8.9.6.2 Managing Link Columns

A Link Column displays on the left side of an interactive report. Configure a Link Column to link to a single row view, a custom target, or be excluded from the report.

Tip:

A Link Column cannot be sorted, hidden, or moved by an end user and does not interact with the standard column link defined on the Column Attributes page.

• Linking to a Single Row View
  Configure a link column to link to a single row view.
• Linking to a Specific Page
  Configure a link column to link to a specific page.
• Linking to a URL
  Configure a link column to link to a URL.
• Excluding a Link Column
  Exclude a Link Column from a report.

8.9.6.2.1 Linking to a Single Row View

Configure a link column to link to a single row view.

To link to a single row view in an interactive report:

1. View the page in Page Designer:
   Page Designer appears.
2. In the Rendering tab, select the region containing the report.
3. In the Property Editor, select the Attributes tab.
   The Property Editor displays the attributes. Attributes are organized in groups
4. Find the Link group and edit the following:
   1. Link Column - Select Link to Single Row View.
   2. Uniquely Identify Rows by - Select ROWID or Unique Column.
      If you select, Unique Column, specify the column in the Unique Column field.
   3. Link Icon - Accept the default or specify the path to another icon.
   4. Link Attributes - Optionally specify additional column link attributes to be included in the <a href= > tag (for example, a link target, classes, or styles).
   5. Authorization Scheme - Select an authorization scheme to associate with the Link Column. This authorization scheme must evaluate to TRUE in order for the Link Column to be rendered in the report.
   6. Condition Type - Select a condition type from the list that must be met in order for this link to be rendered.
5. Find the Single Row View group and edit the following:
   1. Exclude Null Values - Specify whether null columns are hidden on the Single Record View
   2. Only Displayed Columns - Specify whether only those columns currently displayed are displayed in the Single Record View. If you select Off, then hidden report columns may also be shown on the Single Record View.
6. To save your changes click Save. To save and run the page, click Save and Run Page.

Tip:

If an interactive report links to single row view and the link icon is missing ALT text or has empty ALT text, the alt="Single Row View" gets included automatically to improve accessibility. This can be further improved by making the ALT text something specific to the row, for example alt="View Row: #COLUMN_NAME#" (where COLUMN_NAME should be a column that helps uniquely identify the current row).

8.9.6.2.2 Linking to a Specific Page

Configure a link column to link to a specific page.

To link to a specific page:

1. View the page in Page Designer:
   Page Designer appears.
2. In the Rendering tab, locate the region containing the report.
3. In the Property Editor, select the Attributes tab.
   The Property Editor displays the attributes. Attributes are organized in groups
4. Find the Link group and edit the following:
   1. Link Column - Select Link to Custom Target.
   2. Target - Click No Link Defined.

      The Link Builder - Target dialog appears.

      • Target Type - Select Page in this Application.

      • Page - Select the target page number.

      • Set Items - Select a Name and Value to specify session state for an item.

      • Clear/Reset, Clear Cache - Specify the page numbers on which to clear cache. To specify multiple pages, enter a comma-delimited list of page numbers.

      • Clear/Reset, Action - Select one of the following:

        • None - No clear or reset action when page loads.

        • Clear Regions - Clears all region settings on the page.

        • Reset Regions - Resets all regions on the page back to the default state, including sort orders, hidden columns and so on.

        • Reset Pagination - This option enables backwards compatibility.

      • Advanced, Request - Specify the request to be used.

      • Click OK.

   3. Link Icon - Enter the HTML to be used for the link. Use an image tag to display images, or pick from the list of default images. If not defined, a default icon is used.
   4. Link Attributes (Optional) - Enter additional column link attributes to be included in the <a href= > tag (for example, a link target, classes, or styles).
      To view examples, select the attribute in the Property Editor and click the Help tab in the central pane.
5. To save your changes click Save. To save and run the page, click Save and Run Page.

8.9.6.2.3 Linking to a URL

Configure a link column to link to a URL.

To link to a URL:

1. View the page in Page Designer:
   Page Designer appears.
2. In the Rendering tab, select the region containing the report.
3. In the Property Editor, select the Attributes tab.
   The Property Editor displays the attributes. Attributes are organized in groups
4. Find the Link group and edit the following:
   1. Link Column - Select Link to Custom Target.
   2. Target - Click the No Link Defined.

      The Link Builder - Target dialog appears.

      • Target Type - Select URL.

      • Click OK.

   3. Link Icon - Enter the HTML to be used for the link. Use an image tag to display images, or pick from the list of default images. If not defined, #APEX_FILES#ws/small_page.gif is used.
   4. Link Attributes (Optional) - Enter additional column link attributes to be included in the <a href= > tag (for example, a link target, classes, or styles).
      To view examples, select the attribute in the Property Editor and click the Help tab in the central pane.
5. To save your changes click Save. To save and run the page, click Save and Run Page.

8.9.6.2.4 Excluding a Link Column

Exclude a Link Column from a report.

To exclude a column link:

1. View the page in Page Designer:
   Page Designer appears.
2. In the Rendering tab, select the region containing the report.
3. In the Property Editor, select the Attributes tab.
   The Property Editor displays the attributes. Attributes are organized in groups
4. Configure Link attributes:
   1. Find the Link group.
   2. Link Column - Select Exclude Link Column.
5. To save your changes click Save. To save and run the page, click Save and Run Page.