Chapter 1

Identifying the Applications and

the Database Schema

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In this chapter you will:

• Learn how Oracle Forms Builder is integrated into the

system development life cycle
• Use data flow diagrams to identify applications,
processes, and the data needed for the processes
• Use entity relationship diagrams to initiate the design of
the database schema
• Use the data schema diagram to identify the database
properties
• Learn how Forms Builder uses the Oracle9i database

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Integration of Oracle Forms Builder into the
System Development Life Cycle
• The system development life cycle (SDLC) consists of a
series of phases that describe the life of an information
system.

• Phases are:
 Project identification and selection
 Project initiation and planning
 Analysis
 Logical design
 Physical design
 Implementation
 Maintenance

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Integration of Oracle Forms Builder into the
System Development Life Cycle
• Rapid application development (RAD) is a subset of the
SDLC phases.

• RAD enables a developer to implement a system in a

shorter time period than traditional methods.

• Forms Builder 9i is a development tool that supports both

the traditional and RAD approaches.

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Integration of Oracle Forms Builder into the
System Development Life Cycle
• Systems have three types of applications:

 Forms or screens
 Reports
 Processes that run without being seen by a user

• Forms Builder 9i is used to develop forms.

• Forms Builder 9i allows the developer to prototype forms

early in the SDLC.

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Integration of Oracle Forms Builder into the
System Development Life Cycle
• Prototyping is a RAD approach that helps the designer
identify system requirements.

• Designer 9i is another Oracle tool used in the analysis

and design phases.

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Integration of Oracle Forms Builder into the
System Development Life Cycle
• Designer 9i is a computer-aided software engineering
(CASE) tool. It is used to:

 Develop data flow diagrams

 Create entity relationship diagrams
 Generate data schema diagrams
 Generate data definition language (DDL) commands
needed to create the database objects
 Generate form modules containing the data items
needed by the form

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Integration of Oracle Forms Builder into the
System Development Life Cycle

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 Using Data Flow Diagrams to Identify
Application, Processes, and Data
• Before a developer can begin a form, the developer must
first identify the following:

 The needed forms

 The data elements needed on the form
 The data elements that are output from the form
 Business rules that affect the data
 Tables that support the data structure

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 Using Data Flow Diagrams to Identify
Application, Processes, and Data
• A data flow diagram is a good place to start.

• The purpose of a data flow diagram is to identify the

processes in a system and the data that flows in and out
of the process.

• Processes that require interaction by an operator will

require a form.

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 Using Data Flow Diagrams to Identify
Application, Processes, and Data
• Data flow diagrams consist of four symbols:

 External entity (source or sink) – Something outside

the system that sends in or receives data
 Process – An action performed in the system
 Data flow -- Data moving into or out of a process
 Data store -- Data at rest

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 Using Data Flow Diagrams to Identify
Application, Processes, and Data
• A form’s data needs can be identified by reviewing the
process’ incoming and outgoing data flows.

• Data flow documentation consists of the data elements

contained in the flow as well as the entity associated with
the data elements.

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Using Data Flow Diagrams to Identify
Application, Processes, and Data

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 Using Entity Relationship Diagrams to
Initiate the Design of the Database Schema
• Before a form can be built the database must be
designed.

• An entity relationship diagram (ERD) is the tool used to

design and depict the conceptual design of the database.

• Database elements are associated with an entity.

• The set of entity attributes describes or models the entity.

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 Using Entity Relationship Diagrams to
Initiate the Design of the Database Schema
• Entities are then associated with other entities. This
shows how they are related.

• Entities will eventually be turned into a table.

• An entity instance relates to a record in a table.

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 Using Entity Relationship Diagrams to
Initiate the Design of the Database Schema
• There are three type of entities:

 Regular entity
 Weak entity
 Associative entity

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 Using Entity Relationship Diagrams to
Initiate the Design of the Database Schema
• Regular entities exist on their own. (Student)

• Weak entities must have a parent. (Courses offered,

parent is Courses)

• Associative entities relate two entities in a many to many

relationship. (Courses Taken relates Students with the
Courses Offered)

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 Using Entity Relationship Diagrams to
Initiate the Design of the Database Schema

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 Using Entity Relationship Diagrams to
Initiate the Design of the Database Schema
• Regular and weak entities are often shown on a form in a
master-detail layout.

• The master form section contains unique entity instances.

(Student)

• The detail form section contains repeating weak entity

instances. (Courses Taken)

• Records in the master-detail layouts are related through

primary and foreign keys.

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 Using Entity Relationship Diagrams to
Initiate the Design of the Database Schema
• An entity must have an identifier. The identifier must
have these features:

 Value must be unique

 Value must not be changeable
 Identifier must always contain a value

• Regular entities should have an identifier consisting of

one data element.

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 Using Entity Relationship Diagrams to
Initiate the Design of the Database Schema

• Weak entities generally have an identifier consisting of

multiple data elements. One of which is the foreign key.

• A foreign key is a value that is the primary key in another

entity.

• Entities represent the actual databases tables.

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 Using Entity Relationship Diagrams to
Initiate the Design of the Database Schema
• Entities (and tables) are related to each other.

• ERDs depict three types of relationships.

 Unary - an entity is related to itself (i.e. an

Employee is managed by another employee)
 Binary - an entity is related to one other entity (i.e. a
Student has Courses Taken)
 U-nary - an entity is related to several different
entities

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 Using Entity Relationship Diagrams to
Initiate the Design of the Database Schema

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 Using Entity Relationship Diagrams to
Initiate the Design of the Database Schema
• Entity or table relationships have two important
properties. These are:

 Cardinality
 Ordinality

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 Using Entity Relationship Diagrams to
Initiate the Design of the Database Schema
• Cardinality indicates the number of related instances. A
Student can have many Courses Taken instances.
However, a Courses Taken instance can only have one
Student.

• Ordinality indicates whether an instance of the related

entity must occur. A Student instance can occur with a
Courses Taken instance. However, a Courses Taken
instance cannot exist without a Student instance.

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 Using Entity Relationship Diagrams to
Initiate the Design of the Database Schema

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 Using Entity Relationship Diagrams to
Initiate the Design of the Database Schema
• Designer 9i has the ability to create a data schema
diagram from the entity relationship diagram.

• Designer 9i has forms used to document the data

elements in each entity.

• Designer 9i has forms used to document the entities that

support the data flow.

• Designer 9i takes the entity information and creates the

data schema diagram, the tables, and the table
constraints.
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 Using Entity Relationship Diagrams to
Initiate the Design of the Database Schema

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 Using Entity Relationship Diagrams to
Initiate the Design of the Database Schema

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 Using Entity Relationship Diagrams to
Initiate the Design of the Database Schema

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 Using Entity Relationship Diagrams to
Initiate the Design of the Database Schema

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 Using Entity Relationship Diagrams to
Initiate the Design of the Database Schema

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 Using Entity Relationship Diagrams to
Initiate the Design of the Database Schema
• Forms Builder has wizards that grab information from the
database when creating forms.

• Forms Builder gives form items their names based upon

the corresponding database table column.

• Forms Builder sets the data type and length of all data
items based on the database table columns.

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 Using Entity Relationship Diagrams to
Initiate the Design of the Database Schema

• Forms Builder ensures NOT NULL constrained form

items have the Required property set to YES.

• Forms Builder identifies the primary and foreign key

columns when creating master-detail forms.

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Where You Are and Where You’re Going
• You have briefly reviewed the system development life
cycle.

• You have seen how Oracle Forms Builder fits within this
life cycle.

• You have seen how data flow diagrams are used to

identify applications processes and data.

• You were introduced to entity relationship diagrams and

data schema diagrams.

• You saw how Forms Builder uses the Oracle9i database.

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Where You Are and Where You’re Going

• In the next chapter you will be introduced to Forms

Builder.

• You will learn how to build and execute a form.

• You will learn how to use wizards to create a simple form.

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