AMIS Query: APEX enof ADF

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AMIS QueryAPEX en/of ADF

• Maandag 17 december 2007

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ODTUG 2008APEX ADF

• Thursday, June 19th 2008

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Why Java?

• Standardized run-time platform across hardware
  O/S - to build for and deploy into
• Java Virtual Machine
• J(2)EE Application Server
• Benefits
• Skills applicable across vendor technology stacks
• Components reusable across stacks
• And developers to (to a certain extend)
• Huge and vibrant open source community that
  shares knowledge components
• Rapid evolution of technology especially for
  developing web based applications (Web 2.0, AJAX,
  JPA)
• Infinite source of ever entertaining acronyms

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Typical Web application

• Database
• Tables, Views, Triggers Packages
• Application level representation of data objects
• Forms Blocks mapped to tables/views/queries
• Java Objects mapped tables/views/queries
• Application level page definitions bound to
  data
• Forms Blocks Items, supported by triggers
• Java Java Server Faces pages with components
  such as Table, Drop Down item, Button - bound to
  data objects
• Client side view rendering
• Forms runforms applet
• Java browser HTML rendering supported by CSS and
  JS

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Single vs. Multi-Tier Architecture

• Single Tier

• Multi Tier

• Performance
• Ease of Deployment
• (lower) Complexity
• (ease of) Administration
• Costs of infrastructure (?)

• Security
• Scalability
• Role Specialization
• Flexibility Integration

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How does Oracle implement the JEE stack for Java
Web Applications

• Oracles Java/J(2)EE stack
• Application Development Fun

Application Development Framework
Primarily for developing Java/J(2)EE Web
Applications with HTML frontend and (Oracle)
Database backend
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ADF Technology Stack Architecture
HTML
HTML
ApplicationServer
Database
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ADF The Building Blocks

• ADF Business Components (pka BC4J)
• Since 1999
• Object Relational Mapping on JDBC
• Can be published as WebService, EJB,
• Optimized for Oracle RDBMS
• Understands e.g. Database Triggers, PL/SQL
  packages, Oracle SQL PL/SQL types, SQL XML,
  Instead Of Triggers, VPD (Virtual Private
  Database), Oracle Text, Oracle BLOBs CLOBs, SQL
  Hints, Advanced Oracle SQL
• 11 synchronization with UML Class Modeling
• Many features for tuning, configuration,
  monitoring (tracing, debugging)
• Used within the Oracle E-Business Suite since
  2001

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ADF The Building Blocks

• ADF Model since 2004
• DataBinding decouplingApplication and Business
  Services
• Outlined in JSR-227
• Support simultaneous use of heterogeneous data
  sources like Database, WebService, File, XML Data
  Store,
• ADF Faces (aka Apache MyFaces Trinidad)
• Implements the JEE standard Java Server Faces
  (JSF)
• Successor of ADF UIX (since 2001)
• ADF Faces components render HTML
• Are configured through (dynamic) properties
• Can be programmatically manipulated
• Are assembled into pages using Drag Drop (or
  XML source editing)
• Have built in support for AJAX (Partial Page
  Refresh)

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Some ADF Faces components
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Some ADF Faces components
Pagination through records
Sort columns
Show/Hide Details for theBook record
Toggle betweentabs
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ADF The Building Blocks

• IDE is JDeveloper
• Since 1998
• Free (since 2005)
• Contains design time for
• Plain Old Java Programming
• Web Development (HTML, CSS)
• Oracle SOA Suite,
• XML/XSLT development
• UML modelling
• SQL PL/SQL (fka Raptor, aka SQL Developer)
• WebCenter
• Oracle Data Integrator, Warehouse Builder
• Has built-in Application Server (OC4J)
• Can be extended through Plug Ins
• Installation consists of Download Unzip
• File Based

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ADF Some Facts

• Optimized for Oracle RDBMS
• Supports any database with JDBC driver
• Can be deployed on any J(2)EE Application Server
• Tomcat, JBoss, IBM WebSphere, BEA WebLogic,
  Glassfish,
• ADF licence is part of Oracle AS license
• Need run-time licence for other Application
  Servers design time is free
• Second half 2008 release 11g, with Rich Client
  components
• The foundation for Oracle Fusion Applications
• As well as other Oracle products like BAM,
  Enterprise Manager, WebCenter, Hyperion, E
  Business Suite, ..

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Some ADF features and characteristics

• Declarative AJAX support (partial page refresh)
• Strong (remote) Debugging features
• Built-in Internationalization (i18n)
• End-to-End message handling
• Query by Example (enter query mode)
• Integration with Source Code Control tools such
  as Subversion and CVS
• Many on-line resources context help,
  documentation, tutorials, samples, IDE extensions
• Very active blogging community with 1000
  articles

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Status of ADF

• Primary development technology stack for Fusion
  Applications
• One of the largest software development
  organizations around (1000s of developers)
• Easiest Java stack to migrate to for (classic)
  Oracle Developers
• Experienced (Web) PL/SQL, Designer, Forms
  developers
• Compliant sometimes even leading with (most)
  major industry standards J(2)EE, XML
• (Relatively) Proven
• Future-proof 11g (Rich Client), SOA and
  WebCenter
• Strategic platform for Oracle

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Non-ADF Faces components

• MyFaces
• WYSIWYG Text Editor
• Popup
• Schedule
• Calendar
• Dojo, YUI, jQuery, Ext-JS (JavaScript)
• Text Editor
• FishEye
• Spinner, Slider
• Clock
• Google Maps,

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11g Filthy Rich Components

• Much more Client Side activity
• Drag drop
• Table column stretch and reposition
• Slider Spinner
• (real) Accordion
• Panel Stretch Layout
• No more popup windows
• Instead floating (inline) DIVs
• Really cool graphs
• AJAXAJAX AJAX
• declaratively!

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11g Rich Table
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ADF and Fusion Middleware
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Typical ADF Application

• Professional Users not so much consumer web
  sites
• Productivity of the end-user
• Serious Data orientation
• Typically an Oracle database
• Frequently other data sources as well (Web
  Services,)
• Increasingly more task and process driven
• SOA oriented integration with BPEL, Workflow,
  WebCenter Portlets, embedded BI
• Future proof long application life cycle
• Through standards compliance, Oracle strategic
  direction
• High development productivity while retaining
  maintainability

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Pagoni Property Management
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Connexys HR Recruitment
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The man in the middle
Pragmatic
Attractive
Standards
Productivity
Open source
Strategic
Database Integration
Q D
Enterprise
Theoretical/ Dogmatic
APEX
ADF
real Java
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The Application Development Challenge
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Survey Application

• Starting point
• 6 database tables
• Minimal functional description
• Challenge
• In 6 hours
• Develop an ADF Applicationthat supports on line
  polls
• Demonstrate it

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Getting Started with ADF development
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Short Story

• Install a PC with JDeveloper
• Arrange for a connection to a database
• Create Business Components (declaratively SQL)
• Create JSF pages (drag drop declaratively)
• Run (on the embedded OC4J)
• You can have your first ADF application running
  in under 60 minutes

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DEMO
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ADF Design and Build tasks

• Page Design Build
• Bind Business Components to page
• In the desired layout
• Design and Implement inter page Navigation
• Tune CSS Stylesheets

• Database Design
• Database Implementatie
• Authorization
• Business Logic/Business Rules
• Mapping tables and views to Business Components

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Could it not be a more declarative process?

• (More like Designer than like Forms?)

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JHeadstart for increased productivity and less
steep learning curve
JHeadstart plugin
Tables
Database
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Developing ADF Faces Applications with
JHeadstart 10.1.3

• Based on ADF BC
• Single Application Definition file (XML)
• Edited with JDeveloper plugin
• Rapid Page Generation
• UI Models
• Consistent Layout
• Page structure
• Master-detail(-detail), tree, in-line table,
  detail disclosure, search
• Regions ( item groups)
• Lookups Domains
• Display properties
• Quick Prototyping
• Very easy introduction for non-Java developers

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DEMO
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Do you need to know all about Java, JavaServer
Faces, Javascript CSS?

• (And what about XML, EJB, JMS, JCA, SCA, SDO,
  SVG, XSLT, Struts, JTA, AOP, and a zillion other
  things)

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DEMO
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Actions and Time Bookkeeping

• Installation JDeveloper JHeadstart
• Model Project
• Default Business Components
• Derive Primary Key from Sequence
• View Project
• Enable JHeadstart
• Four Domains
• Maintain Surveys
• JHeadstart Groups
• AJAX show answer options when style ismultiple
  choice

20 min
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15 min
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30 min
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Implement AJAX

• show answer options when style is multiple choice

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Actions and Time Bookkeeping

• Respond to Survey
• ViewObject with two outer joins create Answer
  when Question/Response entered
• JHeadstart Groupfor Person, Response, Answer
• LOV on Survey
• NLS support Customize ResourceBundle
• New Person Wizard
• And deep link to respond to query

60 min
15 lines
2 min
0 lines
30 min
10 lines
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Actions and Time Bookkeeping

• Survey Results
• Summary ViewObjects for Surveys, Questions and
  Answers
• Transient attributes in SurveyView
• Three Groups
• Graphs
• Two barchart
• One Pie Chart
• Skins/Look Feel
• Rich Text Editor

60 min
13 lines
20 min
0 lines
30 min
2 lines
30 min
15 lines
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Java code to derive attribute value
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Total Score
5h 17m
60 lines

• Functionality
• Create a survey with Open and Multiple Choice
  Questions
• Allow People to register and Respond to a Survey
• Analyze the Survey Results using Graphs and
  Summaries
• Number of Artefacts
• Model 14 ViewObjects plus Entities, ViewLinks
  and classes
• View one JHeadstart application definition file,
  10 jspx files, 26 XML configuration files
• Required Skills SQL, JSF ( ADF Faces), Java
  (novice), ADF Business Components
  Google-ability!

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Conclusion

• Only - tiny pieces of Java required, and then
  for specific functionality
• Usually documented as recipes or checklist steps
• Typically no Javascript at all
• And very little CSS, HTML, XML
• You can happily ignore most of the Java Buzz
• You (start to) work from a SQL oriented
  perspective
• Leveraging the database is very much an option
  and recommended to
• You work in a very declarative way
• You get many quite advanced features almost for
  free

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The Oracle Developer
I want to be(come) a hot Java ADF Developer
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Moving to the new world of ADF

• This could be your itinerary from Classic Oracle
  (Designer/Forms/PL/SQL) into ADF Web Development
• Modern Database Programming Skills 10g SQL
  PL/SQL
• JDeveloper, ADF Business Components ADF Faces
• JHeadstart
• Basic Java Web Development skills
• Java programming (focus on beans, collections,
  interfaces, String)
• Servlet JSP
• Java Server Faces
• Web (2.0) Development
• HTML, CSS, JavaScript, XML
• Application Server Administration

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Some useful resources

• Books
• Oracle JDeveloper for Forms PL/SQL Developers
• Java Server Faces in Action
• The Complete Reference Java Server Faces
• Head First Java
• Head First Servlets JSP
• Internet Resources
• JHeadstart Developers Guide
• Oracle ADF Developers Guide

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Next Steps

• Get yourself a team
• Multiple PCs
• A team development environment (file based)
• Get yourself an OTAP set up
• One or more central Application Servers
• Robust deployment procedures
• Get yourself a coach/expert
• And Google!
• Get yourself some skills
• Get yourself some experience
• Do it. Enjoy it. Focus on the Fun.

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Focus Areas in an ADF project

• Functional Design
• Screen designs
• Draft
• Fully functional HTML prototypes
• CSS, icons, colorcodes
• For each page
• Which data?
• Which manipulations?
• Which validations and calculations?
• Which navigations?
• Which actions?
• Which AJAX style refresh operations?

• Architecture
• Lots of attention for non-functional requirements
• Security
• Messages and i18n
• Availability, Performance and Scalability
• Instrumentation/logging
• Reuse generic components (infrastructure)
• Automation
• Of testing, deployment, documentation generation,
  standards enforcement

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Specialization Role Allocation

• Differentiate between roles and specializations
• For example
• Database (SQL, PL/SQL)
• Model (ADF BC and other Business Services)
• Web Application (Java Server Faces)
• Web Client (JavaScript, CSS)
• Or combinations

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Lessons Learned some the hard way

• The key lessons we learned
• Break with former habits and paradigms
• Build up new ones
• Spend plenty of time on non-functional
  requirements
• SoftwareEngineering
• Leverage the database

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Planning ADF Projects

• Develop new guidelines and calculation factors
• Need intuition for what is simple and cheap and
  what is hard en expensive in this technology
• This is easy to fit in
• This sounds like a realistic guesstimate
• Give yourself a lot of time for
• Infrastructure
• Non-functional Requirements
• Look Feel application
• The last 20 of the application
• Make sure you start early with
• Testing performance, authorization,

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Software Engineering

• Work on a sound Development Infrastructure
• Source Code Control Version Management
  Subversion
• Incident Management Jira
• Test JUnit, Selenium, JMeter
• Automated Build Test Ant, Maven, Continuum
• Collaboration Knowledge Management Wiki

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Lessons learned

• Not every developer has to know all of ADF and
  the underlying technologies (Java, Servlet/JSP,
  HTML/CSS/JS)
• But at least one person on the team should know
  most of it
• For a realistic, feasible yet attractive look
  feel, it is important to use HTML designs and
  closely cooperate
• Static HTML design is required but it is not
  enough!
• CSS and JavaScript are the way to custom look
  feel
• It is so easy and tempting to build ADF
  applications that are direct representations of
  the Database structure
• Typically that is not what makes end user happy,
  so beware!
• Shake old paradigms and dogmas its the internet
  age!

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Lessons learned

• Get to know the ADF Faces components and their
  features so as to optimally leverage them
• Partial Page Rendering (AJAX), Client Side
  Validation, Regions, Detail Disclosure, Tabs and
  Accordion, Skins
• Craft Development Guidelines and enforce them
• Naming conventions, package structure, code
  documentation, log design decisions, instrument
  the code
• Design the Authorization infrastructure early on
• As well as other Application Architecture/Infrastr
  ucture
• Use the database for what it is good at
• Dont go blindly for inter-database portability

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Lessons learned

• Dare to step outside of the box
• dare to let go of generation (when using
  JHeadstart)
• use programmatic hooks in ADF Faces
• dont restrict yourself to standard ADF
  components, use other libraries and build your
  own
• leverage JavaScript and CSS
• Google is an indispensible source of development
  help
• As is OTN, the OTN Forums and many a blog Steve
  Muench, Frank Nimphius, Chris Muir, Didier
  Laurent, Andrejus Baranovskis, John Stegeman,
  JHeadstart Team Blog, AMIS Technology Blog

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But wait there is more
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11g Rich Data Visualization

• Visual representation and manipulation - of
  data
• Embedded Operational BI
• Components
• Charts bar, pie, line, bubble, area, funnel,
  radar, scatter, pareto, stock (2D, 3D)
• Pivot Table spreadsheet, cross-table
• Geographic Map
• Gauges
• Gantt Chart e.g. project and resource
  management
• ADF Data Visualization components are the core
  charting component within Oracle
• For BAM, Fusion Applications, Enterprise Manager,
  Hyperion

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New trends in Web Applications

• Rich visually appealing
• Interactive dynamic components, client side
  layout manipulation, drag drop, AJAX style
  partial refresh
• Active
• server-to-client event push
• Integrated Collaboration
• Enterprise 2.0 Social Networking,
  Communication, Resource Sharing

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Customer Case

• Connexys, Rotterdam
• ASP Application for Human Resource Management,
  100 customers with 1000 users
• Built with Oracle Designer Web Server Generator
  and a lot of hand coded Web PL/SQL Toolkit code
  (htp)
• Needs to migrate to new technology because of
  competitive market pressure
• Better UI (Web 2.0, Attractive, Rich, Active,)
• More process oriented
• Differentiated between customers
• Customization Personalization
• Challenges
• Work on top of existing data model
• Implement a User Interaction Design by a web
  designer
• Train development staff on the job

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Demo SaaS with ADF
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The future looks bright

• ADF has an interesting future
• 11g Rich Client Components Web 2.0 AJAX
• SOA (BPEL) Workflow Enabled Applications
• WebCenter Collaboration 2.0
• It is probably time to start living it