Forms 5.0: Changing relations and FRM-15004 Error while parsing join condition.
Rolf Unger
I got some problems with a Oracle Forms 5.0 Application:
I have a relation for a data block BLOCK_B in my form.
I don't know excatly how this relation was made up. My assumption
is that the canvas and the datablocks were generated with the
DATA Wizard and that the wizard evaluated the foreign key
constraints on the tables that are used as datasource for the
two blocks.
Actually I jumped in this project, when the fmb file was already
2 MByte big.
The following is the old constellation of tables related with a
foreign key, that was used initially by the Forms Data Wizard for
creating the data block and its relations.
=====================
Old Tables
=====================
TABLE table_a
ACCOUNT_NO NOT NULL NUMBER(20) <-. unique
SERIAL_NO NOT NULL NUMBER(10) | primary key
ATTRIBUT_A VARCHAR2(20) |
ATTRIBUT_B VARCHAR2(25) |
|
TABLE table_b |
ACCOUNT_NO NOT NULL NUMBER(20) --' Foreign Key constraint
ATTRIBUT_C NUMBER(1)
ATTRIBUT_D NUMBER(4)
and the first records of table_b:
ACCOUNT_NO ATT_C ATT_D
---------- ----- ---------
3474234 33 1
9273762 49 1
2734521 94 2
The properties for the relation in the object navigator shows
as join condition:
BLOCK_A.ACCOUNT_NO = BLOCK_B.ACCOUNT_NO
Now I realised that the column SERIAL_NO is more useful in both
tables (ACCOUNT_NO is unique but random, SERIAL_NO is unique and
sequential) and changed the tables in the database.
Actually I replaced the key column ACCOUNT_NO in table_b with the
sequential serial_no column (table_a is not changed):
===================
New Tables
===================
TABLE table_a
ACCOUNT_NO NOT NULL NUMBER(20) unique
SERIAL_NO NOT NULL NUMBER(10) <-. primary key
ATTRIBUT_A VARCHAR2(20) |
ATTRIBUT_B VARCHAR2(25) |
|
TABLE table_b |
SERIAL_NO NOT NULL NUMBER(10) --' Foreign Key constraint
ATTRIBUT_C NUMBER(1)
ATTRIBUT_D NUMBER(4)
The first lines of table_b are now:
SERIAL_NO ATT_C ATT_D
---------- ----- ---------
1 33 1
2 49 1
3 94 2
Obviously if I compile the Forms Application against the changed
database, I get lots of
bad bind variable BLOCK_B.ACCOUNT_NO
identifier ACCOUNT_NO must be declared
errors.
So I go through the error list, changing most of the references
to account_no or :BLOCK_B.ACCOUNT_NO to ...serial_no.
After cursing the poorly builtin PL/SQL-Editor for the hundredth
time I can compile my forms application without errors.
So I feel brave enough to adjust the relations of the several
datablocks also:
But whenever I try to change the join condition of a relation
object, to
BLOCK_A.SERIAL_NO = BLOCK_B.SERIAL_NO
I get
FRM-15004 Error while parsing join condition.
and Forms insists on keeping the senseless
BLOCK_A.ACCOUNT_NO = BLOCK_B.ACCOUNT_NO
I look again on block_a: Yes, I have there a 'ACCOUNT_NO' and
a 'SERIAL_NO', and in block_b I see only a 'SERIAL_NO' perfectly
mirroring the columns of the table TABLE_B.
So does this mean I cannot change an existing relation, but have to
delete and re-create it ?
Or do I have to delete the complete block, and rebuild it with the
Data Wizard? How can I preserve the graphical design of my canvases
in that circumstances? I really don't won't to drag'n'click again
those labels, sizes of text fields, etc ...
BTW, I'm using Developer 2000 R2.1, so it should be Forms 5.0.6.8, at
least that's what the installer tells me.
So that's my practical problem. I appriciate any help on this topic.
It can also be:
"You have an FMB of 2 Megs? Then your design is
terribly wrong. Restart from scratch, split it in several parts,
use some 'call_form()',..."
or
"Why are you using forms? It has no useful revision control system.
What can you do with a 9 MByte FMT ASCII file? You can hardly run
a diff on it."
And if you finally through it it will display something like
- 00000031 00000009 00000080 80010509 00002422 0000050f 001f0000 000e4355
- 53545f50 524f465f 54595045 00000000 000004af 50524f43 45445552 45206375
+ 00000031 00000009 00000080 80010509 00002422 0000050f 001f0000 000e4351
+ 53545f50 524f465f 54595045 00000000 000004af 50524543 45445552 45207175
where you actually expect to see something more readable:
DECLARE
+ v_dummy number;
v_button number;
These are just some suspicions I carry around with me for the last few
months. As I said, I'm would also be thankful, if you just confirm
these, though it would mean that the pain of the last months was in
vain and that I have to look for another tool.
Another minus is that there is no documentation available how to
maintain Forms Project.
Anything, that I've seen (including the online help) is of the type:
"Let's start with a simple case, you have to tables ... click on ..
to activate the Data Wizard ..."
Even in Lulushi's Prentice Hall "Forms Developer's Handbook" I find
only the remark that the properties of a relation object can be
changed. Examples for using call_form() are also hard to find.
Maybe I should stop complaining ... ;-\
Well, I did a search on the relation topic with Google, and found
the similar problem
"Forms 5.0 and FRM-15004: Error while parsing join condition"
posted on 10 Sep 1998 by Todd Owers
(1 article only, no response ... )
Hm, the world's knowledge is said to be doubled every 2 years in the
current internet times. So no reason to give up hope.
Thanx in advance for your help,
Rolf.
Scott Mattes
pain with having to work with Oracle Forms. I came from Delphi and I
am appalled at what Oracle considers a GUI application builder.
Today I wanted to add some code to all the code units of our form. My
eyes got wide with joy when I discovered I could convert the form to
text and then back to binary (just why is it that the 'source' file
has compile information in it? why does builder ask if I want to save
changes if I just open the form?). Silly me, in the 'text' version of
the form the text I put into program units is dumped in hex!
GIVE ME/US A BREAK!!!!!!!
rolf....@ctilabs.de (Rolf Unger) wrote in message news:<32fe19ad.02021...@posting.google.com>...
> Hello,
> I got some problems with a Oracle Forms 5.0 Application:
>