Java Plugin Notice for Forms
In the past two years, many web browsers such as Firefox and Chrome have de-supported the NPAPI plugin (see https://pitss.com/us/2017/03/08/oracle-forms-in-firefox and https://pitss.com/us/2015/04/16/oracle-forms-google-chrome for more information). The NPAPI plugin is used by the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) which the JRE is required to run Forms.
If you’re experiencing a Java plugin notice, there’s an important reason why.
As of July 2017, only Internet Explorer is able to run the NPAPI plugin as it no longer functions in Firefox and Chrome. It is also not available with Microsoft Edge, Microsoft’s replacement for Internet Explorer. As of right now, there are no plans for Microsoft to remove plugin support such as NPAPI from its Internet Explorer browser. However, Internet Explorer has reached its end of life, and it will only remain supported for as long as Windows 7, 8.1, and 10 remain under support. Therefore, end users should be able to continue running Oracle Forms using Internet Explorer for another few years.
However, it is recommend to start planning a course of action to ensure your end users will be able to continue accessing your applications with little to no interruption.
Regardless of Internet Explorer support for the NPAPI plugin, Oracle will be depreciating the Java browser plugin when Java 9 is released. This will mean that in a future update to Java 9 (once it is released), the Java plugin will be removed from the JDK and JRE. However, you should still be able to use JRE 6, 7, and 8 if you need to use the Java browser plugin. Keep in mind that older versions of Java will not contain as many security fixes as the newest version. Therefore, it is recommended to only continue using JRE 8 and older (once Java 9 is released and certified for Forms 12c) until you are able to use a certified alternative to the Java plugin.
