Oracle® Application Server

7.1.1 Backward Compatibility with Earlier Releases

For information about upgrading from Oracle6i Forms, see the "Upgrading to Oracle AS Forms Services" chapter in Oracle Application Server Forms Services Deployment Guide. For information about changed or obsolete features, see the Migrating Forms Applications from Forms6i guide.

For information about upgrading from Oracle9i Forms, you can use the Upgrade Assistant. See the Oracle Application Server Upgrade and Compatibility Guide for UNIX.

Additional information about backwards compatibility is MetaLink Note 113987.1 at http://metalink.oracle.com/.

Regardless from which version of Oracle Forms you are upgrading, you will need to recompile your applications and restart Oracle Forms.

7.1.2 Unix Issues and Workarounds

On Unix platforms, if you relink Forms executables after installation (for example, because you're applying a one-off patch) the permissions on newly created executables will not necessarily be the same as the originals. Use chmod to change them manually.

7.2.1 Non-Internet Explorer Browser Proxy Settings when Using One-Button-Run

If you encounter a FORBIDDEN error when using One-Button-Run with any of the supported Browsers other than Internet Explorer, verify if 127.0.0.1 (localhost) is in the proxy settings for your browser. If 127.0.0.1 is not in the exceptions list, then add it. This ensures that the browser will bypass the proxy server.

7.2.2 Change to Default Setting for FORMS_RESTRICT_ENTER_QUERY Environment Variable

The environment setting FORMS_RESTRICT_ENTER_QUERY has a default value of TRUE. This setting disallows users from using QUERY-WHERE functionality until it is set to FALSE.

7.2.3 PJC Wizard Now Part of Oracle Forms

With Oracle Forms 10.1.2 and higher, the Forms PJC Wizard is part of the standard Forms installation. The PJC Wizard works with JDeveloper 10g release 2 (10.1.2) that is part of Oracle Developer Suite 10g. For versions of JDeveloper that are obtained from OTN, the PJC wizard is available as a separate Jar file to download and place into your JDeveloper installation.

7.2.4 Exception When Clicking Other Items While Inputting Multibyte Characters

In CJK languages, the Forms client may stop responding when clicking another item while inputting text through inline IME. As a workaround, disable the inline IME. See section 4.10.2, "Inline IME Support" in Oracle Application Server Forms Services Deployment Guide. This issue will be fixed in a future patch set.

7.2.5 JDK 1.4.2_06 Plug-in Not Installed When Running a Form on the Web for the First Time

The Install JDK 1.4.2 dialog appears when running a Form on the Web for the first time. When you click Install, the JDK 1.4.2 Plug-in is installed instead of the JDK 1.4.2_06 Plug-in. If you're attempting to use the JDK 1.4.2 plugin from Internet Explorer, and it isn't currently installed on your machine, it will download the wrong version. The workarounds are:

• Modify formsweb.cfg by finding:

  jpi_codebase=http://java.sun.com/products/plugin/autodl/jinstall-1_4_2-windows-i586.cab#Version=1,4,2,06 
  

  and change it to:

  jpi_codebase=http://java.sun.com/products/plugin/autodl/
  jinstall-1_4_2_06-windows-i586.cab#Version=1,4,2,06.
  
  

• Run the Form (for the first time) from Netscape, which will go to the correct location for the download.

• Go to the correct location and manually install the JDK 1.4.2_06 Plug-in.

7.2.6 CLOB Data Cannot be Retrieved When Query Data More Than Max Width

When using Japanese NLS_LANG (JA16SJIS, JA16EUC etc.) if the queried CLOB data is longer than the maximum length (240 bytes by default) of the Text Item corresponding to this CLOB data, the query fails at runtime. The issue is that the CLOB data is correctly truncated with the maximum length of the Text Item (240 bytes by default) in English NLS_LANG, but not in Japanese NLS_LANG.This issue may also raise "FRM-40505: ORACLE error: unable to perform query" on . Also, on Linux, error FRM-92101 occurs when encountering this issue.

As a workaround, extend the maximum length of the Text Item to fit the length of the CLOB data.

7.2.7 ORACLE_HOME Value Not Replaced In workingDirectory In formsweb.cfg

The OracleAS Upgrade Assistant does not replace any references to the source ORACLE_HOME with the destination ORACLE_HOME in the workingDirectory parameter in formsweb.cfg.

As a workaround, after running the OracleAS Upgrade Assistant, replace the references to the source ORACLE_HOME with the location of the destination ORACLE_HOME for the workingDirectory parameter in formsweb.cfg.

7.2.8 Monitoring CPU Usage and Response Time

On the System Component Tables in Enterprise Manager, the CPU and Memory statistics are collected every minute, by default. Note that this potentially can mean that any CPU spikes will not be displayed. In addition, if Forms server processes are dormant, awaiting client activity or requests, it is perfectly normal for the CPU usage to report 0.0%.

On the Forms Overview page, the CPU and Memory statistics are gathered each time the page is rendered when you click the Overview Tab or when you click the refresh icon next to the timestamp. However, due to an operating system restriction, if the Response Time from the Forms Servlet is less than 16ms, it will display as 0.00ms.

8.1.1 OracleAS Reports Services Demos Will Not Work If JServ Is Configured

To run OracleAS Reports Services demos properly, do not configure Apache JServ on the computer where OracleAS Reports Services is installed.

8.1.2 JSP Report Does Not Run in Oracle JDeveloper on UNIX

To run a JSP-based Web report in Oracle JDeveloper on UNIX, perform either of the following steps:

• For the in-process Reports Server, edit ORACLE_HOME/jdev/bin/jdev to include the path to lib32. Append the path of lib32 to LD_LIBRARY_PATH=ORACLE_HOME/lib, as shown in the following example:

  LD_LIBRARY_PATH=ORACLE_HOME/lib:ORACLE_HOME/lib32
  
  

  Save and invoke Oracle JDeveloper.

• Use the standalone Reports Server to run JSP-based Web report in Oracle JDeveloper.

8.1.3 Error While Editing Batch Registered Report in OracleAS Portal

If you batch register a report in OracleAS Portal, then subsequently manually edit the report's registration in OracleAS Portal, you may encounter an unexpected Save As dialog box during the manual editing process.

To work around this issue, specify the Display Name property while editing the report's registration in OracleAS Portal.

Refer to the Oracle Application Server Reports Services Publishing Reports to the Web manual for information on how to register a report with OracleAS Portal.

8.1.4 Limitation on Linked Queries for DelimitedData Output

DelimitedData output does not allow multiple queries to be linked to the main query, because sibling groups are not supported.

For example:

Case 1: You have a link between Q1 and Q2, a link between Q2 and Q3, and a standalone Q4 query.

Q1<-->Q2<-->Q3 Q4

In this case, DelimitedData output is generated correctly.

Case 2: You have a link between Q1 and Q2, a link between Q2 and Q3, and a link between Q4 and Q1.

Q1<-->Q2<-->Q3 Q1<-->Q4

In this case, DelimitedData output is not generated correctly. Alternatively, you can use XML output.

8.1.5 Summary Column Not Aligned for JSP-Based Web Reports with Group Above and Matrix Style

If any summary column values are not correctly left-aligned in the output of JSP-based Web reports with a Group Above or Matrix style, you can implement the following workaround to get proper alignment:

• Open the JSP report in Reports Builder.

• Select the Web Source view.

• In the Web Source view, locate the section where the summary column is defined, and delete the following line to remove the extra space:

  <th class="summary_column_name"> </th>
  

8.1.6 Images in HTML Output of Oracle Reports Not Displayed When Viewed from Oracle Enterprise Manager 10g

If OracleAS Web Cache is configured as SSL-enabled and Oracle HTTP Server is not, then the images in the HTML output of Oracle Reports is not displayed when viewed from Oracle Enterprise Manager 10g. This is because the image URLs mentioned in the HTML output points to OracleAS Web Cache ports, which are SSL-enabled, whereas the request for past job outputs of Oracle Reports from Oracle Enterprise Manager 10g is non-SSL.

To work around this issue, edit the Servlet property of the URL in the targets.xml file for Reports Server type such that it points to the OracleAS Web Cache port instead of the Oracle HTTP Server port. The targets.xml file is available at ORACLE_HOME/sysman/emd directory.

For example, if your OracleAS Web Cache is SSL-enabled and the listening port number is 443, then the Servlet property of the URL for the Reports Server target in the targets.xml file should be as shown in the following example:

<Target TYPE="oracle_repserv" …..>
......
<Property NAME="Servlet" VALUE="https://xyz.mycompany.com:443/reports/rwservlet"/>
......
</Target>

8.1.7 Misalignment in Large Multibyte Reports When Using the Enhanced Font Subsetting Feature with Acrobat Reader 7.0

If you use Acrobat Reader 7.0 to view multibyte and unicode PDF reports that use enhanced font subsetting feature (default) and the report size is very large, then some of the characters displayed will not be aligned properly.

To work around this issue, you can do either of the following:

• Set the environment variable REPORTS_ENHANCED_SUBSET to NO to revert to the Type 3 font subsetting implementation used in releases prior to Oracle Reports 10g Release 2 (10.1.2).

• Use Acrobat Reader 6.0 or earlier.

8.1.8 Incorrect Color for Multiline Text in Paper Design View When Inline HTML Tags Are Used

If any of the following conditions are present, then the text in the Paper Design view of Reports Builder may display in an incorrect color:

• A text object includes multiline text, which wraps beyond the first line.

• The text object's Contains HTML Tags property is set to Yes.

• More than one color is applied to different parts of the multiline text.

8.1.9 PL/SQL Compilation Failure When Using SQL Constructs

PL/SQL compilation may fail if you use SQL constructs in your reports and if the following conditions are present:

• The SQL constructs were introduced in Oracle Database versions after 9.0.1, for example, ROW_NUMBER().

• The SQL constructs are used in client side PL/SQL procedures.

To work around this issue, you can do any of the following:

• Use Oracle Database Release 10.1.0.4 or later.

• Move those SQL constructs to the server-side stored procedures.

• Use the SQL constructs within SQL queries directly instead of procedures.

8.1.10 Using New SQL Constructs (Post Oracle Database 9.0.1)

PL/SQL compilation may fail if you use SQL constructs in your reports and if the following conditions are present:

• The SQL constructs were introduced in Oracle Database versions after 9.0.1, for example, ROW_NUMBER().

• The SQL constructs are used in client side PL/SQL procedures.

To work around this issue, you can do any of the following:

• Use Oracle Database Release 10.1.0.4 or later.

• Move those SQL constructs to the server-side stored procedures.

• Use the SQL constructs within SQL queries directly instead of procedures.

8.1.11 Using the New Auto Save Feature in Reports Builder

Oracle Reports 10g Release 2 (10.1.2) introduces the Auto Save feature, which recovers unsaved changes in the case of an unexpected event of Reports Builder or system crash. When Auto Save is enabled, Reports Builder can automatically recover unsaved changes in open reports.

To enable the Auto Save functionality, you must perform the following steps:

1. In Reports Builder, select Edit, and then select Preferences to display the Preferences dialog box.

2. In the Preferences dialog box, on the General tab, select Auto Save.

Alternatively, you can enable the Auto Save functionality by modifying the Reports.auto_save property in the preferences file, prefs.ora for UNIX platforms. Modify the file as follows:

Reports.auto_save = [YES|NO]
DEFAULT: NO

Usage Notes

• When Auto Save is enabled, any modifications done in the reports that are open are saved automatically in temporary recovery files at various events originating from menu, toolbar, tool palette, object navigator, property inspector and other editor windows in Reports Builder.

• For a new report definition, Auto Save is enabled only after the report is saved the first time.

• After you save your report, Reports Builder deletes the current recovery file. Even if you just recovered unsaved changes, Reports Builder deletes the recovery file when you save the report.

• The temporary recovery file is created and saved in .rdf format in the same location as that of the original definition file. The format of recovery files is reportname_extension.rdf. For example, the recovery file of an original definition file, emp.jsp, would be emp_jsp.rdf. The emp_jsp.rdf file is saved in the same location as the emp.jsp file.

• If you reopen a previously unsaved report definition file for which a recovery file exists, then Reports Builder prompts you to save the changes. The recovery file contains the changes made until the last Auto Save event. After the changes are recovered, you must select the Save or Revert option. The Save option writes the unsaved previous changes to the original report definition file. The Revert option does not save the recovered changes. Reports Builder deletes the recovery file when you close the report.

• If an error occurs when autosaving the recovery file, then Reports Builder prompts you to disable Auto Save or continue with the error.

8.1.12 Enabling Backward Compatibility with 9.0.4

Oracle Reports 10g Release 2 (10.1.2) replaces the use of Borland VisiBroker with Sun Microsystems industry-standard Java Developer's Kit Object Request Broker (JDK ORB), providing support for Reports Server requests from clients across subnets, and using the broadcast mechanism for dynamic Reports Server discovery, both within a subnet and across subnets. For information about the changes related to JDK ORB, refer to the Oracle Application Server Reports Services Publishing Reports to the Web manual.

For releases prior to 9.0.4.3, you must apply the patch issued for 9.0.4.2 to achieve ORB backward compatibility between Oracle Reports (9.0.4) client and 10g Release 2 (10.1.2) server, or vice versa. Beginning with 9.0.4.3, the patch is included in the installation.

Platform-specific details for this patch are provided in bug 4092150.

8.2.1 Setting OUTPUTIMAGEFORMAT in Turkish Environment

If you are running reports that include images and use advanced imaging in Turkish environments (when NLS_LANG is set to TURKISH_TURKEY.TR8MSWIN125 or TURKISH_TURKEY.WE8ISO8859P9), then set the environment variable REPORTS_OUTPUTIMAGEFORMAT=[PNG|GIF].

Alternatively, you can control the value in the reports request using the command-line keyword, OUTPUTIMAGEFORMAT=[PNG|GIF].

8.2.2 MS Mincho Font in PostScript Font Mapping Does Not Work When NLS_LANG is Specified As JA16EUC

When you deploy reports created with Reports Builder on Windows to a Solaris or Linux Reports Server that has NLS_LANG set to JA16EUC, the PDF font mappings will not work. This happens if any one of the following fonts is used in the PostScript font mapping entry:

"<MS Mincho in JP>".....
"<MS PMincho in JP>".....

To work around this issue, you must perform one of the following tasks:

• Set NLS_LANG to JA16SJIS.

• Use MS Gothic instead of MS Mincho in PostScript font mappings when creating the reports.

8.2.3 Issue with Running Multibyte Reports Containing Oracle Object Types

Oracle Reports Builder may stop responding when you run a multibyte report containing an embedded Oracle Object type. This will be fixed in a future patch set.

8.2.4 Invalid Characters in Oracle Reports Server's Job Status Messages in Application Server Control Console

Oracle Reports status messages on the Job Status page in Application Server Control Console may contain invalid characters if the middle tier character set, NLS_CHARACTERSET (the third field of NLS_LANG) does not correspond to the encoding of the Reports Servlet response for the servlet locale.

Oracle Enterprise Manager 10g converts the messages from the middle tier's NLS_CHARACTERSET to UTF8 resulting in invalid characters in the status messages on the Job Status page. For example, the Reports Servlet messages are encoded in Shift_JIS when the middle tier runs with LANG set to ja and NLS_LANG set to JAPANESE_JAPAN.JA16EUC. However, Oracle Enterprise Manager 10g assumes that the original message is in JA16EUC, and converts it to UTF8, which results in the display of invalid characters in the status messages. This will be fixed in a future patch set.

8.2.5 ENVID Ignored While Detecting Duplicate Job

When detecting a new incoming request for a duplicate job where the job request includes the TOLERANCE keyword, Reports Server ignores the value of the ENVID keyword. As a result, the job is marked duplicate of a previous job that was submitted with the same values for all keywords except ENVID.

The following example illustrates this issue.

In this example, request 4 is correctly marked as a duplicate of request 1 as both the requests use the same values for all keywords, including the ENVID keyword. However, request 3 is incorrectly marked as duplicate of request 2 because both requests use the same values for all keywords, except the ENVID keyword. As a result, the changed ENVID will not be accepted in request 3.

To work around this issue, either do not specify TOLERANCE on the command line or specify a dummy user parameter in the job request to differentiate the job requests in duplicate job detection.

8.3.1 Underlines Do Not Display in HTMLCSS Output in Browser

In HTMLCSS output, underlines may not display in the browser if you use a custom style for a field object and apply both background color and underline as part of the style, as shown in the following example:

.ReportLevel {text-decoration:underline;color:blue; background-color:yellow}

This is a browser limitation. The browser cannot display underlines, with absolute positioning, for the fields that have both underline and background color applied to them.

8.3.2 JSP-Based Web Report with Large Number of Columns Generates JSP Compilation Error

When you run a JSP-based Web report with more than 149 columns, you may encounter the oracle.jsp.provider.JspCompileException error, as shown in the following example:

500 Internal Server Error
OracleJSP: oracle.jsp.provider.JspCompileException: 
Errors 
... 
6764 code too large for try statement catch( Throwable e)
{18 code too large public void _jspService(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response) throws java.io.IOException, ServletException}

This occurs due to a limitation in the Java language that does not enable compilation of Java files with large methods.

8.3.3 Java AWT Windows Hangs with Specific Graphics Cards

When you start Reports Server with rwserver.exe, the UI may not display and Reports Server may hang on computers with specific graphics cards (for example, ATI Rage XL PCI card). This occurs due to a problem with the UI mechanism used in Java.

As a workaround, start Reports Server with the JVMOPTIONS command line keyword set as shown in the following example:

rwserver SERVER=test JVMOPTIONS="-Dsun.java2d.noddraw=true"