Migrating Forms to Java or ADF, the truth and no FUD
- by Grant Ronald
The question about migrating Forms to Java (or ADF or APEX) comes up time and time again. I wanted to pull some core information together in a single blog post to address this question.
The first question I always ask is "WHY" - Forms may still be a viable option for you so "if it ain't broke don't fix it". Bottom line is whatever anyone tells you, its going to be a considerable effort and cost to migrate from Forms to something else so the business is going to want to know WHY you spend all those hard earned dollars switching from something that might have been serving you quite adequately.
Second point, if you are going to switch, I would encourage you NOT to look at building a Forms clone. So many times I see people trying to build an ADF application and EXACTLY mimic the Forms model - ADF is NOT a Forms clone. You should be building to the sweet spot of your target technology, not your 20 year old client/server technology. This is also the chance for the business to embrace change, so maybe look at new processes, channels and technology options that weren't available when you first developed your Forms applications.
To help you understand what is involved, I've put together a number of resources.
Thinking about migration of Forms to Java, ADF or APEX, read this to prepare yourself
Oracle Forms to ADF: When, Why and How - this gives you an overview of our vision, directly from Oracle Product Management
Redeveloping a Forms Application with Oracle JDeveloper and Oracle ADF. This is a conference session from myself and Lynn Munsinger on how ADF can be used in a Forms migration/rewrite
As someone who manages both Forms and ADF Product Management teams, I've a foot in either camp and am happy to see you use either tool. However, I want you to be able to make an informed decision. My hope is that there information sources will help you do that.
