24.11 Using Build Options to Control Configuration

Build options enable you to conditionally display specific functionality within an application.

Build options have two possible values: INCLUDE and EXCLUDE. If you specify an attribute as being included, then the Application Express engine considers it part of the application definition at runtime. Conversely, if you specify an attribute as being excluded, then the Application Express engine treats it as if it did not exist.

See Also:

"Changing Build Status for Multiple Applications" in Oracle Application Express Administration Guide and discussions of the GET_BUILD_OPTION_STATUS and SET_BUILD_OPTION_STATUS procedures in "APEX_UTIL" in Oracle Application Express API Reference

24.11.1 Creating Build Options

You create a build option for an application on the Build Options page.

To create a build option:

  1. On the Workspace home page, click the Application Builder icon.

  2. Select an application.

  3. On the Application home page, click Shared Components.

  4. Under Security, click Build Options.

  5. To create a new build option, click Create.

  6. Follow the on-screen instructions.

24.11.2 Managing Build Options

Build options have two possible values: INCLUDE and EXCLUDE. If you specify an attribute as being included, then the Application Express engine considers it part of the application definition at runtime. Conversely, if you specify an attribute as being excluded, then the Application Express engine treats it as if it did not exist.

To include or exclude a build option:

  1. On the Workspace home page, click the Application Builder icon.

  2. Select an application.

  3. On the Application home page, click Shared Components.

  4. Under Security, click Build Options.

    The Build Options page appears.

  5. Select a build option name.

    The Create/Edit Build Option page appears.

  6. For Status, select either INCLUDE or EXCLUDE.

24.11.3 Selecting a Build Option

Once you create a build option, you can select it for a page, a component (report, chart, or form), a specific page control (button, item, list of value), and another shared component (breadcrumb, list, or tab). You apply build options to a page, component, page control, or shared component by navigating to the appropriate attributes page. Most attributes pages contain a Configuration section where you can select defined build options.

24.11.4 Exporting Build Options or Build Option Status

You can export build options or build option status on the Component Export page. Exporting build option status is an effective way to toggle build options on or off within another environment. For example, you can use this feature to deploy a production application with a hidden feature by associating the components of the hidden feature with a build option having the status of EXCLUDE. After deployment, you can enable the hidden feature by changing the status of the build option to INCLUDE and then exporting the Build Option Status.

Once you apply the Build Options Status to the production instance, the new feature appears.

To export build options or build option status:

  1. Navigate to the Component Export page:

    1. On the Workspace home page, click the Application Builder icon.

    2. Select an application.

    3. Click Shared Components.

    4. From the Tasks list, click Export Application Components.

      The Component Export page appears.

  2. Select the build options to export:

    1. Click the Build Options Status tab and select the build options to export.

    2. Click Add to Export.

  3. Click Next.

  4. On Components Export:

    1. File Format - Select how rows in the export file are formatted:

      • UNIX - The resulting file contains rows delimited by line feeds.

      • DOS - The resulting file contains rows delimited by carriage returns and line feeds.

    2. As of - Specify a time in minutes to go to back to for your export. This option enables you to go back in time in your application, perhaps to get back a deleted object.

      This utility uses the DBMS_FLASHBACK package. Because the timestamp to System Change Number (SCN) mapping is refreshed approximately every five minutes, you may have to wait that amount of time to locate the version for which you are looking. The time undo information is retained and influenced by the startup parameter UNDO_RETENTION (the default is three hours). However, this only influences the size of the undo tablespace. While two databases may have the same UNDO_RETENTION parameter, you are able to go back further in time on a database with fewer transactions because it is not filling the undo tablespace, forcing older data to be archived.

    3. Click Export Components.

    Tip:

    For translated applications, the Export Translations field displays. To export the selected shared components for the primary language application and all translated applications, from Export Translations field, select Yes. To ensure text strings and markup are up-to-date, remember to synchronize the translated applications prior to exporting the translated components.

24.11.5 Viewing the Build Option Utilization Report

Once you create a build option, a Utilization tab appears on the Build Options page. This report details build option utilization in the current application.

Note:

The Utilization tab only appears on the Build Options page after you create a build option.

To view the Build Option Utilization report:

  1. Navigate to the Build Options page:

    1. Navigate to the Workspace home page.

    2. Click the Application Builder icon.

    3. Select an application.

    4. Click Shared Components.

    5. Under Security, click Build Options.

      The Build Options page appears.

  2. On the Build Options page, click Utilization.

    The Build Option Utilization report appears.

  3. Select a build option and click Go.