This section describes the differences between block and page region mappings. The section also explains different Oracle Forms block types and how they are mapped into an Oracle Application Express application.
In Oracle Forms a single record block can be used for both querying data and updating the records returned. Within Oracle Application Express, standard updatable regions cannot also be used as query regions. An Oracle Forms block that is defined as being insertable, updatable, and has a primary key, is generally defined an interactive report with a form, or an editable interactive grid within Application Express. The interactive report enables you to query the records and the generated Edit link provides navigation to an individual record for update or deletion. An editable interactive grid allows multiple rows to be edited within the region, rather than going to a separate form page.
If not all the conditions are satisfied, then only an interactive report is generated for a single record block.
The interactive report uses the original query, enhanced query, or custom query defined within the project for the block. However, the form is based only on the underlying table. Items characteristics such as radio groups, check boxes, date pickers, editors and list of values will be generated where possible.
A tabular form defined in Oracle Forms corresponds to an editable interactive grid in Application Express, you must implement item characteristics, such as select lists, manually after creating the initial application.
Within Oracle Forms, master detail forms are defined using block relations. In Application Express you can also define master-detail relationships between interactive grid regions. In each child (detail) region, you define the region relationship to the parent (master) region, and then select the foreign key relationship columns in the child region. You can define and number of child relationships deep and any number of child relationships wide.
A block that is not associated with a database table or view, a non-database block, typically holds menus, navigation bars, and buttons. Because these components are handled and defined very differently within Application Express, whereby the menus and navigation bar are defined at the application level and not positioned separately on each page.