formax

formax is a tool for developing and executing fast, powerful and user-friendly character-based, interactive database applications. Do not confuse these applications with data-management tools like Toad, phpMyAdmin or SQLServer Management Studio. These are for database-admins. formax builds and runs end-user applications, which can be used without any SQL knowledge and ensure only valid data operations. The user is typically an enterprise employee in the office or homeoffice. He is trained to use these forms with unmatched efficiency. The fast, keyboard-optimized, nomouse C++-application and the minimal bandwidth needs, result in massive savings of working time for data maintenance.

Don't look at formax as a romantic nostalgica!
It is provided as serious alternative for specific
use-cases for which it can have massive advantages

The basic concepts of Oracle SQL-Forms 3.0 (1988) are combined with modern standards and current database best practices and technologies. Using ODBC for universal database access and JavaScript as the trigger language opens this concept universally. The best ideas for a powerful user interface came from Emacs, Clipper, SAP, Lightroom and Lotus/1-2-3. The result is the most effective solution possible for the end-user. By eleminating all proprietary dependencies und being opensource with a permissive license the system is totally futureproof. By forking the repos you will never loose the support for your investments any more. The minimal costs to build a formax application makes adapting this technology a no-brainer for any enterprise.

In every system of decent size is the need for something like formax. The system-adminstrator needs to change a base-table or master-data. Most of the times he is forced to use error-prone and dangerous SQL or a database-admin-tool like phpMyAdmin because there was no web-application build for all these small things. Or for maintaining customer information. Beside the new address-data itself there are only around 20 keystrokes required to edit the record - no mouse-moving - no scrolling - with milliseconds response time. Frequently used apps like order-entry for which the initial training to use a powerful keyboard application pays off thousand times are even natch candidates for it.

History/Motivation

Oracle SQL-Forms 3 was superior to all other character-based enterprise applications that came after it. The terminal option was very popular and got lost in the late 1990s when Oracle decided not to patch SQL-Forms 3 for the Y2K-problem. The following versions neglected this feature and focused on client server frontends, which were also abandoned later in favour of web based as the only option. The result was a massive increase of complexity and bandwidth requirements in magnitudes of millions and leaving a big technology hole in the industry. formax wants to bring back this lean option. And not only for Oracle and PL/SQL. With ODBC and JavaScript it is available for everybody.

Goals

End-User Application

formax wants to provide a user-friendly, fast method for entering valid data into the database. This does not mean a good looking gui. Users will hate the application with the first look. After using it for a while they will start loving it due to the time savings they can achieve. The trained user can enter data with minimal effort and time, due to the fast application, optimized keyboard handling and ultra low bandwidth usage. The productivity these forms bring to the table cannot be achieved with any other tool out there.

Development

The form application can be build without code by setting up some data in a couple of tables with minimal programming. A minimal form to maintain a single table with complete CRUD functionality can be build with a single line of code within two seconds. Anyways the primary goal is the efficiency of the end-user application. Developer comfort is on second place.

Only the concept is inherited from SQL-Forms 3. There is no compatibility or migration utility for Oracle Forms sources. The source code is completely a new development of 2024. The database access layer OCI is replaced by ODBC, which opens the system to all kinds of databases. The terminal access layer Oracle-Terminal is replaced with ncurses which runs on any kind of system and terminal. PL/SQL as the trigger language is replaced by JavaScript.

Operations / Deployment / Security / Logging

Enterprise requirements are fundamental for this product. Zero administration cost is ensured by the leightweight concept itself. A single executable needs to be installed anywhere on the PATH (Yes - One=1 file is needed). Secure access to the form is easily managed by setting up a PuTTY-session on any windows machine with zero administration on the client. This works securely from anywhere without any bandwidth requirements. With a simple encrypted key 2FA is for free. Even 3-factor-authentication is easy and comfortable by adding a TOTP login. Every user action (SQL) can be logged in a central database.

Status

Current v1.5.0 is stable - the generator can create a single-block single-page form. You are able to create, retrieve, update and delete (CRUD) records in the table. No triggers, no transactions, no help yet. The designer-tool is able to edit the page markup and to integrate the field positions and lengths into the form. There is also a form to maintain the field properties. The rest must be done by editing the .inp-file.

Full Forms3 functionality is a big task and depends highly on the community participation in the future. The database has already all the configuration data for full Forms3 functionality. Most of the later functionality of Oracle Forms was needed for the client-server and web frontends and did not extend the real application functionality.