Move on from Forms. Or Stay. But Decide.
Right after COBOL developers, I think Oracle Forms developers are the most change-resistant subset of the entire IT industry.
I saw that last month at the DOAG conference, where Forms developers were pestering product management for unrealistic new features. Forms users have even sent an official petition to Oracle asking them to create a new UI for Oracle Forms so developers won't have to learn a new tool.
The same attitude is apparent here at the UKOUG conference, where developers want automated migration from Forms to new tools. Forms developers have asked for automated migration to Oracle ADF, to Oracle APEX and now to Oracle VBCS.
All the new features Oracle Forms developers want already exist. They just exist in other tools. Want an HTML frontend and PL/SQL logic? APEX. Want a Java frontend and Java logic? ADF. Want a JavaScript frontend? VBCS and JET.
If you are using Oracle Forms today, there are only two options:
Either you have a solid business case that shows the benefits of replacing your Forms application far exceeds the costs
Or you don't
If you don't have a business case for replacing Oracle Forms, stop whining. You have a legacy application that does its job. Don't mess with it. Train new developers as the old ones retire. And if you are a CIO or IT manager, publish the fact that Oracle Forms is a conscious, strategic choice for that application.
If you are in Brighton for UKOUG, come to my presentation "The Seven Ways of Building Oracle Applications" Tuesday at noon, and I'll tell you which tool to use.
Best regards
Sten Vesterli
sten@vesterli.com