24.5.1 About Build Options

Build options enable developers to enable or disable application components and functionality when the application installs or at runtime using the APEX_UTIL.GET_BUILD_OPTION_STATUS and APEX_UTIL.SET_BUILD_OPTION_STATUS APIs.

You can apply build options to most application components (such as pages, regions, items, validations, and so on) and specify whether to include or exclude them in the runtime application.

Build options have two possible values:

• Include - Application components are enabled and included with the application.

• Exclude - Application components are disabled and excluded from the application.

If you specify Include, then the Application Express engine considers the component as part of the application definition at runtime. Conversely, if you specify Exclude, then the Application Express engine treats the component as if it did not exist.

See Also:

APEX_UTIL.GET_BUILD_OPTION_STATUS and APEX_UTIL.SET_BUILD_OPTION_STATUS in Oracle Application Express API Reference

Use Case 1: Enable and Disable Functionality Based on Installation Type

You are developing an application that has many installation types. For each installation type, users may choose to enable or disable certain application functionality. With build options, you can develop one application and when it installs, you can configure build options to include or exclude associated functionality. You may also use an API to expose features within the application. This enables privileged end users to selectively enable or disable application functionality.

Use Case 2: Hiding Incomplete Functionality in Various Environments

You are developing functionality which is not yet complete, so you do not wish to expose it to end users. You can use build options to disable functionality when the application is built for test and production environments. The benefit of this approach is that the application can still be deployed without including incomplete functionality.

Use Case 3: Determining the Consequences of Removing Functionality

You are removing functionality you think is not needed by the application, but are unsure if removing the functionality is a safe operation. In this case, you can use build options to essentially "comment out" specific functionality. When the application is deployed and you determine the functionality is necessary, you can re-instate it. If the functionality is deemed as unnecessary, you can then safely remove it from the application.