Keyboard Navigation for Forms

Common Default Forms Keystrokes on Microsoft Windows

On Microsoft Windows operating systems use Alt+<letter> to activate items with access keys, Alt+down to open a poplist, and Alt to move focus to the menu. Oracle Forms should inherit operating system accessibility functions such as Sticky Keys. Tabs can be switched by invoking the List Tab Pages function (typically F2), in addition to using access keys on each tab label.

The Keyboard Help window displays the keystrokes to achieve normal Forms operations, such as Next Block and Clear Record. This window can be viewed at any time by pressing Ctrl+K. The keyboard mappings can be customized as follows:

The System Administrator must locate the Oracle Forms resource file on the middle tier, typically called fmrweb.res
Make a copy of the file, naming it whatever you want, and locate it in the same directory as the original.
Open the new file in any text editor and make the desired keystroke mapping changes. Comments at the top of the file clearly explain how the mappings are performed.
To run this new mapping file, include term=file in the URL, where file specifies the complete path in addition to the filename.

A user running a screen reader will most likely need a modified keyboard mapping file, or will have to change the Assistive Technology keystrokes, as some of the default function mappings may conflict.

Action	Keystrokes
List of Forms Keys	Ctrl+K
Next Field	Tab
Previous Field	Shift+Tab
Next Block	Shift+PageDown
Previous Block	Shift+PageUp
Actions LOV	Ctrl+Shift+F8
Values LOV	Ctrl+Shift+F9
Activate default push button in a window if one exists	Enter Pressing the Enter key with the focus on a button will activate that button. If the focus is not on a button (or menu item), then Enter should activate the default button if one exists.
Save Record (Commit)	Ctrl+S
Clear Record	F6
Create Record	Standard keystroke may be consumed by screen reader, need to run with different terminal resource file to map Ctrl+Down to something else or just use the pulldown menu.
Close Window	Ctrl+F4
List of Tab Pages	F2
Activate Menu	Alt and then navigate with up/down and left/right arrow keys
Activate push buttons, radio buttons, checkboxes and topmost menu items	Alt+access key
Toggle between open/close poplist	Alt+Up/Down arrow keys
Activate current push button, Toggle checkbox yes/no	Spacebar
Cycle through and select a radio button within a radio group	Left/Right arrow keys and then Spacebar
Move to beginning of line	Home
Move to end of line	End
Select to end of line (there is no keystroke for	Shift+End / Shift+Insert+End

Hints for Voice Activation

You may be using the Dragon Naturally Speaking (DNS) Tab Key command and find yourself 'stuck' in a region of a form. If this happens, try using DNS mouse commands, for example mouse grid or move mouse + (direction), to move to another region in the form. If the form has frames, you can use the DNS commands Next Frame or Previous Frame.

Sometimes using the DNS Press Key command doesn't work, for example Press Alt + C or Press Ctrl + O. If this happens try using the DNS mouse commands to move the cursor over the button or drop down list and then using the mouse click or press enter command to activate the button. The DNS command Press Ctrl L almost always works for drop down boxes (often designated by a box containing ellipsis).

There is no alt-text on the buttons. This is not HTML. They are labels. If there is an access key for the button, you can use command Press Alt <letter>. If there is no access key then you can say Tab multiple times until focus is on the button and then use command Press Enter.

If DNS stops taking voice commands, try using DNS mouse commands for example Move Up and Move Down and also Press Enter to expand a tree branch. Command tab works too.

The DNS mouse commands Move Mouse Up, Down, Left, Right, Drag Mouse Up, etc., are useful. The scroll bar can be controlled in a form using these commands.

Oracle E-Business Suite features

Profile: Forms Keyboard Mapping File

Oracle E-Business Suite provides profile Forms Keyboard Mapping File. To run a new mapping file, specify the complete path in addition to the filename for the profile. When running Oracle Forms through the Oracle E-Business Suite Professional User Interface, the new mapping file will be used.

List of Values

Oracle E-Business Suite includes a feature that renders an iconic button next to each field that has an LOV. The LOV can also be invoked from the keyboard by pressing the List of Values function (typically Ctrl+L).

Tab Pages

Tabs in Oracle E-Business Suite can only be changed from the keyboard using the List Tab Pages function. Individual tab labels do not have access keys due to translation issues.

Runtime Forms Parameters

There are many runtime parameters that can be set. See:

Managing Parameters