SET_CUSTOM_PROPERTY calling JavaBean failing silently

Question

Hello,
I have a custom Oracle Form installed into Oracle eBusiness Suite where this form contains a Bean Area referencing a PJC (Pluggable Java Component). The PJC extends oracle.forms.ui.VBean.
The PJC was being called successfully via the SET_CUSTOM_PROPERTY forms built in when this custom form was installed into Oracle eBusiness Suite 11.5.10 (running Forms 6i), however after the upgrade to EBS R12.1.3 (with Oracle Forms 10.1.2.0.2), the SET_CUSTOM_PROPERTY built in is not calling the setProperty method of the PJC at all. It fails silently, no error is displayed in either the Forms status bar, or in the Java JRE console.
I have added extra debugging into the PJC class, and the debug is being output when the class is being loaded by the JRE, that is debug messages that I have added to the class constructor are being output to the Java console. The JAR file that contains the PJC has been signed correctly (signed and verified with jarsigner), and the custom JAR is being loaded successfully as Oracle Forms loads all the necessary JAR files to run eBusiness Suite forms (the load of the JAR is shown in the Java console).
The property being used in the SET_CUSTOM_PROPERTY call is being initialized in the PJC class in the following way:
private static final ID ORAWORD = oracle.forms.properties.ID.registerProperty("ORAWORD");
The same property is being used in the SET_CUSTOM_PROPERTY call:
Set_Custom_Property(vBeanHdl,1,'ORAWORD',vOutputString);
The vBeanHdl variable references the Java Bean item, and contains a valid item identifier, I have checked that using the id_Null() function. A forms trace FRD shows that the SET_CUSTOM_PROPERTY built in is being called, it just simply does not fire the setProperty() method within the PJC.
This is the content of the setProperty method that I have tried:
public boolean setProperty(ID function, Object params)
System.out.println("DEBUG: setProperty function called");
return super.setProperty(function, params);
At run time the function does not get called as the debugging text does not get output to the Java console. If I place any other code within the setProperty function it does not get executed.
I have tried compiling the Java class under Java version 1.4 through to 1.6, and that has not helped (under all versions the Java class's constructor does get called).
Can anybody offer me any hints? What has changed between Forms 6i and Forms 10.1.2.0.2 that could have led to this issue occurring?
Thanks
Daryl Budd

Answer 1

Hi
Stumbled upon the resolution myself. The Bean Area item needs to be set to Visible=Yes in the property palette for the bean within Forms Builder, and also the implementation class also in the bean's properties must match exactly the package & class name specified in the PJC (my full implementation class string had to be set to oracle.forms.demos.runApplication).
As this bean has no user interface component, and since the Visible property has to be set to Yes, to avoid having a random square shape for the bean sitting on the form's canvas, I also set the Width and Height properties for the bean to 0.001. This does show a very small dot on the form, but that will be acceptable.
So in summary there has been a change for PJC / Bean Areas between 6i and 10g Forms, in 6i you could have the Bean Item to be set Visible=No, and the SET_CUSTOM_ PROPERTY built-in would work, however in 10g Forms the Bean Item must be set to Visible=Yes for the SET_CUSTOM_PROPERTY built-in to work.
Daryl