The form claims to update the record, but isn't.

Question

Maybe I just need a sanity check, but this has been driving me bonkers.
This is in a "when-button-pressed" trigger. Everything seems to be fine in the properties of the form fields, and I even get a "FRM-40400" message saying that two records have been updated in the database (since there are two tables attached to this form), but when I go back to the database table, the records have not been populated. There's actually more to this trigger, but since the records aren't being updated, the rest of the trigger can't do its job.
I'm posting the beginning of the trigger just so someone can sanity check me. The fact that I'm even getting the FRM-400 message that says it's updated is confusing me. Everything looks fine from the debugger standpoint. Is there something in here that looks like it would prevent me from being able to update the database? I've left in everything, not just what I deem to be the "relevant" portions, just because I'm not sure what might throw it off.
(anything saying 'soft_messages' can be ignored, it is our own internal way of recording alerts and what kind).
---------begin code snippet------------------------------
DECLARE
     subj VARCHAR2(500);
     v_body VARCHAR2(5000);
     Reqtype varchar2(25) := :INVENTORY.Request_type;
     uft UTL_FILE.FILE_TYPE;
     fpath VARCHAR2(100);
     fname VARCHAR2(100);
     i NUMBER;
     ret NUMBER;
     v_db_name varchar2(50);
     v_support_officer varchar2(35);
     v_owner varchar2(35);
     v_wastemp      NUMBER;
     cust_name VARCHAR2(50);
     cust_phone VARCHAR2(50);
     cust_email VARCHAR2(50);
     cust_test VARCHAR2(50);
     al_button Number;
     msg_txt VARCHAR2(1500);
     V_SMTP_Mailer Boolean default False;
     to_whom VARCHAR2(1000);
     Missing_info exception;
     Proc_failed exception;
     v_node number;
     v_id number;
BEGIN
     -- Changes the email address so that in production, it goes to the contact, in test it doesn't.
     If v_db_name ='PRODUCTION' then     
          if     :INVENTORY.contact_email is not null then
               to_Whom := to_Whom||';'||:INVENTORY.contact_email||';';
          else
               to_Whom:= to_Whom||';';
          end if;
     END IF;
     Message('Working........Please wait');
     SET_APPLICATION_PROPERTY(CURSOR_STYLE,'BUSY');
     select op_sys.current_db_name into v_db_name from dual;
     --Check request type before completing the process
     IF :INVENTORY.VENDOR_NO = 632 THEN
          If :INVENTORY.Request_type ='DISCONNECT' then
               If :INVENTORY.bill_hierarchy is null THEN
                    SET_APPLICATION_PROPERTY(CURSOR_STYLE,'DEFAULT');     
                    soft_messages('E',true,'Please enter Billing Hierarchy before completing the process');
               Elsif
               :INVENTORY.auth_code is null THEN
                    SET_APPLICATION_PROPERTY(CURSOR_STYLE,'DEFAULT');     
                    soft_messages('E',true,'Please enter Authorization/Host Code before completing the process');
               End if;
          ELSIF
          :INVENTORY.Request_type ='START' THEN
               If :INVENTORY.bill_hierarchy is null THEN
                    SET_APPLICATION_PROPERTY(CURSOR_STYLE,'DEFAULT');     
                    soft_messages('E',true,'Please enter Billing Hierarchy before completing the process');
               Elsif
               :CARD.node is null THEN
                    SET_APPLICATION_PROPERTY(CURSOR_STYLE,'DEFAULT');     
                    soft_messages('E',true,'Please enter Node/Card Number before completing the process');
               Elsif
               :INVENTORY.auth_code is null THEN
                    SET_APPLICATION_PROPERTY(CURSOR_STYLE,'DEFAULT');     
                    soft_messages('E',true,'Please enter Authorization/Host Code before completing the process');
               End if;     
          End if;
     ELSIF
     :INVENTORY.VENDOR_NO = 1268 THEN
          If :INVENTORY.Request_type ='DISCONNECT' then
If :INVENTORY.bill_hierarchy is null THEN
                    SET_APPLICATION_PROPERTY(CURSOR_STYLE,'DEFAULT');     
                    soft_messages('E',true,'Please enter Billing Hierarchy before completing the process');
               Elsif
               :CARD.node is null THEN
                    SET_APPLICATION_PROPERTY(CURSOR_STYLE,'DEFAULT');     
                    soft_messages('E',true,'Please enter Card No before completing the process');
               Elsif
               :INVENTORY.auth_code is null THEN
                    SET_APPLICATION_PROPERTY(CURSOR_STYLE,'DEFAULT');     
                    soft_messages('E',true,'Please enter Authorization Code before completing the process');
               End if;     
          ELSIF
          :INVENTORY.Request_type ='START' THEN
               If :INVENTORY.bill_hierarchy is null THEN
                    SET_APPLICATION_PROPERTY(CURSOR_STYLE,'DEFAULT');     
                    soft_messages('E',true,'Please enter Billing Hierarchy before completing the process');
          Elsif
               :CARD.node is null THEN
               SET_APPLICATION_PROPERTY(CURSOR_STYLE,'DEFAULT');     
                         soft_messages('E',true,'Please enter card number before completing the process');
               elsif
               :CARD.folder_id is null AND :inventory.vendor_no = 1268 THEN
                    SET_APPLICATION_PROPERTY(CURSOR_STYLE,'DEFAULT');     
                    soft_messages('E',true,'Please enter folder ID before completing the process');
               elsif
               :INVENTORY.PAC is null AND :inventory.vendor_no = 1268 THEN
                    SET_APPLICATION_PROPERTY(CURSOR_STYLE,'DEFAULT');     
                    soft_messages('E',true,'Please enter participant access code before completing the process');
               Elsif
               :INVENTORY.auth_code is null THEN
                    SET_APPLICATION_PROPERTY(CURSOR_STYLE,'DEFAULT');     
                    soft_messages('E',true,'Please enter Authorization Code before completing the process');
               End if;     
          End if;
     END IF;
     If :INVENTORY.tsr_no is null THEN
          soft_messages('E',true,'Please enter the TSR number.');
     elsif
     :INVENTORY.csa is null then
          soft_messages('E',true,'Please enter the CSA number.');
     elsif
     :INVENTORY.tsr_no is null and :INVENTORY.csa is null then
          soft_messages('E',true,'Please enter the TSR number and CSA number.');
     end if;
     if :inventory.vendor_no = 632 then
          v_node := :card.cnt_card;
          v_id := :card.cnt_id;          
          if v_node > 1 then
               soft_messages('E',true, 'Only one node/account # is required for request, Please correct to continue');
          end if;
     end if;
     if :inventory.vendor_no = 1268 then
          if :card.folder_id is not null and :card.node is null then
               soft_messages('E',true,'Please enter card number to continue');
          elsif
               :card.node is not null and :card.folder_id is null then
               soft_messages('E',true,'Please enter folder ID to continue');
          end if;
     end if;
     if :inventory.vendor_no = 1268 then
     v_node := :card.cnt_card;
     v_id := :card.cnt_id;     
     if v_node <> :inventory.num_requested and v_id <> :inventory.num_requested then
          soft_messages('E',true, 'The node and folder ID entered must equal the number requested , Please correct to continue');
          end if;
     end if;
     If (:inventory.tsr_no is not null AND :inventory.csa is not null
     AND :inventory.bill_hierarchy is not null AND :card.node is not null
     AND :inventory.auth_code is not null) then
          msg_txt := 'Are you sure you want to complete this request: '||:inventory.REQUEST_NO||' ?' ;          
          al_button :=     DISPLAY_ALERT('CG$ASK_COMMIT',msg_txt);
          --If status change is requested          
          If al_button = 88 then     
               SET_APPLICATION_PROPERTY(CURSOR_STYLE,'BUSY');     
               If Reqtype = 'START' and :INVENTORY.status = 'PENDING START' then
                    :INVENTORY.status :='ACTIVE';     
                    :INVENTORY.COMPL_DATE := SYSDATE;
               :INVENTORY.COMPLETED_BY := USER;          
               Elsif Reqtype = 'START' and :INVENTORY.status = 'ACTIVE' then
                    :INVENTORY.status :='ACTIVE';
                    :INVENTORY.CREATE_DATE := SYSDATE;
                    :INVENTORY.CREATE_USER := USER;
                    :INVENTORY.COMPL_DATE := SYSDATE;
                    :INVENTORY.COMPLETED_BY := USER;          
               Elsif Reqtype = 'DISCONNECT' and :inventory.status = 'PENDING DISCONNECT' then
                    :INVENTORY.status :='DISCONNECTED';
     :INVENTORY.COMPL_DATE := SYSDATE;
     :INVENTORY.COMPLETED_BY := USER;
               End if;     
          end if;     
/* something is not letting the commit for the card block happen*/
          :SYSTEM.MESSAGE_LEVEL := 5;
          COMMIT_FORM;
          :SYSTEM.MESSAGE_LEVEL := 0;
          SET_APPLICATION_PROPERTY(CURSOR_STYLE,'DEFAULT');     
          if al_button = 88 then
               soft_messages('I',false,'Request has been successfully processed.');
     else
               soft_messages('I',false,'This Request has not been saved.');
          end if;
------------end code snippet-----------------
Everything after this point hinges on the data having been committed.
This is unfortunately code I've inherited, so I'm not sure why the former owner decided that just because you pressed "yes" the request should be declared successfully processed. I've cleaned up what's listed above, but for debugging purposes I've planted little messages throughout this code to let me know what the state of some of the variables are, and everything looks to be correct.
Why would I get a FRM-40400 if it's not actually successfully updating the database?
Cyd

Answer 1

"The fact that it's doing a commit no matter what..."
It won't do a commit if the form_status is QUERY. Did you check the form_status before coming to the actual commit statement? If it's QUERY, it won't commit. You need to do check this!
If the form_status is not QUERY, then it will do a commit unless the form is doing something in a pre-commit trigger, or deleting the records in a post commit trigger. The fact you were getting a "are no changes to be saved" message, leads me to believe you may have something going on in a trigger that fires when it encounters your commit statement. You may have to use the debugger to execute your code one line at a time to find out what's going one here. Have you tried doing that?
Other possibilities are:
a. The database or schema you are looking at is not the database or schema Forms is using to save the records.
b. The records being commited are not the records you were expecting.
"FRM-40400 blinking up on the screen"
not sure why it would be blinking... maybe due to the version of Forms Builder you are using.