I had seen he is opened to talk about new features, but I think the basics of oracle forms are not very well defined, and maybe someone want some comment about this to.
Hello Michale Ferrante I have some questions to you.
I am a oracle database and oracle forms certified developer and our business worked with oracle more than ten years ago.
1) The design and niche in the market Oracle Forms has, and the need of advanced graphic functionality
I remember a beta of forms, I think it was 3.2, it has all the features to move and draw in the screen, and for some reason oracle rejected that, and I think that was correct under the strategy of making a client for database, this is not a software to make games.
But as times passes, the customer requires more visual features, I must recognize the work of Francois Degrelle in Forms Look and Feel Project .
Most software in big business are now client server, and they too have mobile and other client software that requires high graphical features, from a screen to buy items, to an entertainment client for marketing.
In example: you have a restaurant , they you want in an ipad, a menu, and you want to make in oracle forms, here is where oracle has a big hole.
This includes of course more functions to work with media types, like audio in database, video in database, audio and video from other sources, like youtube, etc.
2) The positioning of oracle forms againt other oracle products, oracle should give a clear positioning of every product related to oracle forms, and how they integrate them.
Oracle has proposed new products, like adf, apex, etc. and is not only my perception, many customer thought oracle forms was going to be replaced, but they can't because the idea of oracle is an easier tool for development, and in theory with more features (that is the reason you should have to pay more than 20,000 per customer)
But personally I don't see that I don't see the BETTER in the product.
Customers need a clear vision of how oracle presents their different tools in example, specifically oracle must decide where is oracle in that net of development products, Mr. customer if you want to develop, oracle forms is for this, adf for this, apex for this, java for this, etc. instead of presenting a confusing set of products,
The messages oracle gives are confusing that is the reason many customers thought oracle forms was going to be discontinued and they MUST migrate to adf, this message I perceived too while reading about adf.
If we add the additional confusion with previous sun developement products, Oracle must order their ideas and show a structure of developmenet tools, which complements themselves, that makes sense, instead of "we have all this developement tools, investigate and choose one, and good luck."
3) Improvement of the editor
no more comments, just put up to date the editor of forms with all the editor like other any other software.
4) new and interesting ideas, a real change of attitude from oracle developer and oracle reports
I think the added graphic functinality, the clarity in the relation of forms with other products, and improvements in the editor are obvious,
then comes some thing new and interesting oracle forms could present,no necessary in what currect customer does, else for new custoemr, in example a excellent implementation for ipads, a generator for different celluar models,
I say something big, because until this moment I had seen oracle forms a gray tool, all other tools, delphi, visual studio, adf, etc. has several very interesting improvements, but oracle forms moves like a turtle in that way, like living separated from the market competence of development tools.
This is like a WAKEUP
5) to separate oracle forms and reports development teams.
The reason is to offer a cheaper product, and because for reports there are cheapersolutions, from plain html pages to free software like jasper reports.
This is important is to separate de developement team of oracle reports and oracle forms, this moves to make it really better to justify the investment and reports to see as an independent product compatible with the other oracle products.
In example maybe you could add as a solution to apex, not only to print pdf reports.
6) the lost graphics component and optional free components in open projects (requiring of course the basic license of oracle forms)
oracle graphics in oracle 6i client server, has several problems, but in some moment got lost, Idon't see nowadays too dificult to make a really nice graphics editor, oracle forms could make a free project of graphics.
Oracle forms should motivate in an organized scheme, to oracle forms developer to use and improve open components, this is 1) the good components you need and should install 2) the o ther components based on ideas, you maybe can find useful in some way meanwhile they grow to become an interesting compoennt and move to the group 1).
7) The top integrator of other oracle development technologies
Oracle forms, specially for the price, I think should be the most high option, and integrate all the other developement tools, this is, you can use apex free, or adf essentials, but if you want more, then buy adf license, if you want more then buy oracle forms, something like that.
Thinking in this idea Oracle forms should be in some way integrated with jheadstart.
Once you do that, then oracle development tools will make sense, instead the attitud oracle currently has of "choose all of these developement tools we have, and good luck".
In this idea, then to force to buy oracle reports could be a good idea, because this is the top of every thing, the best more than adf, and apex, java, etc.
8) The specialists in oracle database
Here comes something important oracle forms, is a client for oracle, so this should support all the features of oracle databas,e this includes the posibility
to sincronize software with oracle database releases,
flashback, etc. should have a counter part, to create testing environments and restoring backups.
This is remember to oracle their first business is the database and their tools must compliment the technologies in the database.
9) the new age of basic developed compoements
Any one who wants to start a business, must program all the basic, thsi is exhange management ,user management ,etc.
What I proposed previously to oracle is to create a basic (database, developer and reports) software, free, so you could take them and start over it, this should include basci funcions to manage date, number, clob, basic security functionality like create user, monitor user, etc. basic funcionality for business software, etc.
This is to make something no one had done.
hope be useful