6 Enhancing Search for End-Users

Searching for data is a fundamental part of any enterprise app. Oracle APEX has multiple native components you can use to deliver compelling search experiences tailored to the task at hand.

When end users need to narrow results based on one or more categories of filter criteria, the Faceted Search region presents a familiar paradigm to get the job done. The Smart Filters region offers similar features in a more compact design, leaving even more space for search results. The Search region cooperates with the search configurations you define to format results from across multiple sources in a consistent way. For ultimate control over how end users can specify targeted search criteria, create a query by example page using any of APEX's page item types.

• Narrowing a Search Using Facet Filters
  Use a Faceted Search region to let users narrow results by choosing options from groups called facets.
• More Space for Results with Smart Filters
  The Smart Filters region gives users faceted search functionality in a compact experience.
• Unified Search Results Across Sources
  End users find things on the web by typing a few words into a search bar, reviewing top results, and clicking on promising links to learn more. You can mirror this intuitive search experience in your APEX apps using a Search region that references Search Configurations.
• Showing Search Results in Other Regions
  You can use the dedicated SEARCH API to present results from search configurations in any region. However, when the user filters data with a Faceted Search, Smart Filters, Interactive Report, or Interactive Grid, showing the filtered results in another region requires a different approach.
• Using Page Items for Query by Example
  Page items, including list-driven ones, are useful not only for data entry, but also for query by example use cases. The user can enter a value or pick a choice from a list, and another region on the same page can filter its data based on their choice.