Working with Shared Components
Shared components are common elements that can display or be applied on any page within an application. You can use the tools and wizards on the Shared Components page either at the application-level or on specific pages.
Accessing the Shared Components Page
To access the Shared Components page:
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Navigate to the Workspace home page.
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Click the Application Builder icon.
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Select an application.
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On the Application home page, click Shared Components.
The Shared Components page appears.
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To create a shared component, select the appropriate link.
Using the Shared Components Icon
You can also access the Shared Components page by clicking the Shared Components icon on the Developer Action bar. The Shared Components icon resembles a small mechanical gear and displays beneath the Search Application field on most pages in Application Builder.
Description of the illustration shared_comp_icon.gif
See Also:
"About the Developer Toolbar"About the Shared Components Page
The following sections describe each link on the Shared Components page.
See Also:
"Accessing the Shared Components Page"Logic
The following sections describe the links under Logic.
Application Items
Application-level items do not display, but are used as global variables to the application. Commonly, you set the value of a page-level item using an application or page computations. See "Understanding Application-Level Items".
Application Processes
Use application processes to run PL/SQL logic:
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At specific points for each page in an application
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As defined by the conditions under which the process is set to execute
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Upon the creation of a new session
Note that On Demand processes execute only when called from a page-level On Demand process or when called using AJAX from the browser. See "Understanding Application Processes".
Application Computations
Use application-level computations to assign values to application and page-level items for each page displayed or upon the creation of a new application session. You can also create an application-level computation and execute it conditionally on multiple pages. See "Understanding Application Computations".
Web Service References
Web service references in Application Builder are typically based on the Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) or Representational State Transfer (REST) architectures. You can create a reference to a Web service and then incorporate it into an application to process data submitted by a form, or to render output in the form or report. See "Implementing Web Services".
Build Options
Use build options to conditionally display or process specific functionality within an application. You can use build options to control which features of an application are turned on for each application deployment. See "Using Build Options to Control Configuration".
Data Loading
Use Data Load Tables to define tables for use in the Data Loading create page wizard. A Data Load Table is an existing table in your schema that has been selected for use in the data loading process to upload data. See "Importing a Plug-in from the Plug-in Page".
Navigation
The following sections describe the links under Navigation.
Tabs
Tabs are an effective way to navigate users between pages in an application. You can create two types of tabs: standard tabs or parent tabs. A standard tab set is associated with a specific page and page number. A parent tab set functions as a container to hold a group of standard tabs. See "Creating Tabs".
Lists
A list is a shared collection of links. You control the appearance of a list through list templates. Each list element has a display condition that enables you to control when it displays. See "Creating Lists".
Breadcrumbs
Breadcrumbs provide users with hierarchical navigation. A breadcrumb is a hierarchical list of links that display using templates. You can display a breadcrumb as a list of links or as a breadcrumb path. See "Creating Breadcrumbs".
Navigation Bar Entries
Navigation bar entries offer users a simple navigation path for moving between pages in an application. The location of a navigation bar depends upon the associated page template. Navigation bar entries can display as a link from an image or text. A navigation bar entry can be an image, an image with text beneath it, or text. See "Creating a Navigation Bar Entry".
Security
The following sections describe the links under Security.
Authentication Schemes
Authentication is the process of establishing each user's identity before they can access your application. Authentication may require a user to enter a user name and password or may involve verification of a user's identity or use of a secure key. See "Establishing User Identity Through Authentication".
Authorization Schemes
Authorization restricts user access to specific controls or components based on predefined user privileges. See "Providing Security Through Authorization".
Session State Protection
Session State Protection is a built-in functionality that prevents hackers from tampering with the URLs within your application. URL tampering can adversely affect program logic, session state contents, and information privacy. See "Understanding Session State Protection".
Security Attributes
Use the Edit Security Attributes page to configure general security attributes for all pages within an application. See "Configuring Security Attributes".
User Interface
The following sections describe the links under User Interface.
Themes
A theme is a named collection of templates that defines the application user interface. See "Managing Themes".
Templates
Templates control the look and feel of specific constructs within your application, such as pages, regions, items, and menus. See "Customizing Templates".
Lists of Values
A list of values (LOV) is a static or dynamic set of values used to display a popup list of values, select list, check box, or radio group. See "Creating Lists of Values at the Application Level".
Shortcuts
Use shortcuts to avoid repetitive coding of HTML or PL/SQL functions. You can create a shortcut to define a page control such as a button, HTML text, a PL/SQL procedure, or HTML. Once you define a shortcut, it is stored in a central repository so you can reference it from various locations within your application. See "Using Shortcuts".
Plug-ins
Application Builder includes built-in item types, region types, dynamic actions, and processes. Use plug-ins to add new declarative types in to your application. See "Implementing Plug-ins".
Files
The following sections describe the links under Files.
Cascading Style Sheets
Application Builder includes themes that contain templates that reference their own cascading style sheets (CSS). Use the Cascading Style Sheets link to upload cascading style sheets to your workspace. See "Using Custom Cascading Style Sheets".
Static Files
Use the Static Files link to upload static files to your workspace. See "Managing Static Files".
Globalization
The following sections describe the links under Globalization.
Translate Application
You can develop applications in Oracle Application Express that can run concurrently in different languages. A single Oracle database and Oracle Application Express instance can support an application in multiple languages. Translating an application involves multiple steps. See "About Translating an Application and Globalization Support" and "Understanding the Translation Process".
Text Messages
Text messages are named text strings that can be called from the PL/SQL code you write. This PL/SQL can be anonymous blocks within page processes and page regions, or in packages and procedures. See "Translating Messages".
Globalization Attributes
You can develop applications that can run concurrently in different languages. Click this link to specify globalization options such as the Application Primary Language and Application Language Derived From attributes. See "Configuring Globalization Attributes" and "About Translating an Application and Globalization Support".
Reports
The following sections describe the links under Reports.
Report Queries
Use the Report Queries link to view a report of stored queries within the current application.
About the Application List
The following sections describe the links under the Application region on the right side of the page.
Edit Definition
Links to the Edit Application Definition page. Use this page to edit attributes that determine the application name, application availability, and static substitution strings. You can also use this page to define other attributes such as build options or an application logo and view associated templates and component defaults. See "Editing the Application Definition".
Edit Comments
Use Edit Comments to enter comments specific to the currently selected application. See "Adding Database Application Comments".
About the Tasks List
The following describes the links under the Tasks list:
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Export Application Components link to the Component Export page appears. Use this page to identify the components of an application to be exported either for backup purposes or to load the components on another instance. See "Exporting Application Components".
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Manage Supporting Objects links to the Supporting Objects page. Use this page to create a packaged application. See "How to Create a Packaged Application".
About Exporting Shared Components
You can export shared components and page components on the Component Export page. You can also use this wizard to back up a component before editing it or to create an export that functions as a patch to another Oracle Application Express instance.
Exporting Shared Components from the Export Page
To export shared components from the Shared Components page:
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Navigate to the Export page:
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On the Workspace home page, click the Application Builder icon.
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Select an application.
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On the Application home page, click Export/Import.
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On the Export/Import page, click Export and click Next.
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On the Tasks list, click Component Export.
The Component Export page appears. See "Exporting Application Components".
Exporting Shared Components from the Shared Components Page
To export shared components from the Shared Components page:
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Navigate to the Workspace home page.
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Click the Application Builder icon.
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Select an application.
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On the Application home page, click Shared Components.
The Shared Components page appears.
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On the Tasks list, click Export Application Components.
The Component Export page appears. See "Exporting Application Components".