Oracle Application Framework

When doing extensions to OA Framework, it is always encouraged that you build up your jDeveloper environment on desktop, so that the OA Framework pages can be run from jDeveloper itself. In this article, I will show you the steps involved in running OA Framework application pages from within the jDeveloper. Once you grasp these steps, then you will find that doing extensions to OA Framework is a very simple task.
Note:- I think these steps are quite easy to follow, however if I get time, I will produce a video demo of the same.

Why should I bother being able to run the Application from jDeveloper?
1.    You can use the debugger within jDeveloper. This makes fixing your bugs very simple.
2.    You can test all your extensions within jDeveloper itself
3.    No need to bounce the apache or mid-tier on the server when doing recursive testing.
4.    No need to FTP files again and again to the server during development.
5.    No need to run xmlImporter again and again, in case you have build custom pages that integrate with standard OA Framework pages
6.    Optionally, you can simulate the login of any business user when running OA Framework pages from jDeveloper, by using their username and password****Do not reset their passwords on production system*****.




What are the steps to prepare your desktop environment to run OA Framework pages?
1.    FTP the .class & .xml files from $JAVA_TOP to your PC, into jdevhome/myclasses
2.    Copy contents of my classes into myprojects
3.    Delete all the *.class files from myprojects
4.    FTP files from $PRODUCT_TOP/mds to myprojects, for example from $ICX_TOP/mds
5.    Create a OA Workspace and OA Project in jDeveloper
6.    FTP the .dbc file from $FND_TOP/secure to <jdevhome>/dbc_files/secure
7.    Setup jDev project properties for runtime connection. For this you will use the dbc file, FND User Name and its password. You will also specify the responsibility key and responsibility application short name.
8.    Ensure that the user specified in jDeveloper project runtime property has access to the responsibility specified in previous step.
9.    Create a DB Connection from jDeveloper. The jdbc connection details can be picked up from jDeveloper or by using tnsping or by reading the tnsnames.ora
10.    Include all available libraries into jDeveloper project.

Important:- Please note that it is important to ftp .class files in binary mode and the .xml files in ascii mode.





Why am I copying files[excluding .class] from $JAVA_TOP into myprojects directory of my PC?
This is required to facilitate extensions to BC4J components.
If your intention is merely to run the OA Framework page from jDeveloper, then you do not need this step. The reason for this step however is to make the .xml files for VO, EO & AM to become available in myprojects. In case you wish to extend any of the BC4J[vo,eo,am] components, then these xml files must be present in myprojects directory of your desktop. Without thee xml files being present underneath myprojects, you will be unable to extend those BC4J objects.






Why are .class files not required in myprojects?
.class files are required for runtime only environment.
In fact even *.xml files from $JAVA_TOP are not required in myprojects, unless you wish to extend the given BC4J object.





What exactly do .xml files from $JAVA_TOP contain?
These xml files contain the design/structure/meta-data [call it what you want] of the View Objects, Entity Objects and the Application module. Unless these xml files are in myprojects, you will not be able to extend these BC4J objects.




Why do we place .class files into myclasses?
myclasses is by default included in the CLASSPATH of your OA jDeveloper project. Hence, these classes are available for the runtime engine of OA Framework engine.




Assuming I am extending iProcurement, don’t these classes depend upon FND classes? Why aren’t we FTP’ing files form $JAVA_TOP/oracle/apps/fnd/* to our PC?
When you download the jDeveloper patch from Metalink, it comes bundled with relevant version of FND Libraries in a zipped file. This zipped file is available in the default classpath/library for every OA Framework project.
In fact, for this very reason, you must download the right version of jDeveloper patch from Metalink, depending upon which version of Cumulative Upgrade patchset you are on.

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