He shared his experiences with Formspider
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Transcript He shared his experiences with Formspider
Rhenus ICT Services
Modernizing a Forms Based
Logistics ERP application
using Formspider
Formspider event @ Ciber, 13-09-2012
Michiel Arentsen
© RHENUS 2012
Introduction
Rhenus ICT Services, Amsterdam
part of Rhenus Logistics, large International Logistics company (www.rhenus.com)
Provide ICT services for Dutch Rhenus companies
Network and infrastructure services / Communication (EDI) / Project management /
Custom software development
Development team of 8 fte
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Current development: Oracle Designer Suite 10g R2
Oracle Forms / Reports / Designer / Headstart / CDM Ruleframe
In-house developed Oracle Forms Logistics ERP system
Developed since 2003
100% Forms are Designer generated
19 applications
1100 forms
350 reports
600 users
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Current development: Oracle Apex 4.1
Oracle Apex
Working with Apex since 2006
Customer facing apps
- Online booking
- Track & Trace
- Warehousing
Internal apps
- Asset database
- Employee forms
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Our Problem
Designer = dead (and so are Headstart / CDM Ruleframe)
Split development team: only 2 fte able to do Apex
more and more focus on customer facing / self service apps more web development
Future of Forms = Forms?
Oracle and partners say:
upgrade to 11g (Weblogic), but what about Designer shops?
integrate / embed in new technology
new development in JDeveloper/ADF (or Apex)
So, just keep Forms running and rebuild in JDeveloper / ADF later?
Not my strategy.
Why wait? Wait for the silver bullet?
Waiting will only make it harder later…
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Migrate Forms to …
Oracle JDeveloper / ADF
not a migration it’s a rebuild
steep learning curve
complex environment
productivity ?
more difficult for small dev team: maintain old/new and synchronize functionality
.NET / Java: (almost) same as above
Oracle Apex
option for small forms / relatively simple crud apps
limitations (layout / web-page paradigm / no transaction layer / debugging )
gets complicated when leaving the box (javascript/jquery/css/ajax)
Other development platforms
..
Formspider!
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Why Formspider
Only PL/SQL (with some CSS)
Easy to learn for Forms developers (simple IDE, same application paradigm)
Simple architecture: Event – Condition – Action (ECA) / Solid web UI
Reuse current PL/SQL code!
Single development environment for all applications more flexible dev team
Easier to train new developers
No split-up development team!
Lower costs
Experiences so far
Easy to learn
Great support!
Good tutorials and demos
Great performance
Great potential
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Forms to Formspider migration
Low-risk gradual parallel migration possible
deliver new functionality in Formspider
stepwise migration of current Forms functionality to Formspider and keep current
Oracle Forms working on same code base
relatively easy keeping both application’s functionality in sync : same logic / same
database / only screens to keep in sync
Done so far
Downloaded Formspider last February and started playing / learning
Started building a demo framework application in April (not fulltime, but besides
regular work)
Decision was made in July to invest more time in Formspider evaluation in order to
reach final go / no-go decision in October.
Trained colleague in Formspider and rebuilt / extended framework application
(Demo!)
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Demo
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