Top 50 Oracle Forms & Reports Developer Interview Questions and Answers by OM IT Trainings Institute
Introduction
Preparing for an Oracle Forms and Reports Developer interview? This Top 50 Oracle Forms & Reports Developer Interview Questions & Answers guide by OM IT Trainings Institute is designed to help both beginners and experienced professionals master the core concepts of Oracle Forms, Reports, PL/SQL integration, and real-world application development. Whether you’re preparing for a developer, support, or analyst role, this guide will help you strengthen your understanding and boost your interview confidence.
Let’s explore the most important Oracle Forms & Reports Interview Questions and Answers to help you succeed.
Oracle Forms & Reports Developer Interview Questions & Answers
So, let’s dive into this comprehensive collection of Oracle Forms & Reports Developer Interview Questions and Answers, carefully curated by OM IT Trainings Institute to support your interview preparation journey.
Oracle Forms & Reports Developer Interview Questions and Answers for Freshers
Oracle Forms & Reports Developer Interview Questions and Answers for Experienced
1. What is Oracle Forms?
Answer: Oracle Forms is a software product for creating data entry forms that interact with an Oracle database. It allows developers to build, manage, and deploy database-driven applications efficiently using PL/SQL and built-in triggers.
2. What are the main components of Oracle Forms?
Answer: The key components are Forms Modules (.fmb), Menu Modules (.mmb), Object Libraries (.olb), and PL/SQL Libraries (.pll).
3. What is a Canvas in Oracle Forms?
Answer: A canvas is a surface inside a window where visual objects like text items, buttons, and frames are placed.
4. What is a Block in Oracle Forms?
Answer: A block is a logical container of items that corresponds to a database table or a control block. It controls how data is queried, displayed, and manipulated.
5. What is the difference between a Data Block and a Control Block?
Answer: A data block is linked to a database table, while a control block is not connected to any database table and is used for control logic or temporary storage.
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6. What are Triggers in Oracle Forms?
Answer: Triggers are PL/SQL blocks that are automatically executed in response to specific events like WHEN-NEW-FORM-INSTANCE, WHEN-BUTTON-PRESSED, or POST-QUERY.
7. What is the purpose of the WHEN-NEW-FORM-INSTANCE trigger?
Answer: It fires once when a form is opened and is commonly used to initialize form-level variables, set properties, or populate list items.
8. What is LOV (List of Values)?
Answer: LOV is a pop-up window displaying a list of valid values from which a user can select. It improves data accuracy and user experience.
9. What is a Record Group?
Answer: A record group is a data structure in Forms that stores query results in memory, which can be used for LOVs or data manipulation.
10. What is the difference between POST-QUERY and PRE-QUERY triggers?
Answer: PRE-QUERY fires before executing a query (used for modifying WHERE clauses dynamically), while POST-QUERY fires after fetching the record (used for formatting or calculations).
11. How do you pass parameters between forms?
Answer: Using global variables, parameter lists, or the CALL_FORM and OPEN_FORM built-in procedures.
12. What is the use of the CALL_FORM built-in?
Answer: It runs another form while keeping the parent form active in memory, allowing control to return after the called form closes.
13. What is the difference between OPEN_FORM and NEW_FORM?
Answer: OPEN_FORM opens a new form without closing the current one, while NEW_FORM replaces the current form with another form and clears memory.
14. What is the use of PL/SQL Libraries (.pll)?
Answer: PL/SQL Libraries store reusable procedures, functions, and packages that can be shared across multiple forms and reports.
15. What are Object Libraries (.olb)?
Answer: They contain reusable form objects like buttons, canvases, and items that can be imported into other forms.
16. What are Alerts in Oracle Forms?
Answer: Alerts are dialog boxes used to display messages or prompt users for confirmation. Types include Stop, Caution, and Note.
17. What are the common built-in functions used in Forms?
Answer: Examples include SET_ITEM_PROPERTY, GET_ITEM_PROPERTY, SHOW_ALERT, EXECUTE_QUERY, and DO_KEY.
18. What is a Visual Attribute?
Answer: A Visual Attribute defines the color, font, and style of form items, allowing consistent UI customization.
19. What is the difference between POST-FORM and PRE-FORM triggers?
Answer: PRE-FORM fires before the form is displayed, and POST-FORM fires just before closing the form.
20. What is the purpose of the Timer in Oracle Forms?
Answer: Timers are used for scheduling periodic events, such as refreshing data or performing background tasks.
21. What is Oracle Reports?
Answer: Oracle Reports is a reporting tool used to design, generate, and publish high-quality reports based on Oracle database data.
22. What are the different types of Reports?
Answer: Tabular, Master-Detail, Matrix, Mailing Label, and Form Letter reports.
23. What is the difference between a Formula Column and a Summary Column?
Answer: A Formula Column uses PL/SQL code to compute values dynamically, while a Summary Column performs calculations like SUM or AVG based on group data.
24. What is a Data Model in Oracle Reports?
Answer: It defines the data structure of the report, including queries, groups, and data columns.
25. What is a Layout Model in Oracle Reports?
Answer: It determines the visual presentation of data in the report, including frames, fields, and repeating frames.
26. How do you run a report from Oracle Forms?
Answer: Using the RUN_PRODUCT or RUN_REPORT_OBJECT built-in functions to call and execute reports from within a form.
27. What are Report Triggers?
Answer: These are special triggers that execute at different stages of report execution, such as BEFORE PARAMETER FORM, AFTER PARAMETER FORM, BEFORE REPORT, and AFTER REPORT.
28. What is the SRW Package?
Answer: SRW (SQL Report Writer) is a built-in package containing procedures and functions used in Oracle Reports, such as SRW.MESSAGE, SRW.USER_EXIT, and SRW.REFERENCE.
29. What are the main output formats of Oracle Reports?
Answer: PDF, HTML, RTF, XML, and Excel.
30. How do you debug Oracle Forms and Reports?
Answer: Use message built-ins like MESSAGE or TEXT_IO in Forms, and use the Report Builder’s runtime debug mode, SRW messages, and log files in Reports.
Top 50 Oracle Forms & Reports Developerg Interview Questions and Answers by OM IT Trainings Institute
31. What is the difference between CLIENT-SERVER and WEB DEPLOYMENT in Oracle Forms?
Answer: In Client-Server deployment, the Forms application runs locally on the client machine with a direct connection to the database. This approach requires installing Oracle Forms Runtime on every system.
In Web Deployment, Forms are deployed on an application server using Oracle Fusion Middleware. Users access the application through a browser, which reduces maintenance and improves scalability. Web deployment is the standard in modern Oracle E-Business and enterprise systems.
32. What are the advantages of using Oracle Forms in enterprise environments?
Answer: Oracle Forms offers tight integration with Oracle Database, reusability of PL/SQL code, and robust transaction management. It supports data validation, triggers, and reusable libraries, making it ideal for building secure, data-driven business applications. Additionally, its web-deployment capability allows organizations to modernize legacy systems without rewriting code completely.
33. What is the difference between RUN_PRODUCT and RUN_REPORT_OBJECT?
Answer: RUN_PRODUCT is the older built-in used to call Oracle Reports from Forms in earlier versions (up to Oracle Developer 6i). However, in Oracle 10g and later, it’s deprecated.RUN_REPORT_OBJECT is the modern approach that provides better control, asynchronous execution, and integration with Oracle Reports Server, allowing developers to manage output formats (PDF, HTML, etc.) and parameters dynamically.
34. How do you pass parameters from Oracle Forms to Reports?
Answer: Parameters can be passed using PARAMLIST in Forms. Developers create a parameter list using CREATE_PARAMETER_LIST, add parameters using ADD_PARAMETER, and then call the report using .
This allows dynamic and secure data transfer between forms and reports.
pl_id := CREATE_PARAMETER_LIST('tmp');
ADD_PARAMETER(pl_id, 'P_DEPTNO', TEXT_PARAMETER, :dept.deptno);
RUN_REPORT_OBJECT('REPORT_ID', pl_id);
35. How do you integrate Oracle Forms with external systems or APIs?
Answer: Integration can be achieved using WebUtil, Java Beans, or host commands.
WebUtil allows calling client-side resources like file uploads, MS Office, or barcode scanners.
Java Beans can extend functionality with custom Java classes.
Host commands can call batch scripts or shell commands to interact with external software.
36. What are LOVs and Record Groups in detail? How are they related?
Answer: A List of Values (LOV) displays a list of options for a field, while a Record Group stores the underlying query results in memory. LOVs fetch their data from Record Groups.
You can define a static Record Group (predefined data) or a dynamic Record Group (query-based). LOVs improve user accuracy and reduce data entry errors.
37. What is the difference between Frame, Repeating Frame, and Group in Oracle Reports?
Answer:
Frame: Holds fields or other frames and controls their layout.
Repeating Frame: Repeats a set of fields for each record retrieved.
Group: Logical representation of query result sets used to control repetition and aggregation.
These three together define how data is organized and displayed in reports.
38. Explain the use of Parameter Form in Oracle Reports.
Answer: A Parameter Form allows users to input or select values before running a report. It acts as an interface between the user and the data model. You can customize it using triggers like BEFORE PARAMETER FORM and AFTER PARAMETER FORM to validate input, modify queries, or dynamically change report behavior.
39. How can you call a stored procedure from Oracle Forms?
Answer: Stored procedures can be called directly from Forms triggers or program units using PL/SQL syntax. This method allows separation of business logic from the UI and improves code reusability.
TBEGIN
my_package.my_procedure(:block.field1, :block.field2);
END;
40. How do you handle errors in Oracle Forms?
Answer: Error handling can be implemented using the ON-ERROR trigger or the built-in function. This ensures that meaningful error messages are displayed and invalid operations are handled gracefully.
ON-ERROR
BEGIN
MESSAGE('Error Code: ' || ERROR_CODE || ' - ' || ERROR_TEXT);
RAISE FORM_TRIGGER_FAILURE;
END;
41. What are the main performance tuning techniques in Oracle Forms?
Answer:
Minimize database calls by using record groups and global variables.
Use POST-QUERY instead of WHEN-VALIDATE-ITEM for data formatting.
Avoid unnecessary triggers.
Use bind variables in queries.
Optimize LOV queries and use SET_BLOCK_PROPERTY for better form response.
42. How can you migrate legacy Oracle Forms applications to modern architecture?
Answer: Legacy Forms can be migrated using tools like Oracle Forms Modernization Suite or Oracle APEX migration. Developers can:
Upgrade to the latest Oracle Forms version (12c+).
Integrate REST APIs for external communication.
Use Fusion Middleware for web deployment.
Gradually rearchitect modules into web or cloud-based microservices.
43. What are Object Groups in Oracle Forms?
Answer: Object Groups are logical collections of form objects (like items, buttons, canvases) that can be reused or copied between forms. They simplify maintenance and standardization across multiple applications.
44. What is the purpose of the PRE-FORM and WHEN-NEW-BLOCK-INSTANCE triggers?
Answer:
PRE-FORM: Executes before the form is displayed, typically used for initialization tasks.
WHEN-NEW-BLOCK-INSTANCE: Fires when the cursor moves to a new block, used for block-level setup, like enabling/disabling items or fetching related data.
45. Explain Master-Detail relationship in Oracle Forms.
Answer: A Master-Detail relationship is a data dependency between two blocks — the master block displays parent records, and the detail block shows related child records. It is defined using JOIN conditions or foreign keys, ensuring data synchronization during navigation.
Task: {task}
Format: {format}
Tone: {tone}
Rules: {rules}
Examples: {examples}
46. What is the use of Text_IO package in Oracle Forms?
Answer: The TEXT_IO package allows file operations such as reading and writing to text files from Forms.
Example:
Tfile := TEXT_IO.FOPEN('C:\log.txt','W');
TEXT_IO.PUT_LINE(file, 'Form executed successfully');
TEXT_IO.FCLOSE(file);
47. What are Anchors in Oracle Reports?
Answer: Anchors define the relative position of report objects. They ensure that items stay correctly aligned even if other objects expand or contract during runtime. Anchors are essential for creating flexible, dynamic report layouts.
48. What are Flex Mode and Confine Mode in Oracle Reports?
Answer:
Flex Mode: Allows objects to stretch or move automatically when their parent objects grow or shrink.
Confine Mode: Restricts objects from moving outside their parent frame.
These settings help maintain report layout consistency and prevent overlapping fields.
49. What are Format Triggers in Oracle Reports?
Answer: Format Triggers are PL/SQL functions that determine whether a report object should be displayed or hidden during report generation.
TFUNCTION display_name RETURN BOOLEAN IS
BEGIN
IF :salary > 50000 THEN
RETURN TRUE;
ELSE
RETURN FALSE;
END IF;
END;
50. How do you secure Oracle Forms & Reports applications?
Answer: Security can be implemented using:
User authentication via Oracle database roles or LDAP.
Menu-level security to restrict access to forms and reports.
Data-level security using PL/SQL validations.
Web-tier security through SSL/TLS and Oracle Fusion Middleware settings.
This multi-layered approach ensures that both data and application logic remain protected.