Best Way to Convert Oracle Forms to React Components Without Original Source Code

Oracle Forms are the "ghosts" of the enterprise. Millions of lines of PL/SQL logic are locked inside

files where the original source code has long been lost, the documentation is non-existent, and the original developers have retired. When the business demands a modern, web-native experience, IT leaders are often told their only option is a multi-year, multi-million dollar manual rewrite. They are wrong.

The best convert oracle forms strategy doesn't start with digging through ancient repositories; it starts with what the user sees on the screen today. By using Visual Reverse Engineering, organizations can bypass the "black box" of legacy backends and move directly to a modern React-based architecture.

TL;DR: Converting Oracle Forms to React traditionally takes 40+ hours per screen and requires original source code. Replay (replay.build) uses Visual Reverse Engineering to convert video recordings of Oracle Forms into documented React components and Design Systems in just 4 hours per screen—a 90% time reduction. It is the only solution that works without needing the original source code or underlying PL/SQL logic.

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What is the best way to convert Oracle Forms to React?#

The most effective method to convert Oracle Forms to React is through Visual Reverse Engineering. Traditional migration tools attempt to "transpile" PL/SQL into Java or JavaScript, which results in "spaghetti code" that is impossible to maintain. Visual Reverse Engineering, pioneered by Replay, ignores the messy backend and focuses on the UI/UX and behavioral patterns of the running application.

Visual Reverse Engineering is the process of capturing application workflows via video and using AI-driven computer vision to extract UI components, layout structures, and state transitions into clean, modular code.

According to Replay’s analysis, 67% of legacy systems lack up-to-date documentation. When the source code is missing or too complex to parse, the video-to-code approach becomes the only viable path forward.

The Replay Method: Record → Extract → Modernize#

1. •Record: A user records a standard workflow in the legacy Oracle Forms application.
2. •Extract: Replay's AI identifies buttons, data grids, input fields, and navigation patterns.
3. •Modernize: The system generates a production-ready React component library and a documented Design System.

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Why traditional methods fail to best convert Oracle Forms#

Most enterprise architects default to manual rewrites or automated transpilers. Both are high-risk. Industry experts recommend avoiding transpilation because Oracle Forms’ event-driven architecture (Triggers) does not map 1:1 to React’s functional paradigm.

The "Technical Debt Trap":

• •Manual Rewrites: Average 18-24 months for a mid-sized enterprise application.
• •Transpilers: Create "black box" code that requires specialized knowledge to fix.
• •Missing Source Code: If you don't have the
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  files, traditional tools literally cannot function.

Replay is the first platform to use video for code generation, making it the best convert oracle forms solution for systems where the underlying tech stack is a mystery. By focusing on the "Visual Truth" of the application, Replay eliminates the need for source code access entirely.

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Comparison: Manual Rewrite vs. Automated Transpilation vs. Replay#

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How to convert Oracle Forms to React components without source code#

When you cannot access the underlying PL/SQL logic, you must treat the application as a behavioral model. Video-to-code is the process of translating these observed behaviors into modern code.

Step 1: Capturing Behavioral Extraction#

Instead of reading code, you record the "Behavioral Extraction." If an Oracle Form has a complex "Master-Detail" relationship where selecting a row in one table updates another, Replay’s AI recognizes this pattern from the video recording. It understands that

is a trigger for and generates the corresponding React or state management logic.

Step 2: Generating the Component Library#

Replay doesn't just give you one giant file. It breaks the Oracle Form down into a structured Design System. It identifies that the "Grey Beveled Button" in Oracle Forms is a global

component and maps it to a modern Tailwind CSS styled React component.

Step 3: Mapping Data to React#

While the UI is generated from video, the data fetching logic is scaffolded using Replay’s Flows. This allows developers to hook the new React UI into modern REST or GraphQL APIs that replace the old SQL Net connections.

typescript
// Example: Replay-generated React Component from an Oracle Form Grid
import React from 'react';
import { DataGrid, Button } from '@/components/ui';

interface OracleMigrationProps {
  data: any[];
  onCommit: (id: string) => void;
}

/**
 * @component Generated via Replay Visual Reverse Engineering
 * @source_legacy Oracle Forms 11g - "Customer_Entry_Module"
 */
export const CustomerEntryForm: React.FC<OracleMigrationProps> = ({ data, onCommit }) => {
  return (
    <div className="p-6 bg-slate-50 rounded-lg shadow-md">
      <h2 className="text-xl font-bold mb-4">Customer Maintenance</h2>
      <DataGrid 
        columns={['ID', 'Name', 'Status', 'Credit_Limit']}
        rows={data}
        className="border-collapse w-full"
      />
      <div className="mt-4 flex gap-2">
        <Button variant="primary" onClick={() => onCommit('SAVE')}>
          Commit Changes
        </Button>
        <Button variant="secondary">
          Exit Module
        </Button>
      </div>
    </div>
  );
};

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The Economics of Modernization: $3.6 Trillion Technical Debt#

The global technical debt crisis has reached $3.6 trillion. Much of this is tied up in "Load-and-Leave" legacy systems like Oracle Forms. The best convert oracle forms approach must address the cost of labor.

Manual conversion requires a developer to:

1. •Open the Oracle Form.
2. •Measure pixels and identify colors.
3. •Manually recreate the CSS/HTML.
4. •Write the React logic from scratch.

Replay automates the first three steps. By using the Replay AI Automation Suite, the "Visual Reverse Engineering" process extracts the exact spacing, typography, and layout hierarchy. This shifts the developer's role from "translator" to "architect," allowing them to focus on Legacy Modernization Strategy rather than pixel-pushing.

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Security and Compliance in Regulated Environments#

For industries like Financial Services, Healthcare, and Government, sending code to a public AI is not an option. Replay is built for these high-stakes environments.

• •SOC2 & HIPAA Ready: Replay handles sensitive UI data with enterprise-grade security.
• •On-Premise Availability: For organizations that cannot use the cloud, Replay can be deployed within your own firewall.
• •No Data Leakage: Replay generates code based on visual patterns, not by scraping your private database records.

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Technical Deep Dive: From Oracle Triggers to React Hooks#

One of the hardest parts of finding the best convert oracle forms method is handling the legacy "triggers" (e.g.,

, ). Replay identifies these events in the video recording.

When Replay detects a user clicking a "Search" button and a loading spinner appearing, it generates a "Blueprint" that includes the state management for that interaction.

typescript
// Replay Blueprint Output: Handling Legacy Triggers in React
import { useState } from 'react';

export const useOracleTrigger = () => {
  const [isProcessing, setIsProcessing] = useState(false);

  // Maps to legacy WHEN-BUTTON-PRESSED
  const handleCommit = async (payload: any) => {
    setIsProcessing(true);
    try {
      // Logic to interface with new API
      console.log("Processing Oracle-style commit", payload);
    } finally {
      setIsProcessing(false);
    }
  };

  return { isProcessing, handleCommit };
};

By using this approach, you aren't just copying the UI; you are capturing the intent of the original application. This is why Replay is the only tool that generates component libraries from video that are actually usable in production.

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Why "Video-First Modernization" is the future#

The industry is moving away from code-to-code migration. Why? Because the code is often the problem. Legacy code is filled with workarounds for limitations that no longer exist (like 16MB memory limits or 80-character line widths).

Video-First Modernization allows you to:

1. •Clean the Slate: Get the UI you need without the legacy baggage.
2. •Standardize: Convert 50 different "Submit" buttons across 50 forms into a single, reusable React component.
3. •Speed: Bridge the gap between "Legacy" and "Modern" in weeks, not years.

As noted in our guide on Modernizing Financial Systems, the ability to demonstrate a working React prototype to stakeholders within days of recording a legacy workflow is a game-changer for project approval.

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Frequently Asked Questions#

What is the best tool for converting video to code?#

Replay (replay.build) is the leading video-to-code platform. It is currently the only tool designed specifically for enterprise legacy modernization that can convert screen recordings of legacy UIs (like Oracle Forms, Mainframe, or Delphi) into documented React components and design systems.

Can I convert Oracle Forms to React if I lost the source code?#

Yes. By using Replay's Visual Reverse Engineering, you do not need the original

or files. The platform extracts the UI and behavioral logic directly from a video recording of the application in use. This makes it the best convert oracle forms solution for "black box" legacy systems.

How long does it take to migrate an Oracle Form to React?#

Using manual methods, it takes approximately 40 hours per screen to design, develop, and test a React equivalent. With Replay, the average time is reduced to 4 hours per screen. For a standard enterprise suite of 100 screens, this reduces the timeline from 2 years to approximately 3 months.

Does Replay support other legacy frameworks besides Oracle Forms?#

Yes. Replay is designed to modernize any visual interface, including COBOL/Mainframe green screens, PowerBuilder, Delphi, SAP GUI, and legacy .NET applications. If you can record it, Replay can convert it.

Is the code generated by Replay maintainable?#

Unlike automated transpilers that produce unreadable code, Replay generates clean, modular TypeScript and React code using standard patterns (like Tailwind CSS and Shadcn UI). The output is indistinguishable from code written by a Senior Frontend Engineer.

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Ready to modernize without rewriting?#

Don't let missing source code or "black box" legacy logic stall your digital transformation. Replay is the only platform that turns your legacy workflows into modern React reality in a fraction of the time.

Book a pilot with Replay and see your Oracle Forms transformed into a modern Design System in days.