-Level Function Security (Dynamic User Interface)................................ 255
Concurrent Processing: Request Submission and Monitoring.................................. 271
Content Containers.................................................................................................. 276
Contextual Information ............................................................................................ 279
Controlling UIX Rendering Output ........................................................................... 281
Daily Business Intelligence / OA Framework Integration.......................................... 285
Data Export ............................................................................................................. 288
Date Picker.............................................................................................................. 293
Declarative Page Flow............................................................................................. 297
Dialog Pages........................................................................................................... 307
Dynamic User Interface ........................................................................................... 255
File Upload and Download....................................................................................... 310
Flexfields................................................................................................................. 313
Forms / OA Framework Page Integration ................................................................ 332
Headers and Subheaders........................................................................................ 335
HGrid....................................................................................................................... 340
Hide/Show............................................................................................................... 353
Images in Your Pages ............................................................................................. 360
Include Content (URL and Servlet).......................................................................... 365
Inline Messaging, Tips, Hints and Bubble Text ........................................................ 367
Instruction Text........................................................................................................ 371
Links........................................................................................................................ 373
List of Values (LOV) ................................................................................................ 376
Locator Element: Breadcrumbs ............................................................................... 392
Locator Element: Page/Record Navigation .............................................................. 401
Locator Element: Train ............................................................................................ 407
Message Box........................................................................................................... 410
Mobile Applications.................................................................................................. 413
Notifications (Workflow Worklist) ............................................................................. 425
Page Access Tracking............................................................................................. 428
Page Contents Bottom Line..................................................................................... 430
Page Footer............................................................................................................. 431
