1. App Builder User's Guide
  2. Changes in Release 22.1 for Oracle APEX App Builder User’s Guide

1 Changes in Release 22.1 for Oracle APEX App Builder User’s Guide

All content in Oracle APEX App Builder User’s Guide has been updated to reflect release 22.1 functionality and user interface changes.

New Features and Updates

The following are features and updates in Oracle APEX release 22.1:

  • Approvals and Unified Task List

    Create approval tasks with new processing elements, and easily manage the progress of tasks from a single Unified Task List for easy maintenance. Key features include:

    • Unified Task List - A Unified Task List component page lists all human tasks for approvals so you can manage them together.

    • Task Definition - Generation of a Task Details page, enabling individual styling and design of Task details information represented in the Unified Task List.

    • Simple Task Processing - New declarative processes to create and manage Human Tasks.

    See Managing Approvals.

  • Create Page Wizard Enhancements:

    The Create Page wizard has been drastically simplified, making it easier to create pages in your Oracle APEX apps. Enhancements include:

    • Reduction in the number of steps necessary to create pages.

    • The Create Page wizard automatically sets the most appropriate settings for page mode, breadcrumb, and navigation.

    • Navigation icons are set based on the page type and Primary Key columns are selected based on Primary Key Constraints

    • Shared List of Values (LOVs) are created or re-used for columns that have foreign key constraints, and the column or item types are set appropriately to match.

    See Adding a New Page to an Application and Understanding Page Types in the Create Page Wizard.

  • Readable Application Export in JSON and YAML

    The new application export option Readable Format adds a readable version of the application metadata to the application export. Use this option to identify and review differences between versions an application.

    See Exporting an Application.

  • Tokenize Row Search Attribute

    The Application Definition page includes a new attribute, Tokenize Row Search. Previously, any component that executed a row search performed an exact match search. Search terms are now applied more generally.

    See the Tokenize Row Search attribute on Properties.

  • Sorting with Order By Item

    Configure Order By Item to enable end users to choose region ordering from a set of predefined options.

    See Managing Sorting with Order By Item.

  • Faceted Search Enhancements

    Faceted search now supports search term highlighting for client-side filtering, a new actions menu per-facet with additional facet-level controls, and several accessibility and user experience improvements.

    • Actions Menu - Provides a per facet menu with new actions such as hide facet and enable client-side filtering. Also, the Show Chart action was moved to the facet context menu for a cleaner UI.

    • Search Term Highlighting - Search Term Highlighting for client-side filtering on facets and filters.

    • UX Improvements - Facet groups will no longer collapse upon selection when they show more results. Improved keyboard support.

    See Managing Faceted Search.

  • Progressive Web App (PWA) Service Worker Customization

    Tap into the PWA engine and inject your own service worker code to handle anything from push notifications, web app payments, background app updates and more.

    See Creating a Progressive Web App (PWA).

  • Easier Access Sample and Starter Apps

    Sample and Starter Apps can once again be installed directly from the Gallery. This feature had been removed in release 21.1. The Application Gallery is redesigned to display a more user friendly view of all available starter apps and sample apps, along with their app descriptions and the install options.

    See Using the App Gallery.

  • Session Overrides Option Added to Runtime Developer Toolbar

    Use the Runtime Developer toolbar option, Session Overrides, to customize session variables at runtime.

    See Runtime Developer Toolbar and Managing Session State Overrides.

  • Improved Application Icon support

    Upload an application icon once and let APEX propagate it to your application at runtime.

    See Managing Application Icons.

  • Improved Region Images Support

    New Image region template in the Universal Theme can be used to create image-only regions. Image substitution strings are available to use in custom region templates for more control over image placement in a region.

    See Region Template Attributes.

  • Lists Enhancements

    Lists now support subscriptions. The Edit list page offers a simplified layout. Additionally, the Create List Wizard and Copy List Wizards offer a simplified flow.

    See Creating Lists.

  • REST Enabled SQL Queries

    Create REST Sources on top of REST Enabled SQL, and abstract the SQL query from APEX components. You can also use Synchronization to download remote data to local tables, use Data Profile or Post Processing features to combine local with remote data, and use REST Catalogs to provide curated sets of SQL Queries to APEX developers.

    See Managing Application Data.

  • Workspace Static Files Added to Component Export

    Component Export now includes support for Workspace Static Files.

    See Exporting Application Components.

  • Shared Components Page UI Enhancements

    User interface changes to the Shared Components page include:

    • New badges indicate how many of each component (Application Items, Computations, and so on) exist for each application. If no items of a particular type exist, the badge does not display.

    • The Shared Components layout has been restructured:

      • Automations display to a new section called Workflows and Automations.

      • Web Credentials has moved from Security to Workspace Objects.

      • Email Templates has moved from Other Components to User Interface.

      • Progressive Web App now displays under User Interface.

      • Report Queries and Report Layouts now displays to Files and Reports.

      • REST Synchronization displays under Data Sources.

      • Task Definitions display under Workflows and Automations.

      • Define Environment Banner moved from Instance Settings to the top of the Messages region.

    See Shared Components Page.

  • Global Search UI Change

    In this release, the Global Search (also known as Spotlight Search) now displays as a field in the header region.

    See Global Search.

Deprecated and Desupported Features

See Deprecated Features and Desupported Features in Oracle APEX Release Notes.