It is valuable to be able to decompile Oracle systems when you no longer have access to the source code.  A Java decompiler can assist in decompiling SQL*Forms FMB files and Oracle JDeveloper executables.  This paper published at ODTUG 2005 titled Practical JDAPI, Harm Verschuren discusses the migration of Oracle Forms applications with the help of self-written Java tools using the JDAPI framework. The migration process involved migrating from a corporate Client/Server application built in Oracle Forms 6i to an Oracle 10g WebForms application.

Harm Verschuren notes that a Java decompiler, via Oracle JDeveloper, can read SQL*Forms executable files (xxx.fmb files):

"Through JDAPI, we can compare the original, completely generated FMB with the FMB that was modified through Forms Builder. On analyzing the differences, we can then make specific changes through the Designer API in the Module Definition. Thus, on subsequent generation of the Form, the manual changes are no longer required."

Here are the steps to incorporate the Oracle Java decompiler:

1. First, you download the JDAPI documentation from the OTN web site and unpack the zip file to a convenient location on your hard disk (in figure 1 I unpacked it in C:\APPS\jar).

2. In the JDeveloper menu, go to Tools - Manage Libraries to add the JDAPI framework as a library

3. "Optionally download a Java decompiler, for instance jad (http://kpdus.tripod.com/jad) and use it to decompile the f90jdapi.jar."

SQL*Forms components can also be captured, but only if the SQL*Forms source code already exists:

"Using java.lang.Runtime and java.lang.Process the Forms Compiler (ifcmp90.exe on Windows or f90genm.sh on UNIX) is called, as shown by the Java code in Example 4. The command to parse or compile the pld or the pll file respectively is the same command, as you would use to generate modules batch-wise."