16.2 Correcting Simple Oracle ADF Compilation Errors

When you create web pages and work with the ADF data controls to create the ADF binding definitions in JDeveloper, the Oracle ADF declarative files you edit must conform to the XML schema defined by Oracle ADF. When an XML syntax error occurs, the JDeveloper XML compiler immediately displays the error in the Structure window. Choose Structure from the JDeveloper View menu to open the Structure window for any Oracle ADF file you edit in the XML editor.

Currently a limitation of the JDeveloper compiler is the ability to resolve EL expressions. EL expressions in your web pages interact directly with various runtime objects in the web environment, including the web page's Oracle ADF binding container. At present, errors in EL expressions can be observed only at runtime. Thus, the presence of a single typing error in an object-access expression will not be detected by the compiler, but will manifest at runtime as a failure to interact with the binding container. For information about debugging runtime errors, see Section 16.3, "Correcting Simple Oracle ADF Runtime Errors".

Tip: The JDeveloper Expression Builder is a dialog that helps you build EL expressions by providing lists of objects, managed beans, and properties. It is particularly useful when creating or editing ADF databound EL expressions because it provides a hierarchical list of ADF binding objects and their valid properties from which you can select the ones you want to use in an expression. Oracle recommends using the Expression Builder to avoid introducing typing errors. For details, see Section 5.6.1.2, "Using the Expression Builder".

Example 16-1 illustrates simple compilation errors contained in the page definition file: "fase" instead of "false" and "IsQueriable="false"/" instead of "IsQueriable="false"/>" (missing a closing angle bracket).

Example 16-1 Sample Page Definition File with Two Errors

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<pageDefinition xmlns="http://xmlns.oracle.com/adfm/uimodel"
                version="10.1.3.35.62" id="browseusersPageDef"
                Package="oracle.srdemo.view.pageDefs"
                EnableTokenValidation="false"
               ...>
  <parameters/>
  <executables>
    <variableIterator id="variables">
      <variable Type="java.lang.String" Name="findUsersByName_name"
                IsQueriable="false"/

The Structure window for the above errors would display as shown in Figure 16-1.

Figure 16-1 Structure Window Displays XML Error

If you were to attempt to compile the application, the Compiler window would also display similar errors, as shown in Figure 16-2.

Figure 16-2 Compiler Window Displays XML Compile Error

To correct schema validation errors, in either the Structure window or the Compiler window, double-click the error to open the file. The file will open in the XML editor with the responsible line highlighted for you to fix.

After you correct the error, the Structure window will immediately remove the error from the window. Optionally, you may recompile the project using the make operation to recompile the changed file and view the empty Compiler window.