Using SIB Visions VisionX

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The examples below will walk you though some of the common usage scenarios that can be used with EDB Postgres Advanced Server or EDB Postgres Extended Server. These are examples to help get you started and show how the products can work together.

  1. FMB-based migration of an Oracle Forms application to an EDB Postgres Advanced Server / SIB Visions VisionX Low Code application
    • Part 1: FMB based application migration
    • Part 2: Oracle database to EDB Postgres Advanced Server migration
    • Part 3: Switch database connection to EDB Postgres Advanced Server
  2. Data model-based migration of an Oracle Forms / APEX application to an EDB Postgres / SIB Visions VisionX Low Code application
    • Part 1: Data model based application migration
    • Part 2: Oracle database to EDB Postgres Advanced Server migration
    • Part 3: Switch database connection to EDB Postgres Advanced Server
  3. Create a SIB Visions VisionX application that uses an EDB Postgres Advanced Server or EDB Postgres Extended Server instance as a data source
    • Create a screen that connects to an existing table from an EDB Postgres Advanced Server or EDB Postgres Extended Server instance
    • Create a screen that creates a table in the connected EDB Postgres Advanced Server or EDB Postgres Extended Server instance

FMB-based migration of an Oracle Forms application to an EDB Postgres Advanced Server / SIB Visions VisionX Low Code application

This example shows how an Oracle Forms application is migrated to a SIB Visions VisionX low-code application using an FMB file (Oracle Forms source file). The first step is to migrate the application. In the second step, the Oracle database is migrated to EDB Postgres Advanced Server or EDB Postgres Extended Server using the usual tools such as EDB's Migration Toolkit. Then the migrated application is connected to EDB Postgres Advanced Server or EDB Postgres Extended Server.

FMB based application migration

  1. Open SIB Visions VisionX and create an application. The Create a new Application screen will then be opened.

    Create a new Application

  2. At the Choose Database step, select New Database User. The default settings create a new database user in the Postgres database bundled with SIB Visions VisionX. Alternatively, Postgres, EDB Postgres Advanced Server, or EDB Postgres Extended Server can be used here. The database user is used to create the tables for the migrated application’s standard SIB Visions VisionX user management. This is used instead of the Oracle Forms user management. Optionally, other authentication systems such as Windows AD or Open ID system can easily be integrated.

    Create a new Application

    Create a new Application

  3. At the Create Admin User step, provide the user name and password and click Finish.

    Create a new Application

  4. A Task List screen will display the Application creation progress.

    Create a new Application

  5. Once the application is created, the New Application Screen is opened, which allows the user to create a screen.

    Create a new Application

  6. At the Creation Mode step, choose Import an Oracle Forms (.fmb) module.

    Create a new Application

  7. At the next step (Choose Database), select Existing Database User and provide the credentials to the Oracle Database used by Oracle Forms.

    Create a new Application

  8. At the Choose Module step, select the FMB file.

    Create a new Application

    In this example, SIB Visions VisionX analyzes the orders.fmb file and shows all included windows/canvases for the selection.

    The following screen shot shows the orders.fmb file in Oracle Forms Builder.

    Create a new Application

  9. After the .fmb files is selected, a Task List screen displays the Oracle Forms migration progress.

    Create a new Application

    After the migrated screen is created, it is displayed in Design Mode in SIB Visions VisionX, where the user can adjust it according to the requirements.

    Create a new Application

    The SIB Visions VisionX Oracle Forms Migration Extension can migrate FMBs semi-automatically. All user interface elements (Windows/Canvas/Items) and the Oracle Forms Persistence (Blocks) can be migrated automatically. In a manual step, the Oracle Forms application logic (PL/SQL) is compiled into the database. The remaining UI Logic is then created in SIB Visions VisionX visually or manually with Java Code.

Add logic visually with actions in SIB Visions VisionX

Create a new Application

Modify or add any Java code using Eclipse

  1. Import the application in Eclipse by clicking shift+alt in the SIB Visions VisionX main view and clicking the icon next to the application.

    Create a new Application

  2. Select an UI element in SIB Visions VisionX and click the purple Eclipse button.

    Create a new Application

  3. Eclipse navigates to the relevant Java Code.

    Create a new Application

  4. Change the Order Information label in Eclipse.

    Create a new Application

    Create a new Application

    If you change the code outside of SIB Visions VisionX in Eclipse, the changes are pushed back into the VisionX visual development environment in real time. This enables unlimited app development for Citizen Developers / Business Users and Pro Developers.

  5. Open the screen in the SIB Visions VisionX Live Preview and change some of the data. The data will be updated in the Oracle Database.

    Create a new Application

Oracle database to EDB Postgres Advanced Server migration

In the second step, the Oracle database is migrated to EDB Postgres Advanced Server/EDB Postgres Extended Server using EDB's Migration Toolkit.

The migration steps in connection with an Oracle Forms migration are not different from a pure Oracle to EDB database migration. Therefore, we do not discuss this topic in detail here. Here is the link to Migration Toolkit:

Refer to the Migration Toolkit documentation

Switch database connection to EDB Postgres Advanced Server

Switching from the Oracle database is a simple step in SIB Visions VisionX. In the migrated SIB Visions VisionX application, simply click on the SIB Visions VisionX Settings screen and choose the Datasources tab. Click Edit to change the database connection from Oracle to PostgresSQL.

Create a new Application

Data model-based migration of an Oracle Forms / APEX application to an EDB Postgres Advanced Server / SIB Visions VisionX Low Code application

This example shows how an Oracle Forms / APEX application is migrated to a SIB Visions VisionX low-code application using the existing data model. The first step is to migrate the application. In the second step, the Oracle database is migrated to EDB Postgres Advanced Server/EDB Postgres Extended using the usual tools such as EDBs Migration Toolkit.

Then the migrated application is connected to EDB Postgres Advanced Server/EDB Postgres Extended Server.

Data model based application migration

Follow Steps 1 to 5 under section FMB-based application migration. and then go to step 1.

  1. At the Screen Infos step, provide the required information for the screen.

    Create a new Application

  2. At the Choose Layout step, select the required layout for the screen.

    Create a new Application

  3. At the next step (Select Data Source), select the Use existing data from database tables option, which allows the user to select the tables used in the original Oracle Forms / APEX screen. The screen will be migrated based on these tables.

    Create a new Application

  4. At the Choose Database step, provide the connection information for the Oracle database that is used in the Oracle Forms / APEX application.

    Create a new Application

  5. On the next screen, select the tables used in the original Oracle Forms / APEX screen. The screen will be migrated based on these tables.

    Much of the typically manually created logic in Oracle Forms and APEX is automatically recognized in SIB Visions VisionX. All drop-down lists are recognized based on the Foreign Keys to the master data. If these are missing, they can be defined manually in SIB Visions VisionX. Furthermore, all relevant detail tables are offered for each master table. This makes it very easy to define the master detail relations in the screen. We have selected the appropriate layout of the screen in the previous step. This layout can be changed in the in the UI Designer later.

    Create a new Application

    We choose s_Ord in this example because it is the master table of the Oracle Forms screen.

    Create a new Application

    The dropdown lists to S_Customer, A_Payment Type, and S_Emp for the sales rep of the order are detected automatically.

    In the next step, we click on More and add the Master/Detail relationship to the S_Item table.

    Create a new Application

  6. Once the screen is created, it will be displayed in Design Mode where the user can adjust it according to the requirements.

    Create a new Application

    To get the image for each product as in the original Oracle Form, we add the product table in the lower area using the New Table tab.

    Here we use the same steps as for the selection of the S_Ord table, except that we select the S_Product table instead. We choose S_Product because it is a detail to the S_Item table.

    Create a new Application

    Repeat the same for the S_Image table, because S_Image is a detail to the S_Product table.

    Create a new Application

    We then define the Image column as Image datatype by clicking on the datatype dropdown, so we can later position it on the screen as an image.

    Create a new Application

    Now we connect the S_Product table as a detail to the S_Item table. To do this, we select the S_Product table at the bottom of the editor and click on the Edit icon. Then we click on More and select the S_Item as Master Table.

    Create a new Application

    Repeat the same for the S_Image table, because S_Image is a detail to the S_Product.

    Create a new Application

    Select the screen’s detail area by clicking Details on the orange bar at the top of the Orders screen. Then select the S_Image table in the lower area and position the image editor on the top right corner of the screen using drag & drop.

    Create a new Application

  7. Open the screen in the Live Preview. With a few steps we created the Oracle Forms screen in SIB Visions VisionX based on the current data model. We even created an additional list view with a search function.

    Create a new Application

    Create a new Application

Oracle database to EDB Postgres Advanced Server migration

In the second step, the Oracle database is migrated to EDB Postgres Advanced Server/EDB Postgres Extended Server using EDB's Migration Toolkit.

The migration steps in connection with an Oracle Forms migration are not different from a pure Oracle to EDB Postgres Advanced Server database migration. Therefore, we do not discuss this topic in detail here. Here is the link to Migration Toolkit:

Refer to the Migration Toolkit documentation

Switch database connection to EDB Postgres

Switching from Oracle is a simple step in SIB Visions VisionX. In the migrated SIB Visions VisionX application, simply click on the SIB Visions VisionX Settings screen and choose the Datasources tab. Click on Edit to change the database connection from Oracle to EDB Postgres Advanced Server.

Create a new Application

Create a SIB Visions VisionX application that uses an EDB Postgres Advanced Server / EDB Postgres Extended instance as a data source

Create a screen that connects to an existing table from an EDB Postgres Advanced Server / EDB Postgres Extended instance

  1. For this example, the data was set up in an EDB Postgres Advanced Server 13 instance.

    [edb@linux bin]$ ./psql -p 5444
psql (13.4.8, server 13.4.8)
Type "help" for help.

edb=# select version();
                                                                  version                                                                    
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PostgreSQL 13.4 (EnterpriseDB Advanced Server 13.4.8) on x86_64-pc-linux-gnu, compiled by gcc (GCC) 4.8.5 20150623 (Red Hat 4.8.5-36), 64-bit
(1 row)

edb=# show db_dialect;
db_dialect 
------------
redwood
(1 row)

edb=# 
edb=# CREATE TABLE public.tp_sales
edb-# (
edb(# salesman_id        INT4 Primary Key, 
edb(# salesman_name      CLOB,
edb(# sales_region       VARCHAR2(30),
edb(# sales_amount       INT4
edb(# );
CREATE TABLE
edb=# INSERT INTO public.tp_sales VALUES (100,'TOM','USA',15000);
INSERT 0 1
edb=# INSERT INTO public.tp_sales VALUES (110,'JACK','UK',24000);
INSERT 0 1
edb=# INSERT INTO public.tp_sales VALUES (120,'TONNY','FRANCE',11000);
INSERT 0 1
edb=# 
edb=# select * from public.tp_sales;
salesman_id | salesman_name | sales_region | sales_amount 
-------------+---------------+--------------+--------------
         100 | TOM           | USA          |        15000
         110 | JACK          | UK           |        24000
         120 | TONNY         | FRANCE       |        11000
(3 rows)

edb=#

  2. Open SIB Visions VisionX and create an application. The Create a new Application screen will be opened.

    Create a new Application

  3. At the Choose Database step, enter the connection information for the EDB Postgres Advanced Server instance.

    Choose Database

    Choose Database

  4. At the Create Admin User step, provide the user name and password.

    Create Admin User

  5. A Task List screen will display the application creation progress.

    Task List

  6. Once the application is created, the New Application Screen is opened, which allows the user to create a screen that is connected to the EDB Postgres Advanced Server 13.

    New Application Screen

  7. At the Screen Infos step, provide the required information for the screen.

    Screen Infos

  8. At the next step, select the required layout for the screen.

    Choose Layout

  9. At the Select Data Source step, select the Use existing data from database tables option, which allows the user to select the required table from the EDB Postgres Advanced Server 13 instance.

    Select Data Source

  10. At the Choose Database step, provide the connection information for the EDB Postgres Advanced Server 13 instance.

    Choose Database

    Choose Database

  11. At the next step, select the table that will be used in the screen from the drop down list.

    Choose Table

  12. A Task List screen will display the screen creation progress.

    Task List

  13. Once the screen is created, it will be displayed in Design Mode where the user can adjust it according to his/her requirements.

    Screen Design Mode

  14. Open the screen in the Live Preview and enter a few records. The data will be updated on the EDB Postgres Advanced Server 13 instance table.

    Preview Mode 

    edb=# select * from public.tp_sales;
    Output
    salesman_id | salesman_name | sales_region | sales_amount 
-------------+---------------+--------------+--------------
         100 | TOM           | USA          |        15000
         1   | UPDATED....   | test         |        0
         110 | ROBERT        | UK           |        100
(3 rows)

Create a screen that creates a table in the connected EDB Postgres Advanced Server / EDB Postgres Extended instance

  1. In the application created in the previous section, click the New Screen button.

    New Application Screen

  2. Provide the required information for the screen.

    Screen Infos

  3. At the Choose Layout step, select the required layout for the screen.

    Choose Layout

  4. At the Select Data Source step, select the Define the information you want to manage option, which allows the user to define the structure of the table that is created on Oracle.

    Select Data Source

  5. Create the structure of the table.

    Data/Informations

  6. A Task List screen will display the screen creation progress.

    Task List

  7. Once the screen is created, it will displayed in Design Mode where the user can adjust it according to his/her requirements.

    Screen Design Mode

  8. Open the screen in the Live Preview and enter a few records. The data will be updated on the EDB Postgres Advanced Server 13 instance table.

    Screen Design Mode

    Screen Design Mode

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