Insert only the updated Fields

Question

I have a log table based on the master table. The master table have 50 fields. Any update in the master data has to be logged in a new table. So the master table will have only the last updated data.
Any change in the master table to be inserted in to a logged table. I need to insert only the updated fileds not all the fields.
How to write insert statement in forms 6i for inserting to a logged table where only the changed fields.
INSERT TO EMASTER_LOGTABLE
(ECODE,
ENAME,
EDEPT,
ETRADE
VALUES
(:ECODE,
:ENAME,
:EDEPT,
:ETRADE
Row will be inserted in to the EMASTER_LOGTABLE with the updated field only not all the field except primary.

Answer 1

Hi!
Whats about a new idea?
Create a new table:
create table EMASTER_HISTORY (
EMP_CODE        number(6),  --> i don't know yours
CHANGED_COLUMN  varchar2(30) not null,
CHANGED_USER    varchar2(30) default user not null,
CHANGE_TIME     date default sysdate not null,
OLD_VALUE       varchar2(4000),
NEW_VALUE       varchar2(4000) )
storage ( your storage );In your form create a pre-update-trigger on your block like:
declare
l_item varchar2(30) := get_block_property ( 'your_block', first_item );
l_data_old varchar2(4000);
l_data_new varchar2(4000);
begin
loop
  if
   get_item_property ( 'your_block.' || l_item, item_type ) in ( 'BUTTON', 'IMAGE' )
  then
    null;
  elsif
    get_item_property ( 'your_block.' || l_item, database_value ) != name_in ( 'your_block.' || l_item ) OR
     ( get_item_property ( 'your_block.' || l_item, database_value ) is null AND name_in ( 'your_block.' || l_item ) is not null ) OR
     ( get_item_property ( 'your_block.' || l_item, database_value ) is not null AND name_in ( 'your_block.' || l_item ) is null )
  then
    l_data_old := get_item_property ( 'your_block.' || l_item, database_value );
    l_data_new := name_in ( 'your_block.' || l_item );
    insert into test.emaster_history ( emp_code, changed_column, old_value, new_value )
    values ( :your_block.emp_code, l_item, l_data_old, l_data_new );
  end if;
  exit when l_item = get_block_property ( 'your_block', last_item );
  l_item := get_item_property ( 'your_block.' || l_item, nextitem );
end loop;
exception
when others then message ( l_item || ': ' || nvl ( error_text, dbms_error_text ) );
end;So, for every updated item in your form you will have a record in EMASTER_HISTORY with timestamp
and you're able to read the history of data in every column in your emp_master table.
Addition:
The only disadvantage is, non database items may will be logged too.
This because i don't know a "clean" item property to find out, if a item is a database item.
The item property column_name is not required and could by null alltough the item is a database item.
Regards