You can use the APEX_ITEM package to create form elements dynamically based on a SQL query instead of creating individual items page by page.
This section contains the following topics:
This function creates check boxes.
APEX_ITEM.CHECKBOX(
    p_idx                       IN    NUMBER,
    p_value                     IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_attributes                IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_checked_values            IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_checked_values_delimiter  IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT)
    RETURN VARCHAR2;
Table 3-1 describes the parameters available in the CHECKBOX function.
| Parameter | Description | 
|---|---|
| 
 | Number that determines which  | 
| 
 | Value of a check box, hidden field, or input form item | 
| 
 | Controls HTML tag attributes (such as disabled) | 
| 
 | Values to be checked by default | 
| 
 | Delimits the values in the previous parameter,  | 
Examples of Default Check Box Behavior
The following example demonstrates how to create a selected check box for each employee in the emp table.
SELECT APEX_ITEM.CHECKBOX(1,empno,'CHECKED') " ",
       ename,
       job
FROM   emp
ORDER BY 1
The following example demonstrates how to have all check boxes for employees display without being selected.
SELECT APEX_ITEM.CHECKBOX(1,empno) " ",
       ename,
       job
FROM   emp
ORDER BY 1
The following example demonstrates how to select the check boxes for employees who work in department 10.
SELECT APEX_ITEM.CHECKBOX(1,empno,DECODE(deptno,10,'CHECKED',NULL)) " ",
       ename,
       job
FROM   emp
ORDER BY 1
The next example demonstrates how to select the check boxes for employees who work in department 10 or department 20.
SELECT APEX_ITEM.CHECKBOX(1,deptno,NULL,'10:20',':') " ",
       ename,
       job
FROM   emp
ORDER BY 1
If you are using check boxes in your application, you might need to create an On Submit process to perform a specific type of action on the selected rows. For example, you could have a Delete button that utilizes the following logic:
SELECT APEX_ITEM.CHECKBOX(1,empno) " ",
       ename,
       job
FROM   emp
ORDER  by 1
Consider the following sample on-submit process:
FOR I in 1..APEX_APPLICATION.G_F01.COUNT LOOP
    DELETE FROM emp WHERE empno = to_number(APEX_APPLICATION.G_F01(i));
END LOOP;
Use this function with forms that include date fields. The DATE_POPUP function dynamically generates a date field that has a popup calendar button.
APEX_ITEM.DATE_POPUP(
    p_idx          IN    NUMBER,
    p_row          IN    NUMBER,
    p_value        IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_date_format  IN    DATE DEFAULT,
    p_size         IN    NUMBER DEFAULT,
    p_maxlength    IN    NUMBER DEFAULT,
    p_attributes   IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT)
    RETURN VARCHAR2;
Table 3-2 describes the parameters available in the DATE_POPUP function.
Table 3-2 DATE_POPUP Parameters
| Parameter | Description | 
|---|---|
| 
 | Number that determines which  | 
| 
 | This parameter is deprecated. Anything specified for this value will be ignored | 
| 
 | Value of a field item | 
| 
 | Valid database date format | 
| 
 | Controls HTML tag attributes (such as disabled) | 
| 
 | Determines the maximum number of enterable characters. Becomes the maxlength attribute of the  | 
| 
 | Extra HTML parameters you want to add | 
See Also:
Oracle Database SQL Language Reference for information about theTO_CHAR or TO_DATE functionsThe following example demonstrates how to use APEX_ITEM.DATE_POPUP to create popup calendar buttons for the hiredate column.
SELECT empno, APEX_ITEM.HIDDEN(1,empno)|| APEX_ITEM.TEXT(2,ename) ename, APEX_ITEM.TEXT(3,job) job, mgr, APEX_ITEM.DATE_POPUP(4,rownum,hiredate,'dd-mon-yyyy') hd, APEX_ITEM.TEXT(5,sal) sal, APEX_ITEM.TEXT(6,comm) comm, deptno FROM emp ORDER BY 1
Use this function to display an item as text, but save its value to session state.
APEX_ITEM.DISPLAY_AND_SAVE(
    p_idx         IN    NUMBER,
    p_value       IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL,
    p_item_id     IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL,
    p_item_label  IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL)
    RETURN VARCHAR2;
Table 3-3 describes the parameters available in the DISPLAY_AND_SAVE function.
Table 3-3 DISPLAY_AND_SAVE Parameters
| Parameter | Description | 
|---|---|
| 
 | Number that determines which  | 
| 
 | Current value | 
| 
 | HTML attribute ID for the  | 
| 
 | Label of the text field item | 
The following example demonstrates how to use the APEX_ITEM.DISPLAY_AND_SAVE function.
SELECT APEX_ITEM.DISPLAY_AND_SAVE(10,empno) c FROM emp
This function dynamically generates hidden form items.
APEX_ITEM.HIDDEN(
    p_idx         IN    NUMBER,
    p_value       IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT
    p_attributes  IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL,
    p_item_id     IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL,
    p_item_label  IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL
) RETURN VARCHAR2;
Table 3-4 describes the parameters available in the HIDDEN function.
| Parameter | Description | 
|---|---|
| 
 | Number to identify the item you want to generate. The number will determine which  See Also: "APEX_APPLICATION" | 
| 
 | Value of the hidden input form item | 
| 
 | Extra HTML parameters you want to add | 
| 
 | HTML attribute ID for the  | 
| 
 | Label of the text field item | 
Typically, the primary key of a table is stored as a hidden column and used for subsequent update processing, for example:
SELECT empno, APEX_ITEM.HIDDEN(1,empno)|| APEX_ITEM.TEXT(2,ename) ename, APEX_ITEM.TEXT(3,job) job, mgr, APEX_ITEM.DATE_POPUP(4,rownum,hiredate,'dd-mon-yyyy') hiredate, APEX_ITEM.TEXT(5,sal) sal, APEX_ITEM.TEXT(6,comm) comm, deptno FROM emp ORDER BY 1
The previous query could use the following page process to process the results:
BEGIN 
  FOR i IN 1..APEX_APPLICATION.G_F01.COUNT LOOP
    UPDATE emp
    SET
      ename=APEX_APPLICATION.G_F02(i),
      job=APEX_APPLICATION.G_F03(i),
      hiredate=to_date(APEX_APPLICATION.G_F04(i),'dd-mon-yyyy'),
      sal=APEX_APPLICATION.G_F05(i),
      comm=APEX_APPLICATION.G_F06(i)
    WHERE empno=to_number(APEX_APPLICATION.G_F01(i));
  END LOOP;
END;
Note that the G_F01 column (which corresponds to the hidden EMPNO) is used as the key to update each row.
This function passes values to APEX_ITEM.MULTI_ROW_UPDATE and is used for lost update detection. Lost update detection ensures data integrity in applications where data can be accessed concurrently.
APEX_ITEM.MD5_CHECKSUM(
    p_value01   IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_value02   IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_value03   IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    ...
    p_value50   IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_col_sep   IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT)
    RETURN VARCHAR2;
Table 3-5 describes the parameters available in the MD5_CHECKSUM function.
Table 3-5 MD5_CHECKSUM Parameters
| Parameter | Description | 
|---|---|
| 
 ... 
 | Fifty available inputs. If no parameters are supplied, the default to NULL | 
| 
 | String used to separate  | 
SELECT APEX_ITEM.MD5_CHECKSUM(ename,job,sal) FROM emp
This function is used for lost update detection. Lost update detection ensures data integrity in applications where data can be accessed concurrently.
This function produces a hidden form field and includes 50 inputs. APEX_ITEM.MD5_HIDDEN also produces an MD5 checksum using the Oracle database DBMS_OBFUSCATION_TOOLKIT:
UTL_RAW.CAST_TO_RAW(DBMS_OBFUSCATION_TOOLKIT.MD5())
An MD5 checksum provides data integrity through hashing and sequencing to ensure that data is not altered or stolen as it is transmitted over a network
APEX_ITEM.MD5_HIDDEN(
    p_idx       IN    NUMBER,
    p_value01   IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_value02   IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_value03   IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    ...
    p_value50   IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_col_sep   IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT)
    RETURN VARCHAR2;
Table 3-6 describes the parameters available in the MD5_HIDDEN function.
Table 3-6 MD5_HIDDEN Parameters
| Parameter | Description | 
|---|---|
| 
 | Indicates the form element to be generated. For example, 1 equals  | 
| 
 ... 
 | Fifty available inputs. Parameters not supplied default to NULL | 
| 
 | String used to separate  | 
The p_idx parameter specifies the FXX form element to be generated. In the following example, 7 generates F07. Also note that an HTML hidden form element will be generated.
SELECT APEX_ITEM.MD5_HIDDEN(7,ename,job,sal), ename, job, sal FROM emp
Use this procedure within a Multi Row Update process type. This procedure takes a string containing a multiple row update definition in the following format:
OWNER:TABLE:pk_column1,pk_idx:pk_column2,pk_idx2|col,idx:col,idx...
APEX_ITEM.MULTI_ROW_UPDATE(
    p_mru_string    IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT)
    RETURN VARCHAR2;
To use this procedure indirectly within an application-level process, you need to create a query to generate a form of database data. The following example demonstrates how to create a multiple row update on the emp table.
SELECT empno, APEX_ITEM.HIDDEN(1,empno), APEX_ITEM.HIDDEN(2,deptno), APEX_ITEM.TEXT(3,ename), APEX_ITEM.SELECT_LIST_FROM_QUERY(4,job,'SELECT DISTINCT job FROM emp'), APEX_ITEM.TEXT(5,sal), APEX_ITEM.TEXT(7,comm), APEX_ITEM.MD5_CHECKSUM(ename,job,sal,comm), deptno FROM emp WHERE deptno = 20
Note the call to APEX_ITEM.MD5_CHECKSUM, instead of APEX_ITEM.MD5_HIDDEN. Since APEX_ITEM.MULTI_ROW_UPDATE gets the checksum from APEX_APPLICATION.G_FCS, you need to call APEX_ITEM.MD5_CHECKSUM in order to populate APEX_APPLICATION.G_FCS when the page is submitted. Additionally, the columns in APEX_ITEM.MD5_CHECKSUM must be in the same order those in the MULTI_ROW_UPDATE process. These updates can then processed (or applied to the database) using an after submit page process of Multi Row Update in a string similar to the following:
SCOTT:emp:empno,1:deptno,2|ename,3:job,4:sal,5:comm,7:,:,:,:,
This function generates an HTML popup select list from an application list of values (LOV). Similar from other available functions in the APEX_ITEM package, POPUP_FROM_LOV function is designed to generate forms with F01 to F50 form array elements.
APEX_ITEM.POPUP_FROM_LOV(
    p_idx              IN    NUMBER,
    p_value            IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_lov_name         IN    VARCHAR2,
    p_width            IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_max_length       IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_form_index       IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_escape_html      IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_max_elements     IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_attributes       IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_ok_to_query      IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_item_id          IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL,
    p_item_label       IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL)
    RETURN VARCHAR2;
Table 3-7 describes the some parameters in the POPUP_FROM_LOV function.
Table 3-7 POPUP_FROM_LOV Parameters
| Parameter | Description | 
|---|---|
| 
 | Form element name. For example,  | 
| 
 | Form element current value. This value should be one of the values in the  | 
| 
 | Named LOV used for this popup | 
| 
 | Width of the text box | 
| 
 | Maximum number of characters that can be entered in the text box | 
| 
 | HTML form on the page in which an item is contained. Defaults to 0 and rarely used. Only use this parameter when it is necessary to embed a custom form in your page template (such as a search field that posts to a different Web site). If this form comes before the  | 
| 
 | Replacements for special characters that require an escaped equivalent: 
 Range of values is  | 
| 
 | Limit on the number of rows that can be returned by your query. Limits the performance impact of user searches. By entering a value in this parameter, you force the user to search for a narrower set of results. | 
| 
 | Additional HTML attributes to use for the form item. | 
| 
 | Range of values is  | 
| 
 | ID attribute of the form element. | 
| 
 | Invisible label created for the item. | 
The following example demonstrates a sample query the generates a popup from an LOV named DEPT.
SELECT APEX_ITEM.POPUP_FROM_LOV (1,deptno,'DEPT_LOV') dt FROM emp
This function generates an HTML popup select list from a query. Like other available functions in the APEX_ITEM package, the POPUP_FROM_QUERY function is designed to generate forms with F01 to F50 form array elements.
APEX_ITEM.POPUP_FROM_QUERY(
    p_idx              IN    NUMBER,
    p_value            IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_lov_query        IN    VARCHAR2,
    p_width            IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_max_length       IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_form_index       IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_escape_html      IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_max_elements     IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_attributes       IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_ok_to_query      IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_item_id          IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL,
    p_item_label       IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL)
    RETURN VARCHAR2;
Table 3-8 describes the parameters in the POPUP_FROM_QUERY function.
Table 3-8 POPUP_FROM_QUERY Parameters
| Parameter | Description | 
|---|---|
| 
 | Form element name. For example,  | 
| 
 | Form element current value. This value should be one of the values in the  | 
| 
 | SQL query that is expected to select two columns (a display column and a return column). For example: SELECT dname, deptno FROM dept | 
| 
 | Width of the text box. | 
| 
 | Maximum number of characters that can be entered in the text box. | 
| 
 | HTML form on the page in which an item is contained. Defaults to 0 and rarely used. Only use this parameter when it is necessary to embed a custom form in your page template (such as a search field that posts to a different Web site). If this form comes before the  | 
| 
 | Replacements for special characters that require an escaped equivalent. 
 Range of values is  | 
| 
 | Limit on the number of rows that can be returned by your query. Limits the performance impact of user searches. By entering a value in this parameter, you force the user to search for a narrower set of results. | 
| 
 | Additional HTML attributes to use for the form item. | 
| 
 | Range of values is  | 
| 
 | ID attribute of the form element. | 
| 
 | Invisible label created for the item. | 
The following example demonstrates a sample query the generates a popup select list from the emp table.
SELECT APEX_ITEM.POPUP_FROM_QUERY (1,deptno,'SELECT dname, deptno FROM dept') dt FROM emp
This function generates a popup key select list from a shared list of values (LOV). Similar to other available functions in the APEX_ITEM package, the POPUPKEY_FROM_LOV function is designed to generate forms with F01 to F50 form array elements.
APEX_ITEM.POPUPKEY_FROM_LOV(
    p_idx              IN    NUMBER,
    p_value            IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_lov_name         IN    VARCHAR2,
    p_width            IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_max_length       IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_form_index       IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_escape_html      IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_max_elements     IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_attributes       IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_ok_to_query      IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    RETURN VARCHAR2;
Although the text field associated with the popup displays in the first column in the LOV query, the actual value is specified in the second column in the query.
Table 3-9 describes the some parameters in the POPUPKEY_FROM_LOV function.
Table 3-9 POPUPKEY_FROM_LOV Parameters
| Parameter | Description | 
|---|---|
| 
 | Identifies a form element name. For example,  Because of the behavior of  SELECT APEX_ITEM.POPUPKEY_FROM_LOV (1,deptno,'DEPT') dt, APEX_ITEM.HIDDEN(3,empno) eno | 
| 
 | Indicates the current value. This value should be one of the values in the  | 
| 
 | Identifies a named LOV used for this popup. | 
| 
 | Width of the text box. | 
| 
 | Maximum number of characters that can be entered in the text box. | 
| 
 | HTML form on the page in which an item is contained. Defaults to 0 and rarely used. Only use this parameter when it is necessary to embed a custom form in your page template (such as a search field that posts to a different Web site). If this form comes before the  | 
| 
 | Replacements for special characters that require an escaped equivalent. 
 This parameter is useful if you know your query will return illegal HTML. | 
| 
 | Limit on the number of rows that can be returned by your query. Limits the performance impact of user searches. By entering a value in this parameter, you force the user to search for a narrower set of results. | 
| 
 | Additional HTML attributes to use for the form item. | 
| 
 | Range of values is  | 
The following example demonstrates how to generate a popup key select list from a shared list of values (LOV).
SELECT APEX_ITEM.POPUPKEY_FROM_LOV (1,deptno,'DEPT') dt FROM emp
This function generates a popup key select list from a SQL query. Similar to other available functions in the APEX_ITEM package, the POPUPKEY_FROM_QUERY function is designed to generate forms with F01 to F50 form array elements.
APEX_ITEM.POPUPKEY_FROM_QUERY(
    p_idx              IN    NUMBER,
    p_value            IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_lov_query        IN    VARCHAR2,
    p_width            IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_max_length       IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_form_index       IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_escape_html      IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_max_elements     IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_attributes       IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_ok_to_query      IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_item_id          IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL,
    p_item_label       IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL)
    RETURN VARCHAR2;
Table 3-10 describes the some parameters in the POPUPKEY_FROM_QUERY function.
Table 3-10 POPUPKEY_FROM_QUERY Parameters
| Parameter | Description | 
|---|---|
| 
 | Form element name. For example,  Because of the behavior of  SELECT APEX_ITEM.POPUPKEY_FROM_QUERY (1,deptno,'SELECT dname, deptno FROM dept') dt, APEX_ITEM.HIDDEN(3,empno) eno | 
| 
 | Form element current value. This value should be one of the values in the  | 
| 
 | LOV query used for this popup. | 
| 
 | Width of the text box. | 
| 
 | Maximum number of characters that can be entered in the text box. | 
| 
 | HTML form on the page in which an item is contained. Defaults to 0 and rarely used. Only use this parameter when it is necessary to embed a custom form in your page template (such as a search field that posts to a different Web site). If this form comes before the  | 
| 
 | Replacements for special characters that require an escaped equivalent. 
 This parameter is useful if you know your query will return illegal HTML. | 
| 
 | Limit on the number of rows that can be returned by your query. Limits the performance impact of user searches. By entering a value in this parameter, you force the user to search for a narrower set of results. | 
| 
 | Additional HTML attributes to use for the form item. | 
| 
 | Range of values is  | 
| 
 | ID attribute of the form element. | 
| 
 | Invisible label created for the item. | 
The following example demonstrates how to generate a popup select list from a SQL query.
SELECT APEX_ITEM.POPUPKEY_FROM_QUERY (1,deptno,'SELECT dname, deptno FROM dept') dt FROM emp
This function generates a radio group from a SQL query.
APEX_ITEM.RADIOGROUP(
    p_idx              IN    NUMBER,
    p_value            IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_selected_value   IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_display          IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_attributes       IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_onblur           IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_onchange         IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_onfocus          IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,)
    RETURN VARCHAR2;
Table 3-11 describes the parameters available in the RADIOGROUP function.
Table 3-11 RADIOGROUP Parameters
| Parameter | Description | 
|---|---|
| 
 | Number that determines which  | 
| 
 | Value of the radio group. | 
| 
 | Value that should be selected. | 
| 
 | Text to display next to the radio option. | 
| 
 | Extra HTML parameters you want to add. | 
| 
 | JavaScript to execute in the  | 
| 
 | JavaScript to execute in the  | 
| 
 | JavaScript to execute in the  | 
The following example demonstrates how to select department 20 from the emp table as a default in a radio group.
SELECT APEX_ITEM.RADIOGROUP (1,deptno,'20',dname) dt FROM dept ORDER BY 1
This function dynamically generates a static select list. Similar to other functions available in the APEX_ITEM package, these select list functions are designed to generate forms with F01 to F50 form array elements.
APEX_ITEM.SELECT_LIST(
    p_idx           IN   NUMBER,
    p_value         IN   VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_list_values   IN   VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_attributes    IN   VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_show_null     IN   VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_null_value    IN   VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_null_text     IN   VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_item_id       IN   VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_item_label    IN   VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_show_extra    IN   VARCHAR2 DEFAULT)
    RETURN VARCHAR2;
Table 3-12 describes the parameters available in the SELECT_LIST function.
Table 3-12 SELECT_LIST Parameters
| Parameter | Description | 
|---|---|
| 
 | Form element name. For example,  | 
| 
 | Current value. This value should be a value in the  | 
| 
 | List of static values separated by commas. Displays values and returns values that are separated by semicolons. Note that this is only available in the  | 
| 
 | Extra HTML parameters you want to add. | 
| 
 | Extra select option to enable the NULL selection. Range of values is  | 
| 
 | Value to be returned when a user selects the NULL option. Only relevant when  | 
| 
 | Value to be displayed when a user selects the NULL option. Only relevant when  | 
| 
 | HTML attribute ID for the <input> tag. | 
| 
 | Label of the select list. | 
| 
 | Shows the current value even if the value of p_value is not located in the select list. | 
The following example demonstrates a static select list that displays Yes, returns Y, defaults to Y, and generates a F01 form item.
SELECT APEX_ITEM.SELECT_LIST(1,'Y','Yes;Y,No;N') FROM emp
This function dynamically generates select lists from a shared list of values (LOV). Similar to other functions available in the APEX_ITEM package, these select list functions are designed to generate forms with F01 to F50 form array elements.
APEX_ITEM.SELECT_LIST_FROM_LOV(
    p_idx           IN   NUMBER,
    p_value         IN   VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_lov           IN   VARCHAR2,
    p_attributes    IN   VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_show_null     IN   VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_null_value    IN   VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_null_text     IN   VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_item_id       IN   VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_item_label    IN   VARCHAR2 DEFAULT)
    RETURN VARCHAR2;
Table 3-13 describes the parameters available in the SELECT_LIST_FROM_LOV function.
Table 3-13 SELECT_LIST_FROM_LOV Parameters
| Parameter | Description | 
|---|---|
| 
 | Form element name. For example,  | 
| 
 | Current value. This value should be a value in the  | 
| 
 | Text name of an application list of values. This list of values must be defined in your application. This parameter is used only by the  | 
| 
 | Extra HTML parameters you want to add. | 
| 
 | Extra select option to enable the NULL selection. Range of values is  | 
| 
 | Value to be returned when a user selects the NULL option. Only relevant when  | 
| 
 | Value to be displayed when a user selects the NULL option. Only relevant when  | 
| 
 | HTML attribute ID for the  | 
| 
 | Label of the select list. | 
The following example demonstrates a select list based on an LOV defined in the application.
SELECT APEX_ITEM.SELECT_LIST_FROM_LOV(2,job,'JOB_FLOW_LOV') FROM emp
This function dynamically generates very large select lists (greater than 32K) from a shared list of values (LOV). Similar to other functions available in the APEX_ITEM package, these select list functions are designed to generate forms with F01 to F50 form array elements. This function is the same as SELECT_LIST_FROM_LOV, but its return value is CLOB. This enables you to use it in SQL queries where you need to handle a column value longer than 4000 characters.
APEX_ITEM.SELECT_LIST_FROM_LOV_XL(
    p_idx           IN   NUMBER,
    p_value         IN   VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_lov           IN   VARCHAR2,
    p_attributes    IN   VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_show_null     IN   VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_null_value    IN   VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_null_text     IN   VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_item_id       IN   VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_item_label    IN   VARCHAR2 DEFAULT)
    RETURN CLOB;
Table 3-14 describes the parameters available in the SELECT_LIST_FROM_LOV_XL function.
Table 3-14 SELECT_LIST_FROM_LOV_XL Parameters
| Parameter | Description | 
|---|---|
| 
 | Form element name. For example,  | 
| 
 | Current value. This value should be a value in the  | 
| 
 | Text name of a list of values. This list of values must be defined in your application. This parameter is used only by the  | 
| 
 | Extra HTML parameters you want to add. | 
| 
 | Extra select option to enable the NULL selection. Range of values is  | 
| 
 | Value to be returned when a user selects the NULL option. Only relevant when  | 
| 
 | Value to be displayed when a user selects the NULL option. Only relevant when  | 
| 
 | HTML attribute ID for the  | 
| 
 | Label of the select list. | 
The following example demonstrates how to create a select list based on an LOV defined in the application.
SELECT APEX_ITEM.SELECT_LIST_FROM_LOV_XL(2,job,'JOB_FLOW_LOV') FROM emp
This function dynamically generates a select list from a query. Similar to other functions available in the APEX_ITEM package, these select list functions are designed to generate forms with F01 to F50 form array elements.
APEX_ITEM.SELECT_LIST_FROM_QUERY(
    p_idx           IN    NUMBER,
    p_value         IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_query         IN    VARCHAR2,
    p_attributes    IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_show_null     IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_null_value    IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_null_text     IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_item_id       IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_item_label    IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_show_extra    IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT)
    RETURN VARCHAR2;
Table 3-15 describes the parameters available in the SELECT_LIST_FROM_QUERY function.
Table 3-15 SELECT_LIST_FROM_QUERY Parameters
| Parameter | Description | 
|---|---|
| 
 | Form element name. For example,  | 
| 
 | Current value. This value should be a value in the  | 
| 
 | SQL query that is expected to select two columns, a display column, and a return column. For example: SELECT dname, deptno FROM dept Note that this is used only by the  | 
| 
 | Extra HTML parameters you want to add. | 
| 
 | Extra select option to enable the NULL selection. Range of values is  | 
| 
 | Value to be returned when a user selects the NULL option. Only relevant when  | 
| 
 | Value to be displayed when a user selects the NULL option. Only relevant when  | 
| 
 | HTML attribute ID for the  | 
| 
 | Label of the select list. | 
| 
 | Show the current value even if the value of  | 
The following example demonstrates a select list based on a SQL query.
SELECT APEX_ITEM.SELECT_LIST_FROM_QUERY(3,job,'SELECT DISTINCT job FROM emp') FROM emp
This function is the same as SELECT_LIST_FROM_QUERY, but its return value is a CLOB. This allows its use in SQL queries where you need to handle a column value longer than 4000 characters. Similar to other functions available in the APEX_ITEM package, these select list functions are designed to generate forms with F01 to F50 form array elements.
APEX_ITEM.SELECT_LIST_FROM_QUERY_XL(
    p_idx           IN    NUMBER,
    p_value         IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_query         IN    VARCHAR2,
    p_attributes    IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_show_null     IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_null_value    IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_null_text     IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_item_id       IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_item_label    IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_show_extra    IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT)
    RETURN CLOB;
Table 3-16 describes the parameters available in the SELECT_LIST_FROM_QUERY_XL function.
Table 3-16 SELECT_LIST_FROM_QUERY_XL Parameters
| Parameter | Description | 
|---|---|
| 
 | Form element name. For example,  | 
| 
 | Current value. This value should be a value in the  | 
| 
 | SQL query that is expected to select two columns, a display column, and a return column. For example: SELECT dname, deptno FROM dept Note that this is used only by the  | 
| 
 | Extra HTML parameters you want to add. | 
| 
 | Extra select option to enable the NULL selection. Range of values is  | 
| 
 | Value to be returned when a user selects the NULL option. Only relevant when  | 
| 
 | Value to be displayed when a user selects the NULL option. Only relevant when  | 
| 
 | HTML attribute ID for the  | 
| 
 | Label of the select list. | 
| 
 | Show the current value even if the value of  | 
The following example demonstrates a select list based on a SQL query.
SELECT APEX_ITEM.SELECT_LIST_FROM_QUERY_XL(3,job,'SELECT DISTINCT job FROM emp') FROM emp
This function creates text areas.
APEX_ITEM.TEXTAREA(
    p_idx         IN    NUMBER,
    p_value       IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL,
    p_rows        IN    NUMBER DEAULT 40,
    p_cols        IN    NUMBER DEFAULT 4
    p_attributes  IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT,
    p_item_id     IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL,
    p_item_label  IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL)
    RETURN VARCHAR2;
Table 3-17 describes the parameters available in the TEXTAREA function.
Table 3-17 TEXTAREA Parameters
| Parameter | Description | 
|---|---|
| 
 | Number to identify the item you want to generate. The number will determine which  See Also: "APEX_APPLICATION" | 
| 
 | Value of the text area item. | 
| p_rows | Height of the text area (HTML rows attribute) | 
| p_cols | Width of the text area (HTML column attribute). | 
| 
 | Extra HTML parameters you want to add. | 
| 
 | HTML attribute ID for the  | 
| 
 | Label of the text area item. | 
The following example demonstrates how to create a text area based on a SQL query.
SELECT APEX_ITEM.TEXTAREA(3,ename,5,80) a FROM emp
This function generates text fields (or text input form items) from a SQL query.
APEX_ITEM.TEXT(
    p_idx         IN    NUMBER,
    p_value       IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL,
    p_size        IN    NUMBER DEFAULT NULL,
    p_maxlength   IN    NUMBER DEFAULT NULL,
    p_attributes  IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL,
    p_item_id     IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL,
    p_item_label  IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL)
Table 3-18 describes the parameters available in the TEXT function.
| Parameter | Description | 
|---|---|
| 
 | Number to identify the item you want to generate. The number will determine which  See Also: "APEX_APPLICATION" | 
| 
 | Value of a text field item. | 
| 
 | Controls HTML tag attributes (such as disabled). | 
| 
 | Maximum number of characters that can be entered in the text box. | 
| 
 | Extra HTML parameters you want to add. | 
| 
 | HTML attribute ID for the  | 
| 
 | Label of the text field item. | 
The following sample query demonstrates how to generate one update field for each row. Note that the ename, sal, and comm columns use the APEX_ITEM.TEXT function to generate an HTML text field for each row. Also, notice that each item in the query is passed a unique p_idx parameter to ensure that each column is stored in its own array.
SELECT empno, APEX_ITEM.HIDDEN(1,empno)|| APEX_ITEM.TEXT(2,ename) ename, APEX_ITEM.TEXT(3,job) job, mgr, APEX_ITEM.DATE_POPUP(4,rownum,hiredate,'dd-mon-yyyy') hiredate, APEX_ITEM.TEXT(5,sal) sal, APEX_ITEM.TEXT(6,comm) comm, deptno FROM emp ORDER BY 1
Use this function to display an item as text, deriving the display value of the named LOV.
APEX_ITEM.TEXT_FROM_LOV (
    p_value       IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL,
    p_lov         IN    VARCHAR2,
    p_null_text   IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT '%')
    RETURN VARCHAR2;
Table 3-19 describes the parameters available in the TEXT_FROM_LOV function.
Table 3-19 TEXT_FROM_LOV Parameters
| Parameter | Description | 
|---|---|
| 
 | Value of a field item. Note that if  | 
| 
 | Text name of a shared list of values. This list of values must be defined in your application. | 
| 
 | Value displayed when the value of the field item is NULL. | 
The following example demonstrates how to derive the display value from a named LOV (EMPNO_ENAME_LOV).
SELECT APEX_ITEM.TEXT_FROM_LOV(empno,'EMPNO_ENAME_LOV') c FROM emp
Use this function to display an item as text, deriving the display value from a list of values query.
APEX_ITEM.TEXT_FROM_LOV_QUERY (
    p_value       IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL,
    p_query       IN    VARCHAR2,
    p_null_text   IN    VARCHAR2 DEFAULT '%')
    RETURN VARCHAR2;
Table 3-20 describes the parameters available in the TEXT_FROM_LOV_QUERY function.
Table 3-20 TEXT_FROM_LOV_QUERY Parameters
| Parameter | Description | 
|---|---|
| 
 | Value of a field item. | 
| 
 | SQL query that is expected to select two columns, a display column and a return column. For example: SELECT dname, deptno FROM dept | 
| 
 | Value to be displayed when the value of the field item is NULL or a corresponding entry is not located for the value  | 
The following example demonstrates how to derive the display value from a query.
SELECT APEX_ITEM.TEXT_FROM_LOV_QUERY(empno,'SELECT ename, empno FROM emp') c from emp