Re: Forms4.5 w/ DB2 data source

Eric Chu wrote:
>
> Can anyone give me some advice on using Dev2k (Forms4.5) with a DB2 data
> source? Both products will be running on an AIX 4.1 platform. I assume
> I'll need ODBC drivers and managers to accomplish this. Does anyone know
> any vendors who make these for AIX? Do they come packaged with Dev2k
> for AIX?
>
> Thanks a mil.
>
> -Eric
> ericc_at_ucsee.eecs.berkeley.edu

Intersolv manufactures drivers for DB2 from a Winintel client. Contact them
to get your hands on some.

You will also need to install the Open Client Adapter from your Dev2K CD in order
to access ODBC data sources.

Couple of things that I'm aware of with DB2 on AIX: 1) Forms assumes that Oracle-style Database META info views exists on whatever
database it is connect to. The OCA group provides some scripts for DB2 (let me
know if there are no DB2 scripts on the Dev2K 1.3 CD) that will create most
of those views. However, DB2 on AIX only allows a DBA to create views on system
tables. Therefore, in order to run the scripts you must be the DBA. Then, if you
try to develop your application as a different user, you will not be able to view
table names and stuff from the Forms Designer, unless you log in as that DBA (since
Forms just looks for, like, 'ALL_OBJECTS', and won't find it if it exists in your
database as 'DBAUSER.ALL_OBJECTS'. It would be nice if DB2 on AIX supported table
SYNONYMS, but it doesn't.
You can still use Forms Designer to develop APPS, but you'll have to type all table
names in yourself.

2) Due to a limitation of the OCA, Forms can only update or insert DATETIME DB2 fields.
Any attempt to update a DATE or TIME field will give you an error. This issue will not
be resolved anytime soon, as it arrises from differences in Oracle's OCI interface and
the ODBC interface.

3) The Intersolv driver allows you to set cursor mode to "Preserve" mode, meaning
cursors are preserved across commits. Do not set this option. Leave it at "Close"
mode. The driver only preserves "select .. for update", "update... where current of"
and "delete ... where current of" statements, and just deletes all others, causing
no end of difficulties for forms.

4) In the Doc for the Open Client Adapter, it says you must set the Form Level Property
"Cursor Mode" to FALSE for DB2. This is wrong. Leave it at true. For DB2, if you make
a change in a block, and then save, you will have to requery to continue browsing still, but
by setting the Cursor Mode to TRUE, Forms will not waste nearly as many cursors. This
actually applies to ALL data sources using the OCA. Turn Cursor Mode to TRUE. You'll find
you won't run out of cursors nearly so quickly that way :)

I can't think of any other issues at the moment that you need to be aware of. Let me know
if you need anything, or find some issues I don't know about.

• Art Clarke Open Interfaces (yep, I work on the Open Client Adapter)

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Anything said in the above message is my opinion, and may not be shared
by Oracle Corporation.  So there!  Nyah!