6.3 Understanding Page Types, Features, and Settings

Use the Create an Application page in the Create Application Wizard to define different types of page, select application Features, and configure the Settings used to generate the application .

• About Creating a New Database Application
  Use the Create Application Wizard to design and quickly create Oracle Application Express applications.
• Available Page Types in the Create Application Wizard
  Learn about available page types when running the Create Application Wizard.
• Available Features in the Create Application Wizard
  Learn about available features when running the Create Application Wizard. Features provide application-level functionality and can only be added once per application.
• Available Settings in the Create Application Wizard
  Learn about Settings available when running the Create Application Wizard. Settings are used in the generation of the application and include the application ID, the database schema, Advanced Settings (such as the application definition, security, and globalization attributes), and application authentication.
• About Removing Features Created with the Create Application Wizard
  Remove features created with a wizard using build options.

See Also:

• "Using the Create Application Wizard"

• "Creating Applications for Mobile Devices"

6.3.1 About Creating a New Database Application

Use the Create Application Wizard to design and quickly create Oracle Application Express applications.

Creating a new database application with the Create Application Wizard is a multiple step process. Once you specify the application name and appearance, you add pages. Database applications can contain multiple pages that include various components such as calendars, cards, charts, dashboards, forms, interactive grids, master detail or editable grids, and reports. Once created, you can edit the page names, alter the page order, and delete them.

Features provide application-level functionality and can only be added once per application. Available features include an Application About page, role-based user authentication, end user activity reports, configuration options to enable or disable specific functionality, a feedback mechanism to gather end users comment, and a Customize button to enable end users to choose their own theme style.

Then, you configure Settings. Settings are used in the generation of the application and include the application ID, the database schema, Advanced Settings (such as the application definition, security, and globalization attributes), and application authentication.

After you create an application using the Create Application Wizard, you can modify pages and add additional pages using the Create Page Wizard.

See Also:

"Managing Pages in a Database Application"

6.3.2 Available Page Types in the Create Application Wizard

Learn about available page types when running the Create Application Wizard.

Available Page Types

Table 6-1 Create Application Wizard - Available Page Types

Page Type	Description	To Learn More
Blank	Create a blank page as a placeholder. Once you create the application, you can create regions on the page in Page Designer.	See online Help when creating this page.
Calendar	Generates a calendar with monthly, weekly, and daily views.	See "Creating Calendars"
Cards	A cards page consists of individual boxes, which resemble index cards, laid out on a page. Each card displays three pieces of information: Card Title, Description Column, and Additional Text Column. First, you select a table or view on which to build the page. Second, you select the Card Title, Description Column, and Additional Text Column.	See: "Example Cards Page" "Creating a Cards Page Using the Create Application Wizard" Note: The SQL query for a cards page includes special aliases such as CARD_MODIFIERS and CARD_LINK. To link a card to a new page, you must update CARD_LINK in the underlying SQL query to point to the appropriate target. See "Using Actions to Link from a Cards Page."
Chart	Create a page which displays either an area, bar, line, or pie chart.	See "Creating Charts"
Dashboard	Create a dashboard page with multiple charts.	See online Help when creating this page.
Faceted Search	Creates a faceted search region and report. First, you select a report type (Report or Cards. Second, you select the Table or View on which to build the faceted search region and report. If you select a Table, facets are auto discovered using APEX Data Dictionary Cache. If you select a View, facets are not auto-discovered. Developers can create the faceted report page based on a View, but the only Search facets included are searchable VARCHAR2 columns.	See: "Example Faceted Search" "Managing Faceted Search"
Form	Create a page containing a form which enables end users to maintain data. Select the table on which to build the form and specify whether or not to include a report.	See "Developing Forms"
Interactive Grid	An interactive grid presents users a set of data in a searchable, customizable report. Functionally, an interactive grid includes most customization capabilities available in interactive reports plus the ability to rearrange the report interactively using the mouse. First, you select a page source (that is, Table or View or SQL Query). Second, you determine if the interactive grid is editable by selecting Allow Editing or Read Only. If you select Allow Editing, users can add to, modify, and refresh the data set directly on the page. Functionally, an interactive grid includes most customization capabilities available in interactive reports plus the ability to rearrange the report interactively using the mouse or keyboard. You choose a table on which to build the interactive grid.	See: "Example Interactive Grid" "Creating an Interactive Grid Using the Create Application Wizard" "Managing Interactive Grids"
Interactive Report	Creates a page that contains the formatted result of a SQL query. First, you select a page source (that is, Table or View or SQL Query). Second, you select a report type,Interactive Report. To include a form page for creating or updating records, select Include Form. Select Include Form to include a form page for creating or updating records. If the report is based on table which has a foreign key constraints to another table, the developer can also define Lookup Columns. Use Lookup Columns to replace identifiers with a display column, such as showing the department name instead of the department number.	See: "Example Interactive Report" "Creating an Interactive Report Using the Create Application Wizard" "Managing Interactive Reports"
Master Detail	A master detail reflects a one-to-many relationship between two tables in a database. Master detail forms enable users to insert, update, and delete values from two tables or views. Master Detail options include: Side by Side - Create a single page master detail utilizing side by side layout and report regions with modal edit windows. The left side contains a master list to navigate to the master record. The right side contains the selected master record and the associated detail report. Stacked - Creates a single page master detail with editable interactive grids. Users select a row in the master grid to update the detail grids.	See "Creating Master Detail Forms"
Wizard	Create a collection of pages to be used as a wizard. Generally wizards are used for entering data across multiple steps.	See online Help when creating this page.
Multiple Reports	Creates mutlitple report pages containing an interactive report with form. For each page, you choose a table on which to build the interactive report with form. Click Edit to change the default options (such as providing a custom SQL Query), specifying another report type (such as, selectingClassic Report instead of Interactive Report). Select Include Form to include a form page for creating or updating records.	See: "Example Classic Report" "Managing Classic Reports"
Classic Report	Expand the Additional Pages region to view this option. Creates a page that contains the formatted result of a SQL query. You choose a table on which to build a report, or provide a custom SQL SELECT statement or a PL/SQL function returning a SQL SELECT statement. You then choose the report type Classic Report. Select Include Form to include a form page for creating or updating records.	See: "Example Classic Report" "Creating a Classic Report Using the Create Application Wizard" "Managing Classic Reports"
Timeline	Expand the Additional Pages region to view this option. Create a page which displays a timeline. Especially useful for displaying updates.	See online Help when creating this page.

6.3.3 Available Features in the Create Application Wizard

Learn about available features when running the Create Application Wizard. Features provide application-level functionality and can only be added once per application.

This table lists available Features when running the Create Application Wizard.

Table 6-2 Create Application Wizard — Features

Page Type	Description	To Learn More
About Page	Include an About page in the application which displays the application description.	See online Help when creating feature.
Access Control	Incorporate role based user authentication within your application. Users can be defined as Administrators, Contributors, or Readers. You can then readily define different access to different roles for various components throughout your application, such as pages, menu entries, regions, columns, items, buttons and so forth.	See "Controlling Access to Applications, Pages, and Page Components"
Activity Reporting	Include numerous reports on user activity for your application such as the most active users, the most used pages, the performance of pages, and errors raised. Includes the following: Top Users report Application Error Log report Page Performance, activity and performance by page Application activity by page report Page Views detail report Automations Log (if the application contains automations)	Not applicable.
Configuration Options	Enables application administrators to enable or disable specific functionality within the application. This feature is useful if you select features that need additional development effort before they can be used by end users. This feature can also be expanded to application-specific features. If developers define additional build options and associate them with specific functionality throughout the application, then they can be added to the configuration settings for administrators. For example, within the Customer Tracker productivity app, administrators can turn on or off such features as Contacts, Data Loading, Geography, and more.	Not applicable.
Feedback	Feedback provides a mechanism for end users to post general comments for application administrators and developers. The posts include useful session state information to help developers determine where the end user sent the feedback from. Creating Feedback: Creates a Navigation bar icon which users can click to leave feedback. Creates a report for viewing and updating feedback. Captures the application and page ID, feedback comments, date and time, and user information.	See "Managing Feedback"
Theme Style Selection	Enables administrators to select a default color scheme (theme style) for the application. Administrators determine whether end users can choose their own theme style by enabling and disabling Allow End Users to choose Theme Style is enabled. If enabld, end users simply click on the Customize link at the bottom of the home page and select from the available theme styles. For example, users with visual impairment may prefer to utilize the Vista theme style which has a much higher color contrast	Not applicable.

See Also:

"About Removing Features Created with the Create Application Wizard"

6.3.4 Available Settings in the Create Application Wizard

Learn about Settings available when running the Create Application Wizard. Settings are used in the generation of the application and include the application ID, the database schema, Advanced Settings (such as the application definition, security, and globalization attributes), and application authentication.

This table lists available Settings when running the Create Application Wizard.

Table 6-3 Create Application Wizard — Settings

Page Type	Description	To Learn More
Application ID	Unique, numeric identifier for your application. This field contains an automatically generated identifier by default.	Not applicable.
Schema	Select the database schema which stores the database objects you want to use in this application.	Not applicable.
Language	Select the primary language for this application.	Not applicable.
Authentication	Select how you want users to authenticate into your application.	See "Establishing User Identity Through Authentication"
Advanced Settings	Set additional definition, security, and globalization settings. These settings can be applied when creating the application and can be edited post application creation. Tip: To learn more about these attributes, see field-level Help. User Interface Attributes: Apply User Interface Defaults - Select On to have attribute defaults based on existing User Interface Defaults defined within this workspace. Copy from Existing Apps - Select On to have attribute defaults to be based on existing Form pages, based on the same table, in current applications defined within this workspace. Table Prefixes - Enter table prefixes currently used by existing database tables on which pages are based. These prefixes may be different from the framework table prefix (for database objects created by this application when generated). Description: Short Description - Enter text to be displayed as a subtitle, under the application name on the home page. Description - Enter text to be displayed on the About This Application page, accessed from the help icon in the navigation bar. Settings: Add "Built with APEX" to Footer - When set to On, Oracle Application Express adds the text "Built with Love using Oracle APEX" to the footer of every page. Version - Enter the application version. The version is displayed by default on the bottom of each page. Logging - Determines whether or not user activity is recorded in the activity log. When set to On, every page view is logged, enabling an administrator to monitor user activity for each application. Disabling logging may be advisable for high volume applications.. Note: You can only modify this attribute if the feature configuration Application Activity Logging in Oracle Application Express Internal Administration is set to Use Application Setting. Debugging - Determines whether debug mode can be enabled using the browser. On enables the application to enable debug mode using the browser at runtime. Off disables the application from enabling in debug from the browser. Debug can be enabled programmatically regardless of this debug setting. If the application is run from the Application Express development environment, debugging can always be enabled. Security: Deep Linking - Enables or prevents deep linking to an application. If On, the URL to a specific page ultimately redirects there, possibly after the user has to logged in. If Off, the URL does not contain a valid session ID, Application Express redirects to the application's home page. Maximum session length in seconds - Defines how long (in seconds) sessions can exist and be used by this application. Maximum session idle time in seconds - Defines the time between the last page request and the next page request. Globalization: Document Direction - Set document direction left-to-right or right-to-left. Date Format - Determines the date format to be used in the application. Date Time Format - Specify the date time format to be used in the application. Timestamp Format - Determines the timestamp format to be used in the application. Timestamp with Timezone Format - Determines the timestamp with time zone format to be used in the application.	Not applicable.
User Interface Defaults	Set defaults for user interface settings, such as rows per page, and add list of values definitions. These settings are used when generating components within the application.	See "Oracle Application Express SQL Workshop Guide"

6.3.5 About Removing Features Created with the Create Application Wizard

Remove features created with a wizard using build options.

When you add a feature using a wizard, the wizard creates one or more pages and other components and processes to seamlessly integrate it into your application. Each feature is associated with a build option which contains one or more components. You use the associated build option to enable, disable, or permanently remove features.

Using Build Options to Include or Exclude Features

Build options have two possible values: Include and Exclude. If you select the build option status of Include, then the Application Express engine considers the associated components (in this case features) as part of the application definition at runtime. Conversely, if you specify the build options status as Exclude, then the Application Express engine treats it and any associated components as if it did not exist.

Removing Features Permanently

You remove features by first removing the components associated with the build option and then deleting the build option.

See Also:

• "Including or Excluding Build Options"

• "Deleting Build Options and Associated Components"