Writing Code for the CUSTOM Library (User, System Administrator, and Flexfields Help)


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Writing Code for the CUSTOM Library

The CUSTOM library is an Oracle Forms PL/SQL library. It allows you to take full advantage of all the capabilities of the Developer/2000 suite of products, and integrate your code directly with Oracle Applications without making changes to Oracle Applications code.

The CUSTOM library is located in the $AU_TOP/res/plsql directory (or platform equivalent). The CUSTOM library you modify must replace the default CUSTOM library in this directory in order for your code to take effect.

After you write code in the CUSTOM procedures, compile and generate the library using Oracle Forms. Then place this library into $AU_TOP/res/plsql directory (or platform equivalent). Subsequent invocations of Oracle Applications will then run this new code.

Warning: If there is a .plx (compiled code only) for a library, Oracle Forms always uses the .plx over the .pll. A .plx is only created when you generate a library using the Oracle Forms generator (using the parameter COMPILE_ALL set to Yes), not when you compile and save using the Oracle Forms Designer. Therefore, either delete the .plx file (so your code runs directly from the .pll file) or create your own .plx file using the Oracle Forms generator.

The specification of the CUSTOM package in the CUSTOM library cannot be changed in any way. You may add your own packages to the CUSTOM library, but any packages you add to this library must be sequenced after the CUSTOM package. To ensure that your packages remain sequenced after the CUSTOM package even after a conversion from a .pld file, when program units are alphabetized, we recommend you name your packages with characters that come after C (for example, we recommend you name your own packages with names that begin with USER_).

Coding Considerations and Restrictions

Be aware of the open form environment in which Oracle Applications operate. Also, each running form has its own database connection.

The following considerations and restrictions apply to the CUSTOM library and any libraries you attach to CUSTOM:

You cannot use any SQL in the library.

Values of PL/SQL package variables (variables listed in the package specification) do not change between calls to the library, no matter which form calls the library.

Startup code (PL/SQL code in a package but not contained in a function or procedure) executes only once, when the package is first called (CUSTOM is loaded only once in an Oracle Applications session, the first time it is called).

Oracle Forms global variables in your code are visible to all running forms.

Altering Oracle Applications Code

Frequently you need to know the names of blocks and items within Oracle Applications forms for your CUSTOM logic. You should use the Examine feature available on the Help->Tools menu while running the form of interest; it will give you easy access to all object names. You should not open Oracle Applications forms in the Oracle Forms Designer to learn this information.

You should exercise caution when changing any properties or values of items in the form from which CUSTOM logic is invoked. The CUSTOM library is intended to be a mechanism to augment Oracle code with your own. Using the CUSTOM library to alter Oracle code at runtime may bypass important validation logic and may jeopardize the integrity of your data. You should thoroughly test all logic you add to the CUSTOM library before using it in a production environment.

Following Coding Standards in the CUSTOM library

Within the CUSTOM library, you are free to write almost any code supported by the Developer/2000 toolset, so long as you follow all Oracle Applications coding standards. However, there is an exception: you cannot call any APPCORE routines from CUSTOM. Almost all APPCORE routines start with the prefix "APP".

If you use Zoom or the CUSTOM library to invoke forms that you have developed, those forms must adhere completely to all of the Oracle Applications coding standards.

Attention: To invoke another form, use the function security routines. Do not use CALL_FORM since the Oracle Applications libraries do not support it.

Additional Information: Oracle Applications Developer's Guide

See: Events Passed to the CUSTOM Library

Writing Code for the CUSTOM Library

Coding Considerations and Restrictions

Altering Oracle Applications Code

Following Coding Standards in the CUSTOM library

See Also