2.7 Using Oracle Application Express Documentation

Oracle Application Express provides a hosted online documentation library and field-level Help. You can browse or search content or download the entire library by going to the Oracle Application Express Documentation page in the Oracle Help Center.

• Accessing Oracle Help Center
  
• Searching the Oracle Help Center
  
• Downloading the Documentation Library
  
• Viewing Help
  

2.7.1 Accessing Oracle Help Center

Oracle Help Center offers a comprehensive library of publications that describe how to use Oracle Application Express. Whether you are new to Oracle Application Express or an advanced user, you can find useful information about Oracle Application Express, including getting started guides, tutorials, and advanced features.

Description of the illustration help_ico.png

You can access Oracle Help Center from by clicking Learn More... links in the product UI, or by clicking the Help menu in the upper right corner and selecting Documentation.

About Using Oracle Help Center

When the Oracle Help Center appears:

1. On the Oracle Application Express Documentaton page, select a release (if applicable).

2. To browse topics, select a subject area.

3. To view all publications in the library:

   • In the left navigation menu, select Books.

   • Find and select the appropriate publication.

4. To download the library locally:

   • In the left navigation menu under Books, select Download.

Redirecting the Help Menu

Administrators can redirect the Help menu at the instance-level in Manage Instance, Instances Settings in the Oracle Application Express Administration Services application. Oracle Application Express Administration Services is a separate application that enables an Instance administrator to manage an entire Oracle Application Express hosted instance. This functionality is not available to some customers who are using a hosted instance.

See Also:

"Configuring the Help Menu" in Oracle Application Express Administration Guide

2.7.2 Searching the Oracle Help Center

You have the option to search Oracle Help Center by book, product, category, or all publications. Searching a specific publication tends to yield the best results.

To search a specific publication:

1. Access Oracle Help Center:
   1. Click the Help menu in the upper right corner. The Help menu features a question mark enclosed with a circle.
   2. Select Documentation.

   Oracle Help Center appears, displaying documentation for the current release.

2. Locate publication:
   1. From the left navigation menu, select Books.
   2. Locate the publication and click the HTML link.

      The publication appears.

      Note that the Search bar at the top of page displays the title of the selected publication.

      
      Description of the illustration ohc_search_bar.png
3. To search the publication, enter keywords in the Search bar and press Enter.
   Search results appear.
4. Select a topic to review.

   The topic appears. Notice the table of contents highlights the selected topic.

   
   Description of the illustration ohc_search_results.png

   Notice the following icons on the left side of the table of contents:

   • 

     Table of Contents - Click this icon to show or hide the table of contents.

   • 

     Search - Click this icon search the book, product, or category.

   • 

     Download - Click this icon to download the current publication.

2.7.3 Downloading the Documentation Library

To download the online documentation library:

1. Access Oracle Help Center:
   1. Click the Help menu in the upper right corner. The Help menu features a question mark enclosed with a circle.
   2. Select Documentation.

   Oracle Help Center appears, displaying documentation for the current release.

2. Under Books, select Downbload.
3. Save the ZIP file locally.
4. Download the ZIP file and extract it locally.
5. Open the extracted folder and click Readme.html.
6. Click Start Here.

2.7.4 Viewing Help

Most select lists, check boxes, items, and fields within the Oracle Application Express include Help. Help displays in two different ways depending upon where you are viewing it.

• Viewing Field-level Help in Oracle Application Express
  
• Viewing Help in Page Designer
  

2.7.4.1 Viewing Field-level Help in Oracle Application Express

Most select lists, check boxes, items, and fields within the Oracle Application Express include field-level Help.

To view field-level help:

1. Navigate to the attribute you need information about.
   Most attributes in Oracle Application Express include field-level Help. Attributes with field-level Help, have light gray icon that resembles a question mark (?). Passing your cursor over the icon displays the tooltip, Help Text: ....

   
   Description of the illustration cv_hlp_item.png
2. To view field-level Help, click the Help Text icon.

   A Help window appears.

   
   Description of the illustration field_hlp.png

   Tip:

   To access field-level help with the keyboard, focus on the correct field and then press Alt+F1.

   See Also:

   "Accessing Oracle Help Center"

2.7.4.2 Viewing Help in Page Designer

Page Designer includes Help for all attributes in the Property Editor.

To view Help in Page Designer:

1. Access Page Designer.

   Page Designer appears.

2. Select a component or control in either the left pane or the central pane.

   As you change focus in either view, the Property Editor automatically updates to reflect the currently selected component.

3. In the Property Editor, select an attribute.
4. To view help for an attribute, select the attribute in the Property Editor and click the Help tab in the central pane.
   
   Description of the illustration pd_help.png

   Once you activate the Help pane, the content that displays changes every time you select another attribute.

   Tip:

   To view an online summary that describes just the Page Designer window, view a page in Page Designer, click the Help menu at the top of the page, and select Getting Started with Page Designer.

   See Also:

   "Viewing a Page in Page Designer"