From the APPSTAND form, windows automatically inherit the proper look and feel of the GUI platform on which they are running, such as characteristics of the frame, title bar fonts, and window manager buttons. This section describes features common to all Oracle E-Business Suite windows, as well as behaviors for modal and non-modal windows.
The ROOT_WINDOW is a special Oracle Forms window that behaves differently from other windows. Do not use the ROOT_WINDOW, because it interferes with the proper functioning of the toolbar and other standard Oracle E-Business Suite objects.
For more information, see the Oracle E-Business Suite User Interface Standards for Forms-Based Products.
A non-modal window (a "regular window") allows the user to interact with any other window, as well as the toolbar and the menu. Non-modal windows are used for the display of most application entities.
For more information, see the Oracle E-Business Suite User Interface Standards for Forms-Based Products.
Apply the WINDOW property class to all non-modal windows.
Always enter the name of the content canvas associated with the window.
Non-modal windows can be positioned in a variety of styles. Code all the logic that positions windows in the APP_CUSTOM.OPEN_ WINDOW procedure, and any event that would cause a window to open must call that procedure (for example, pressing a Drill-down Record Indicator, pressing the Open button of a combination block, or pressing a button that leads to a child entity in a different window).
The first window(s) of a form that appears when the form is invoked must also be programmatically positioned.
The Oracle E-Business Suite User Interface Standards for Forms-Based Products describes how to title your non-modal windows, including rules for showing context information.
Some window titles include context information that changes according to the data displayed. Usually, the main entity window title does not change, but titles of detail windows do change to show context information. For these detail windows, you use an APPCORE window titling routine. For all windows, you also set the Title property of the window to the base title you want.
The maximum allowed window size is 10.3 inches by 6.25 inches. Any size smaller than this is allowed, down to a minimum of approximately two inches by two inches. If you do not need the maximum size for your window items, you should make the window smaller to leave the user with extra space for other windows on the screen.
You must explicitly code the closing behavior for your windows to ensure that windows do not close while in Enter Query mode, closing the first window of a form closes the entire form, and other standard behaviors. You code the closing behavior in the APP_CUSTOM.CLOSE_WINDOW procedure.
If you have logic that must occur when a window opens, place the logic in APP_CUSTOM.OPEN_WINDOW. You must add logic to control block coordination and to position windows.
Suggestion: You do not need to explicitly show a window. A GO_BLOCK to a block within a window opens the window automatically.
See: Coding Master-Detail Relations
If for certain windows you want to disable some menu entries, use the APP_SPECIAL routines to do so. Enable and disable SAVE to control the "File->Save" and "File->Save and Enter Next" menu entries. Save is automatically disabled when you call APP_FORM.QUERY_ONLY MODE.
See: APP_SPECIAL: Menu and Toolbar Control
Modal windows force users to work within a single window, and then to either accept or cancel the changes they have made. Modal windows have the menu associated with them, but the user cannot have access to it. There are a few legacy screens that allow limited access to the toolbar and menu (modal windows with menu), but no new instances should be designed or coded.
For more information, see the Oracle E-Business Suite User Interface Standards for Forms-Based Products.
Use the WINDOW_DIALOG property class to create a modal window. The WINDOW_DIALOG_WITH_MENU property class exists for backwards compatibility only, and should not be used for any new windows.
Always enter the name of the content canvas associated with the window.
Modal windows are always opened centered on the screen. They are re-centered each time they are opened.
Include the following call in the code that opens your modal window:
app_window.set_window_position('<window_name>','CENTER');
See: Positioning Windows Upon Opening
Modal windows can be closed with the native GUI window close mechanism. You can also explicitly close the window in your code, typically with the following buttons:
OK - Closes a window. In some cases, it may perform a commit as well.
Suggestion: A specific verb can be substituted in place of "OK". For instance, in a windo designed to record additional information before posting, buttons of "Post" and "Cancel" are clearer to the user than just "OK" and "Cancel".
Cancel - Clears the data without asking for confirmation, and closes the window.
Apply - Process the changes made in the window, but does not close it.
Window Close Box - Performs the same action as the "Cancel" button.
You must move the cursor to a block in a different window before closing the modal window.
Example: Trigger: WHEN-BUTTON-PRESSED on item CANCEL:go_block('LINES');
hide_window('APPROVE_LINES');
See Dialog Blocks for information on trapping specific KEY-triggers within a modal window.
See Dialog Blocks