This chapter describes issues associated with Oracle Forms. It includes the following topics:
This section describes general issues and workarounds. It includes the following topics:
For information about changed or obsolete features, see the Oracle Forms Upgrading Oracle Forms 6i to Oracle Forms 12c Guide.
For upgrading from Oracle Forms 10g or Oracle Forms Services 11g (11.1.x), see the Planning an Upgrade of Oracle Fusion Middleware and Upgrade Guide for Forms and Reports.
This section describes issues related to Oracle Forms and Microsoft Windows. It includes the following topics:
Section 2.1.2.2, "Using JAWS and Java Access Bridge with Oracle Forms"
Section 2.1.2.3, "Stop dejvm Before Stopping and Restarting WLS_FORMS"
Section 2.2.2, "Forms 12c Application Supports JACOB Version 1.18-M2"
When using Forms Builder with JAWS, the shortcut keys Ctrl+Insert to create items are not working.
As a workaround, use the menu-mnemonics. Use Alt+e to open the Edit menu, then r to choose Create to create items.
JAWS and Java Access Bridge are not installed by default in Oracle Forms 12c. You can install the Java Access Bridge 2.0.2 using the download instructions at http://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/technotes/guides/access/enable_and_test.html and http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/articles/javase/index-jsp-136191.html. The JAWS scripts for the Oracle Forms Builder are installed in ORACLE_HOME\forms\ScreenReader\.
Before restarting the Oracle WebLogic managed server, all the JVM Controller processes (dejvm) started by that server must be stopped. Otherwise, WLS_FORMS will not restart after a shutdown.
This section describes issues related to Oracle Forms and Linux/UNIX. It includes the following topics:
Section 2.1.3.1, "LD_PRELOAD Setting Required for Signal Chaining Facility"
Section 2.1.3.2, "Check the Reports Engine Logs for FRM-41214"
The LD_PRELOAD setting in default.env is required for the working of signal chaining facility in JVM version 1.5 and later. If you are creating or using other environment files, the setting in the environment file for LD_LIBRARY_PATH and LD_PRELOAD must be the same as in default.env.
If you encounter the Forms error FRM-41214:Unable to run report when trying to run Reports from a Forms session, check the Reports engine logs for more details on the error.
This section describes configuration issues and their workarounds. It includes the following topics:
Section 2.2.1, "Non-Internet Explorer Browser Proxy Settings when Using One-Button-Run"
Section 2.2.2, "Forms 12c Application Supports JACOB Version 1.18-M2"
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.
Oracle Forms 12c, when configured with Webutil at runtime, supports JACOB version 1.18-M2 in order to perform the client side OLE integration. Note that this version of JACOB is different from the versions supported in the previous releases of Oracle Forms.
JACOB is a JAVA-COM bridge that allows you to call COM automation components from Java. It uses JNI to make native calls to the COM libraries. JACOB runs on x86 and x64 environments supporting 32 bit and 64 bit JVMs.
The section describes known issues. It includes the following topics:
Section 2.3.1, "FRM-10400 Unable to open Report Builder from Form Builder"
Section 2.3.3, "Some Non-English Languages Do Not Appear in Logon or Change Password Dialog"
Section 2.3.4, "Web Start Does Not Work When WLS_FORMS is Behind a Proxy"
Section 2.3.5, "XML Converter Will Not Start in Form Builder"
Section 2.3.8, "Oracle Reports Integration Requires New Environment Variable"
Section 2.3.10, "Upgrading from Earlier Versions Where DEJVM was Used Results in Error PDE-JM001"
Section 2.3.11, "Oracle Forms Fusion Middleware Control Resource Center Links not Working"
Section 2.3.12, "Some New Applet Parameters are not Supported when using Java Web Start"
Section 2.3.13, "Form Builder may Crash on Linux While Deleting Trigger"
Section 2.3.15, "Running Oracle Forms applications may throw ORA-306500 Intermittently"
When created a new Report object in the Form Builder Object Navigator, attempts to open the Report Builder will fail and show this error; FRM-10400 Unable to open Report Builder. As a work-around, manually open the Report Builder as needed.
Attempting to use the Run Form button in the Form builder may fail if the form is not first saved in a directory included in FORMS_PATH. Alternatively, add the working directory to FORMS_PATH. This will generally be the MIDDLEWARE_HOME \bin directory. This is an intended change in behavior, which prevents directory paths from being added to a URL. Although not recommended, the behavior of previous versions can be restored by removing (or commenting) the entire FORMS_MODULE_PATH entry from default.env.
On some installations, the environment variables FORMS_LOGON_HINT and FORMS_CHANGE_PASSWORD_HINT values will only display correctly if they are entered in English.
Attempting to start a Forms application using Web Start will fail if WLS_FORMS is behind a proxy server. To correct this problem, set WEBSTART_CODEBASE in formsweb.cfg to the fully qualified path of the CODEBASE as it appears from the external server. For example, http://OHShost:OHSport/forms/java.
Attempts to use the XML converter fail from within the Form Builder. Error FRM-18132 will be displayed. As a work-around, set FORMS_INSTANCE in System environment or shell used to start Builder. This is applicable to only Windows.
When using Forms Builder with JAWS, the shortcut keys Ctrl+Insert to create items are not working. As a workaround, use the menu-mnemonics. Use Alt+e to open the Edit menu, then r to choose Create to create items.
The WebUtil client_image.write_image_file procedure does not work. As a work-around and only in critical cases, use 11.1.2.2 frmwebutil.jar as temporary solution. This should only be done if this issue impacts your application. This work-around should not be used if the application does not explicitly use the write_image_file procedure. As soon as a patch is made available, it is strongly recommended that it be applied. Contact Support for more information. As referenced in bug 21887529.
For applications that use the Oracle Forms built-in RUN_REPORT_OBJECT to integrate with Oracle Reports, it will be necessary to add a new environment variable to the Forms environment configuration (that is, default.env). The new variable name is COMPONENT_CONFIG_PATH and its value should be the fully qualified path to the Reports Tools Component. For example: DOMAIN_HOME/config/fmwconfig/components/ReportsToolsComponent/<reports_tools_component_name>
If you have used frmconfighelper.cmd on Windows with the enable_sso option to perform OHS partner application registration then you need to manually copy the Webgate artifacts from %RREG_HOME%\output<policy name>_OAM to the Webgate configuration directory under OHS instance. For example:
copy %RREG_HOME%\output\<policy_name>_OAM\*.*
%DOMAIN_HOME%\config\fmwconfig\components\OHS\<ohs_instance_name>\webgate\config
Restart the AdminServer, NodeManager and OHS instance after making this change. As referenced in bug 21882193.
Using the Upgrade Assistant to upgrade from an old version will upgrade the Forms DEJVM settings. If one of those settings included logging=on error PDE-JM001 will result. This is caused as a result of the "on" option/value no longer being supported. Administrators should manually change this to one of the new values, which are:
off
info
crit
error
warn
debug
Some of the links found on the Oracle Forms home page in Fusion Middleware Control are not working. The Oracle Forms Deployment Guide should be used as an alternative source of similar information.
The new applet parameters centerOnStartup and alwaysOnTop are not supported with Java Web Start. They will only work with Forms Standalone Launcher (FSAL) and configurations that support separateFrame=true.
Forms Builder may crash on Linux if the PL/SQL Editor is open while attempting to delete the associated trigger. As a work-around, ensure that the PL/SQL Editor has been closed before attempting to delete triggers or procedures from the Object Navigator. As referenced in bug 20892959.
Form Builder will not start on Linux OEL7 or RedHat7 and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP1 or newer operating system. The following error appears:
Error while loading shared libraries: libXm.so.3: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory.
This is the result of the Form Builder expecting to find libXm.so.3. This version does not exist for newer Linux versions. To work-around the problem, create a soft link.
Create a soft link named libXm.so.3 to libXm.so.4 under /usr/lib64/
ln -s /usr/lib64/libXm.so.4.0.4 libXm.so.3
Add it to LD_LIBRARY_PATH
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:/usr/lib64
Solution: Apply the following patch to the Forms middle tier - for Windows 21892409 / for Unix 21534616
This section describes documentation errata. It includes the following topics:
The following information must be added to Oracle Forms Builder online help.
When a form is created using the Form builder (frmbld), the item property Query Length defaults to zero. When the form was compiled in releases prior to 11g, this value (zero) caused the Query Length to default to the value of the Maximum Length property. In Oracle Forms 11g, the Query Length defaults to two plus the value of the Maximum Length property. If the behavior of prior releases is desired, then you must set the environment variable FORMS_QUERY_LENGTH_DELTA to '0' when the form is compiled.
The DATE format masks determine the number of characters that can be typed into a text item or combo box. In general, this number is the maximum of the number of characters required for the "output" format mask and for any allowable "input" format mask. Refer to "About Format Elements for Dates" for information about how "input" and "output" format masks are selected for a combo box, or for a text item whose format mask is not set. Note that the FORMS_USER_DATE_FORMAT or FORMS_USER_DATETIME_FORMAT environment variable may specify multiple input format masks. Also note that for any input format mask that does not contain FX, alternate format masks are also allowable, as documented in "String-to-Date Conversion Rules" in section "Format Models" in the SQL Reference in the Oracle Forms Builder Online Help.
Note one exception to the rules spelled out above. The behavior described in "String-to-Date Conversion Rules" allow a fully spelled-out month to be entered in place of a numeric month (MM form mask element) or abbreviated month (MON form mask element). However, in this case, the number of characters that can be typed into a text item or combo box allows only enough room for an abbreviated month.
Prior to 11gR1, input DATE format masks were not taken into account. In 10gR2 (10.1.2), the number of characters the end user was allowed to type into a DATE item was determined solely from the output format mask. In Forms 6i (6.0.8), the Maximum Length property of the DATE item was also taken into account.
The changes in behavior documented above may affect users who have set the Auto-Skip property for a DATE item. The end user may now be allowed to type more characters into a specific DATE item, in which case auto-skip will not occur in cases where it did occur prior to 11gR1. To ensure that auto-skip occurs, add the FX modifier to the format mask that will be used for the item, for example, FXYYYY/MM/DD. If there is no item-specific format mask (that is, no format mask is set either in the item's property palette or programmatically), then the item's format mask will be derived from environment variables. The FORMS_USER_DATE_FORMAT and FORMS_USER_DATETIME_FORMAT environment variables are recommended as they take precedence over any NLS environment variables that might affect DATE format masks.
Note that specifying the FX modifier will disallow the alternate format masks that are documented in "String-to-Date Conversion Rules" in section "Format Models" of the SQL Reference. Also note that the FORMS_USER_DATE_FORMAT and FORMS_USER_DATETIME_FORMAT environment variables can explicitly specify alternate format masks, separated by vertical bars, for example, FXDD-MON-YYYY|FXMON-DD-YYYY. If the FORMS_OUTPUT_DATE_FORMAT and FORMS_OUTPUT_DATETIME_FORMAT environment variables are not set, the output format masks are derived from the first format mask specified in each of the FORMS_USER_DATE_FORMAT and FORMS_USER_DATETIME_FORMAT environment variables.