8.3.5.2 Computing Values on Render or Submit

Define computations to set the value of a page item or application item.

If the calculated value influences what the page initially displays, then set its Execution Point to a stage in the Pre-Rendering phase. If, instead, the computation affects the processing of submitted data, then set that property to the After Submit stage in the Processing tab.

You can assign the target item:

• a static value

• the value of another item

• the result of a PL/SQL expression
• the value of a single-column SQL query, or
• a user preference.

If the data item you set has its Multiple Values property set, then a multi-row query result gets formatted appropriately either using a delimiter or as a JSON Array.

Computations in the Pre-Rendering section of your page set up data the user will initially see on the page. Ones in the Processing section are good for computing hidden fields, or adjusting user input, before saving their values to a system of record table.

For more information, see Understanding Page Computations in Oracle APEX App Builder User’s Guide.