Introduction to OAF Framework

Oracle applications framework is an oracle HTML-based business development platform. OAF includes a series of middleware running services and JDEVELOPER-based design-time extension tools.
In the first few years of Internet development, the software industry witnessed the rapid development of technology. These technologies are mature, but there are still many underlying and complex technologies that need to be learned and implemented. In this case, OAF emerged as an integrated environment for developing and deploying oracle ebs Based on HMTL applications. It has the following features:
1. for end users
The development mode from CS to multi-layer structure saves a lot of cost, but the effect is still not ideal. HTML-based applications are similar to the old-fashioned Host terminal structure, and operations are performed on the client, the result is on the intermediate layer.
After a while, the user interface interaction has improved, and OAF has maintained high efficiency and user interface interaction, such as PPR (some page updates), shortcut keys, and quick selection list, and use LOV to automatically complete the content. In addition, oracle gathers a large number of expert resources that focus on user behavior and psychology, and develops a series of standard user interfaces, which are commonly referred to as blafs. BLAF is the default Interface for all OAF, but it can also be customized according to the user's specific needs.
2. enterprise-level performance and scalability
OAF has excellent performance and scalability goals. Most oracle ebs pages have additional responses to the behavior of most users. It takes a little longer to access OAF for the first time, however, in the future, most of the information will be cached by the middle layer, allowing faster responses. Resources will be stored in a resource pool and data will be exchanged between the memory and the database.
3. for developers
OAF is designed as the MVC Architecture. To avoid the technical details that developers spend a lot of energy on quickly updating, oracle adopts the MVC Architecture and uses the industrial standard XML format to establish the user interface structure. In 11.5.10, ORACLE is promoting the benefits of using OAF to all customers and partners. Customers and partners can use OAF technology to enrich EBS features.
4. Customizable applications
Oracle can leverage more than 20 years of experience in building and deploying commercial software to build OAF architecture and achieve a more cost-effective customization. Oracle follows this goal and introduces a solution that allows users to flexibly customize user interfaces and business logic. Thanks to the invention of the object-oriented OAF, the cost and maintenance of application customization and expansion have become possible.
5. Open Standards
Oracle has always been a leader in industrial standards and is actively involved in standard formulation. OAF technology has driven some work standards and formed standards. Some ORACLE technical architects are members of many industrial standards committees. OAF is based on J2EE standards, such as XML, HTML, JAVA, JSP, SQL, and WEB SERVICE.
Architecture:
OAF is based on the standard J2EE MVC design industrial standard. developers use JDEVELOPER to operate the metadata in the application, and OAF uses an effective method to execute the application. The MVC Architecture is a component-based design model that uses interfaces between models, views, and controllers. A model is the place where an application implements business logic, a view is the place where the application implements the user interface, and a controller is the place where user operations are transferred to the business logic.
For example:
 
OAF provides the following design tools
1. UML tools generate business logic
2. guide the user to design the interface
3. Controller Generation Code
The OAF model is implemented using BC4J, which provides a perfect J2EE design mode. By debugging the test code and tools in JDEVELOPER, developers can quickly and simply focus on business logic and user interfaces, rather than manually designing, coding, and debugging plumbing code.
The OAF view is implemented based on UIX. Uix uses XML to describe the component structure and generate application pages. UIX also provides the function of converting metadata into HTML at runtime, so that it can be displayed in a browser or mobile device. Metadata loads the UI to the database, which is called the MDS (Meta data Service). It is perfect during deployment and design.
The OA controller processes user-driven interaction with application-driven interaction, which is fully implemented by JAVA. Page flow is directly implemented by the Controller, while others are implemented by the oracle Workflow. In future versions, business logic will also be implemented by defining models and views.
Key features
Integrated Development Environment
ORACLE9i JDeveloper with OA extension is a world-wide J2EE-based integrated development environment. oracle customers and third-party consultants use the same tools to build a complete EBS application. The OA extension tool provides features such as easy-to-use Wizard, structured navigation, and property pages. These features enable developers to focus on logic and user interfaces. JDeveloper provides a large number of tools, such as UML builders, code prompts, integrated debugging, local test environments, and document generators.
 
Continuous customization and Expansion
Customizes the appearance, layout, and page components of the user interface to meet business and user needs. For example, customization includes:
L custom interface color
L display sequence of customized Columns
L custom result set
Scalability is to expand the functions of an application through customization, which is beyond the original functions. For example:
Add feature stream
Extended or rewritten feature stream
Extend or rewrite business logic
OAF is designed to be sustainable, custom, and scalable. It is accomplished by declaring structures and specifying object-oriented implementations.
The UI component is stored in the database in the form of metadata. The customer-translated metadata changes are stored separately, all the custom metadata is loaded from the database and covered above the basic metadata. The product upgrade or patching is only valid for the basic metadata, so the customer's customization will be retained and work normally.
An end user can create a customer for the specified user and be visible to the authenticated user only. For example, an end user can save such query results as querying employees by managers and hiding employees' birthdays. Once the custom view is saved as a name, you can view it later.
Application administrators and application developers can flexibly customize them at different levels. They can apply customers to all users in a functional environment, users in a certain region, users in a certain organization, and users in a specific role. Different layers can be applied at the same time in a specified sequence.
With the integrated OA extension tool wizard and custom plug-ins, you can achieve expansion of different user interfaces and business logic at a low cost and maintenance. Customers of eagel EBS continue to benefit from the elastic domains, workflows, and business events provided by these scaling tools.
 
OAF provides developers with a series of user interface components to create more combined applications. Developers do not have to design common user interface structures repeatedly. In addition, the OAF user interface allows developers not to learn a large number of frequently changing technologies.
OAF user interface components include simple controls such as button input boxes and composite components such as nested tables and structure tables.
User Interface Interaction
OAF has always been an advocate of HTML user interface technology. Based on this, OAF has the following features:
1. PPR: Partial page update. Through the PPT design, part of the page is updated instead of the whole page update. OAF supports the following PPR actions: Table navigation, table sorting, table column summary, addition of Row, row, or cell hiding, component display and hiding, LOV positioning, and sub-menu navigation, the refresh of the Gantt chart and the switching of the elastic domain context. In addition, developers can declare that PPR events can be enabled on some components. For example:
L select the drop-down box to display the associated domains. Select different values to determine whether they can be updated, required, or disabled.
L configure the value change of the text box to display the associated domain. For example, if a supplier is set and switched to the next domain, the associated supplier location is automatically displayed.
L configure and select the records of the master table to automatically query and display the records of the sub-table.
2. Shortcut Keys
OAF supports setting shortcuts for specified buttons and allows developers to assign numeric shortcuts to specified user actions.
3. Enhanced storage mode
OAF provides a default warning when the user leaves the current data modification (for example, clicking a connection outside the current transaction. Developers can override components and default events
4. Smart drop-down list
OAF supports customization in the static list and query list. The drop-down list includes a list of attribute values used by most common users. You can click New in the list to customize the value displayed in the list. In addition, you can customize the order of list values and delete infrequently used values. This feature is the same as LOV.
5. Automatically complete LOV
The Value List (LOV) is used when the clear value of a column is long or you want to perform a query before the selected value. In some commercial scenarios, especially in paperwork, users can use a small value set to query data more quickly. If you enter a partial score in the domain associated with LOV, OAF executes a query before the display in the LOV window. If only one record is queried, OAF uses this record to automatically complete the remaining parts, so that the LOV window is not displayed.
Object-oriented Structure
OAF applications can be abstracted into a concentric circle graph. The center layer is the database, and the outermost layer is the application page. The center is the business logic and user interface layer. These layers allow generation of code and implementation components, and maintain maximum reusability at the internal layer for external access. For example, Property Verification is implemented in entity object. All the application pages visible to users that can specify and update attribute values will undergo property verification in the specified entity object. On the user interface, reusable components can be saved as shared REGION in MDS and reused by other pages. The administrator can choose to customize the shared REGION to affect all related pages, or only customize the shared REGION in the context of the current page.
OAF provides developers with a simple method to publish OAF components similar to PORTAL components. The oracle portal provides a common and integrated method for accessing all data. ORACLE allows customization of components and page appearances, and can also customize the REGION displayed in the PORTAL. All your custom features are displayed only when you display the same PORTAL.
Built-in security
HTML-based applications provide a lot of convenience to users and administrators, but pay special attention to the security of these applications. Developing truly continuous HTML applications is very difficult, requiring developers to be security experts. In terms of implementation, most application developers are neither security experts nor security experts. The application framework uses its responsibilities to determine whether HTML transactions are authenticated, proprietary, or open. OAF provides embedded HTML protection so that application developers can safely develop application functions. In addition, the UI component is defined in MDS, rather than in code, so that the security protection provided by OAF can maintain the data state without repeated rewriting.
Development Environment
OAF applications use standard ORACLE9IAS/APACHE and ORACLE9I databases. The application page can be displayed in IE5.0, NETSCAPE4.73, MOZILLA1.5, or later versions. Data on the intermediate layer can be deployed on different platforms, such as LINUX, UNIX, and WINDOWS.
Summary
Based on the MVC Architecture, OAF allows developers to focus on business logic rather than technology. By using the Declaration and Wizard programming technology, OAF allows non-J2EE developers to develop quickly. OAF-based applications provide the highest level of user interaction experience without clients. OAF's voice and object orientation and architecture provide long-lasting customization and scalability. OAF features low cost, better user experience, and competitive deployment.

Author: "Soy Milk"