1. Working with Oracle Forms
  2. Administration
  3. Enabling Key Mappings

Enabling Key Mappings

A key binding connects a key to an application function. When you bind a key to a function, the program performs that function when you type that keystroke.

The Forms Key Bindings files can be customized from within Fusion Middleware Control. Alternatively, you can define key bindings manually in the fmrweb.res file in the $DOMAIN_HOME/config/fmwconfig/components/FORMS/instances/<FORMS Instance Name>/admin/resource/<lang directory in UNIX, for example $DOMAIN_HOME/config/fmwconfig/components/FORMS/forms1/admin/resource/US. For Windows, the location is $DOMAIN_HOME/config/fmwconfig/components/FORMS/<FORMS Instance Name>.

By defining key bindings, you can integrate a variety of keyboards to make an application feel similar on each of them. On some platforms not all keys are able to be re-mapped. For example, on Microsoft Windows, because keys are defined in the Windows keyboard device driver, certain keys cannot be re-mapped. Key combinations integral to Windows, such as Alt-F4 (Close Window) and F1 (Help) cannot be re-mapped. As a general rule, keys which are part of the "extended" keyboard also cannot be re-mapped. These keys include the number pad, gray arrow and editing keys, Print Screen, Scroll Lock, and Pause.

Note:

If running with different NLS_LANG settings, for example, NLS_LANG=GERMAN_GERMANY=WE8ISO8859P15, a different resource file, fmrweb.res, is used. There is a resource file for each supported language. To override it, pass parameter term=fullpath\filename.res to the Oracle Forms Runtime process.

It is possible to pass this parameter directly within the URL. For example:

http://hostname:port/forms/frmservlet?Form=test.fmx&term=fullpath/filename.res

You can also set this parameter in the formsweb.cfg file, for example:

otherParams=term=fullpath\filename.res

Managing Configuration Template and Key Binding Files

The Forms Enterprise Manager Fusion Middleware Control, Advanced Configuration page is used to add, edit, and delete configuration template and key binding files using a free text editor.

On the Forms Enterprise Manager Fusion Middleware Control Home page, click Advanced Configuration to the opens the Advanced Configuration page.

The Advanced Configuration page shows the Select Category and Select File list box. If you select a category in Select Category list box, all the related files are displayed in the Select File list box.

The following topics are included:

Add, Edit, and Delete a Configuration Template File

Add or modify an existing configuration template file and delete a file on the Advanced Configuration page.

To create a file:

  1. Click Create Like button to open a dialog box.

    Category and Source File Name fields are preselected based the file selected in Select File list box. If a file is not selected, you have to select a specific category.

  2. Insert a name in New File Name field.
  3. Click Create button, to create a new file.

    Note:

    If a file exists with the same file name, an error message is displayed.

To edit a file:

  1. Select a file in Select File list box, to displays its content in Edit box.

    Note:

    The Edit box uses a free text editor.
  2. In the Edit box update the content of a file and click Apply.

    Or,

    Click Revert, to discard the changes.

    Note:

    The file contents are read and saved with the help of an mBean operation.

To delete a file:

  1. Select a category in Select Category list box.
  2. Select a file in Select File list box.
  3. Click Delete button to delete a specific file.

Note:

If the selected file is a user created file, a Delete confirmation dialog box is displayed. If the selected file is a shipped file, an error message showing Standard files cannot be deleted. Only user created files can be deleted, is displayed.

Editing Key Binding Files

Edit Key Binding files from the Advanced Configuration page.

  1. Click Select Key Binding Files.
    The Select language field is preselected based on the Key Binding file selected in Select File list box. If a file is not selected, you have to select a specific language in the Select language field. Files related to a specific language are displayed.
  2. Select or clear check boxes in the Select file(s) list box as required.

    Standard and non-standard files are displayed in the Select file(s) list box. Standard files and files whose MBeans already exist are shown with a selected check box. Non-standard files are shown with an deselected check box.

    Select a different language to refresh the populated files list in the Select file(s) list box.

  3. Click Save to create MBeans for any newly-selected items and delete MBeans for any newly-deselected items. MBeans are not deleted/added for the files whose selection are not changed.
  4. Repeat the selection process for additional languages.

Customizing fmrweb.res Example

Example: Swapping Enter and Execute Mappings

In the section marked USER-READABLE STRINGS, find the entries with 

122 : 0 : "F11" : 76 : "Enter Query"
122 : 2 : "Ctrl+F11" : 77 : "Execute Query"

and change them to:

122 : 2 : "Ctrl+F11" : 76 : "Enter Query"
122 : 0 : "F11" : 77 : "Execute Query"

Note:

By default, fmrweb.res does not reflect the Microsoft Windows client/server keyboard mappings. It reflects the key mapping if running client/server on UNIX X-Windows/Motif.

A file named fmrpcweb.res has also been provided which gives the Microsoft Windows client/server keyboard mappings. To use this file, set the term parameter in the Web Configuration to reference the desired file name. Do not include the file extension; for example, "term=fmrpcweb".

Exceptions or Special Key Mappings

To map special key like F2, ENTER, Number Keys and ESC keys follow the instructions and examples provided in the section for each special key.

These sections are included:

Mapping F2

To map F2, change the default entry for F2, "List Tab Pages", to another key. Here is an example of the default entry: 

113: 0 : "F2" : 95 : "List Tab Pages"

This must be explicitly changed to another key mapping such as the following:

113: 8 : "F2" : 95 : "List Tab Pages"

To map the F2 function to the F2 key, comment out the lines that begin with "113 : 0" and "113: 8" with a # symbol and add the following lines to the bottom of the resource file: 

113: 0 : "F2" : 84 : "Function 2"
113: 8 : " " : 95 : " "

Since a new function has been added which uses F2 by default, it is necessary to explicitly map this new function to something else to map the F2 key. This function was added to allow for keyboard navigation between the tab canvas pages and it defaults to F2. Even if it is commented out and not assigned to F2, the F2 key cannot be mapped unless this function, Forms Function Number 95, is mapped to another key.

Mapping for ENTER to Fire KEY-ENTER-TRIGGER

By default, whether deploying client/server or over the Web pressing the ENTER key takes the cursor to the next navigable item in the block. To override this default behavior it is necessary to modify the forms resource file to revise the key mapping details.

Modify fmrweb.res and change the Forms Function Number (FFN) from 27 to 75 for the Return Key. The line should be changed to the following: 

10 : 0 : "Return" : 75 : "Return"

By default, the line is displayed with an FFN of 27 and looks as follows:

10 : 0 : "Return" : 27 : "Return"

This line should NOT fire the Key-Enter trigger since the Return or Enter key is actually returning the Return function represented by the FFN of 27. The FFN of 75 represents the Enter function and fires the Key-Enter trigger.

Mapping Number Keys

The objective is to map CTRL+<number> keys in fmrweb.res for numbers 0 to 9 and there are no Java Function keys mentioned for the numbers in fmrweb.res. Perform the following steps along with an example that shows the steps needed to map CTRL+1 to 'Next Record':

  1. List the Java function key numbers that could be implemented in fmrweb.res file for the Key Mapping. For example:
    public static final int VK_1 = 0x31;
  2. The hexadecimal values have to be converted to their decimal equivalents before their use in fmrweb.res.

    In step (1), 0x31 is a hexadecimal value that has to be converted to its decimal equivalent. (Note:1019580.6). For example,

    SQL> select hextodec('31') from dual;
HEXTODEC('31')
--------------
49
  3. Use this decimal value for mapping the number key 1 in fmrweb.res. For example, CTRL+1 can be mapped to 'Next Record' as:
    49 : 2 : "CTRL+1" : 67 : "Next Record"