App Builder User's Guide

1159 Pages·2017·12.92 MB·English

Oracle® Application Express
App Builder User's Guide
Release 18.2
F10919-01
November 2018
Oracle Application Express App Builder User's Guide, Release 18.2
F10919-01
Copyright © 2003, 2018, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
Primary Author: Terri Jennings
Contributors: Christina Cho, Hilary Farrell, Michael Hichwa, Joel Kallman, Sharon Kennedy, Harish
Konakondla, David Peake, Anthony Rayner, Marc Sewtz, John Synders, Jason Straub, Patrick Wolf
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Contents
Preface
Audience xl
Documentation Accessibility xl
Related Documents xl
Conventions xli
Changes in This Release
Changes in Oracle Application Express Release 18.2 xlii
Changes in Oracle Application Express Release 18.1 xliii
1 Quick Start
About Accessing Your Development Environment 1-2
Understanding Oracle Application Express 1-2
What is Oracle Application Express? 1-3
How Oracle Application Express Works 1-3
About the Differences Between Runtime and Full Development Environments 1-3
Understanding the Workspace Home Page 1-4
Workspace Home Page 1-4
Top Apps and Top Users Dashboards 1-6
News and Messages Region 1-6
Developer Navigation Tools 1-7
Global Search 1-7
Administration Menu 1-10
Help Menu 1-11
Account Menu 1-12
Available Updates Region 1-13
Understanding App Builder 1-13
Accessing App Builder 1-14
Understanding the App Builder Home Page 1-15
App Builder Home Page Icons and Navigation Bar 1-16
Reset and Create Buttons 1-18
iii
Recent List, Tasks List, and Migrations Link 1-19
Workspace Utilities 1-20
Viewing Cross Application Reports 1-21
Accessing the Application Home Page 1-22
Understanding the Application Home Page 1-22
Edit Application Properties Button 1-23
Application Home Page Icons 1-24
Create Page Button 1-25
Application Home Page Navigation Bar 1-25
Application Home Page Tasks List 1-27
Recently Edited Pages 1-27
Changing Your Profile or Password 1-27
Editing User Preferences 1-28
Using Oracle Application Express Documentation 1-29
Accessing Oracle Help Center 1-29
Searching the Oracle Help Center 1-30
Downloading the Documentation Library 1-31
Viewing Field-Level Help 1-31
Viewing Field-level Help in Oracle Application Express 1-31
Viewing Help in Page Designer 1-32
2 App Builder Concepts
Understanding Oracle Application Express Applications 2-2
What is an Oracle Application Express Application? 2-2
What is the Difference Between a Database and Websheet Application? 2-2
Running an Application or Page 2-3
Run Application and Run Page Buttons 2-4
How Your Browser Impacts the Way Applications Run 2-4
Running an Application from the App Builder Home Page 2-5
Running an Application from the Application Home Page 2-5
Running a Page on the Application Home Page 2-6
How Does Page Processing and Page Rendering Work? 2-6
How the Application Express Engine Renders and Processes Pages 2-6
About Implicit Commit Points 2-7
Understanding Conditional Rendering and Processing 2-7
What is a Condition? 2-7
Selecting a Condition 2-8
Condition Example: Current Page in Expression 1 2-8
Condition Example: Exists 2-8
Condition Example: PL/SQL Expression 2-8
iv
About Verifying User Identity 2-9
About Controlling Access to Controls and Components 2-9
About Enabling Support for Bookmarks 2-9
Understanding Session State Management 2-10
What is Session State? 2-10
About Session IDs 2-10
What Is a Session? 2-11
Viewing Session State 2-11
Understanding URL Syntax 2-13
About the Application Page URL 2-13
About Using f?p Syntax to Link Pages 2-14
Calling a Page Using an Application Alias or Page Alias 2-16
Calling a Page from a Button URL 2-16
Managing Session State Values 2-17
About Referencing Session State 2-17
About Setting Session State 2-18
Clearing Session State 2-19
About Clearing Cache for an Item 2-19
About Clearing Cache for All Page Items 2-19
Clearing Cache for an Entire Application 2-20
About Resetting an Application Completely 2-20
About Clearing Cache for the Current User Session 2-21
Referencing Session State Using Bind Variable Syntax 2-21
About Using Bind Variable Syntax 2-21
About Using Bind Variables in Regions Based on a SQL Query or LOV 2-21
About Using Bind Variables in Regions Based on PL/SQL 2-22
About Session Cloning 2-22
Using Substitution Strings 2-23
About Using Substitution Strings 2-23
Controlling Output Escaping in Substitution Strings 2-25
About Determining Substitution String Usage within Templates 2-26
Using Built-in Substitution Strings 2-26
APEX$ROW_NUM 2-28
APEX$ROW_SELECTOR 2-28
APEX$ROW_STATUS 2-28
APP_ID 2-29
APP_ALIAS 2-29
APP_AJAX_X01, ... APP_AJAX_X10 2-30
APP_BUILDER_SESSION 2-30
APP_DATE_TIME_FORMAT 2-31
APP_IMAGES 2-31
v
APP_NLS_DATE_FORMAT 2-31
APP_NLS_TIMESTAMP_FORMAT 2-32
APP_NLS_TIMESTAMP_TZ_FORMAT 2-32
APP_PAGE_ALIAS 2-33
APP_PAGE_ID 2-33
APP_REQUEST_DATA_HASH 2-33
APP_SESSION 2-34
APP_SESSION_VISIBLE 2-34
APP_TITLE 2-35
APP_UNIQUE_PAGE_ID 2-35
APP_USER 2-36
AUTHENTICATED_URL_PREFIX 2-37
BROWSER_LANGUAGE 2-37
CURRENT_PARENT_TAB_TEXT 2-37
DEBUG 2-38
HOME_LINK 2-38
IMAGE_PREFIX 2-39
JET_BASE_DIRECTORY 2-39
JET_CSS_DIRECTORY 2-39
JET_JS_DIRECTORY 2-40
LOGIN_URL 2-40
LOGOUT_URL 2-40
APP_TEXT$Message_Name, APP_TEXT$Message_Name$Lang 2-41
PRINTER_FRIENDLY 2-41
PROXY_SERVER 2-41
PUBLIC_URL_PREFIX 2-42
REQUEST 2-42
Using REQUEST 2-42
SCHEMA OWNER 2-44
SQLERRM 2-44
SYSDATE_YYYYMMDD 2-45
THEME_DB_IMAGES 2-45
THEME_IMAGES 2-45
WORKSPACE_IMAGES 2-45
WORKSPACE_ID 2-46
3 Utilizing the App Gallery
About App Gallery 3-1
Managing Productivity and Sample Apps in a Full Development Environment 3-2
Accessing the App Gallery Page 3-3
vi
Installing a Productivity and Sample App 3-4
Running a Productivity and Sample App 3-5
Removing a Productivity and Sample App 3-5
Changing Authentication for an Installed Productivity and Sample App 3-6
Unlocking an Installed Productivity Application 3-6
Updating a Productivity and Sample App 3-7
Understanding Sample Database Application 3-8
Installing and Running Sample Database Application 3-8
Reviewing Sample Database Application 3-9
Home Page 3-10
About the Navigation Menu 3-11
Customers Page 3-12
Using the Customers Page 3-12
Products Page 3-14
Using the Products Page 3-15
Orders Page 3-15
Using the Orders Page 3-16
Reports Page 3-17
Administration Page 3-18
Modifying Sample Database Application 3-19
Why Modify a Sample Database Application? 3-19
Editing Sample Database Application 3-20
Understanding AnyCo IT Department Websheet 3-22
Installing and Running AnyCo IT Department 3-22
Understanding Websheet Navigation 3-23
Understanding AnyCo IT Department 3-25
Navigating Between Pages and Viewing Page Sections 3-25
Home Page 3-26
Projects Page 3-29
Project Review Page 3-30
Systems Page 3-30
Planned Purchase Review 3-31
Systems Budget Review 3-33
Modifying Websheet Content 3-35
Why Modify Sample Websheet Application? 3-35
Updating a Websheet Section 3-35
Utilizing App Administration 3-37
Making a Service Request 3-38
Setting Workspace Preferences 3-39
Managing Users 3-39
Managing Saved Interactive Reports 3-40
vii
Managing Interactive Report Subscriptions 3-41
Viewing Activity Reports 3-41
Viewing Page Views 3-41
Viewing Top Users 3-41
Using a Productivity and Sample Apps Only Workspace 3-42
What Is a Productivity and Sample Apps Only Workspace? 3-42
Requesting a Productivity and Sample Apps Only Workspace 3-42
Signing In To a Productivity and Sample Apps Only Workspace 3-43
Using the App Page 3-43
4 Managing the Application Life Cycle with Team Development
Accessing Team Development 4-2
Team Development Home Page 4-2
Tracking Features 4-4
Viewing the Features Report 4-4
Creating a Feature 4-5
About Feature Email Notifications 4-6
Updating or Deleting a Feature 4-6
About Creating Parent Features 4-7
How to Attach Files to a Feature 4-7
Attaching a File to a Feature 4-8
Viewing, Editing, and Removing Attached Files 4-8
Viewing Other Feature Reports 4-8
Viewing the Features Tree 4-9
Viewing the Features Calendar 4-10
Viewing The Feature History Report 4-10
Viewing the Feature Progress Log 4-11
Viewing the Feature Focus Areas Chart 4-11
Viewing the Approval Statuses 4-12
Viewing the Feature Owners Chart 4-12
Assigning or Updating Milestones Associated with Features 4-12
Tracking Milestones 4-13
Viewing the Milestones Report 4-13
Creating a Milestone 4-13
Updating or Deleting a Milestone 4-14
Viewing Other Milestone Reports 4-14
Viewing the Milestone Calendar 4-14
Viewing the Milestones By Owner Report 4-15
Viewing the Features by Milestone Report 4-15
Tracking To Dos 4-15
viii
Viewing To Dos 4-16
Creating a To Do 4-16
Updating a To Do 4-17
Managing Files Attached to a To Do 4-17
Attaching a File to a To Do 4-17
Viewing, Editing, and Removing Attached Files 4-18
Viewing Other To Do Reports 4-18
Viewing the To Dos Calendar 4-18
Viewing the To Do Progress Log 4-19
Managing Bugs 4-19
Viewing Bugs 4-20
Creating a Bug 4-20
Editing a Bug 4-20
Managing Files Attached to a Bug 4-21
Attaching a File to a Bug 4-21
Viewing, Editing, and Removing Attached Files 4-22
Viewing Other Bug Reports 4-22
Viewing the Bug Calendar 4-22
Viewing the Bugs By Developer 4-23
Viewing the Bugs By Day 4-23
Managing Feedback 4-24
About Feedback 4-24
Adding Feedback Using the Create Application Wizard 4-25
Adding Feedback Using the Create Page Wizard 4-26
Submitting Feedback Within a Running Application 4-27
Reviewing Feedback Within an Application 4-27
Configuring Feedback Within an Application 4-28
Tracking Feedback Team in Development 4-28
Accessing the Feedback Report in Team Development 4-28
Viewing Feedback by Filing User 4-29
Viewing the Feedback Calendar 4-29
Managing Team Development Utilities 4-30
Accessing Team Development Utilities 4-31
Configuring Team Development Settings 4-32
Viewing a Release Summary 4-33
Managing Feature Utilities 4-33
Renaming Focus Areas 4-34
Downloading File Attachments 4-34
Purging Data 4-34
Managing News Entries 4-35
ix
Managing Links with Workspace Members 4-35
5 Creating Websheet Applications
Creating a Websheet Application 5-2
Creating a Websheet from App Builder 5-2
Creating a Websheet Application from a Running Websheet 5-3
Copying an Existing Websheet Page 5-4
Running a Websheet 5-4
Running a Websheet from the App Builder Home Page 5-5
Running a Websheet from the Application Home Page 5-5
Determining a Websheet URL 5-6
Editing Page Details 5-6
Understanding Websheet Properties 5-7
Editing Websheet Properties 5-7
Websheet Properties 5-7
Websheet 5-8
Details 5-8
Logo 5-9
Style 5-9
Authentication 5-9
Authorization 5-10
SQL 5-11
Deleting a Websheet Application 5-11
Viewing the Websheet Dashboard 5-11
Monitoring Websheet Activity 5-12
Controlling Websheet Access 5-13
How Websheet Access Works 5-13
Specifying the Access Control List Type 5-13
Creating Access Control List Entries 5-14
6 Creating Database Applications
About the Create Application Wizard 6-2
Understanding Page Types, Features, and Settings 6-4
About Creating a New Database Application 6-5
Available Page Types in the Create Application Wizard 6-5
Available Features in the Create Application Wizard 6-7
Available Settings in the Create Application Wizard 6-8
About Removing Features Created with the Create Application Wizard 6-11
Creating a Database Application Based on a Table or Query 6-12
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