3.10.1 About Using Substitution Strings

Learn about using substitution strings.

You can use substitution strings in App Builder in the following ways:

• Include a Placeholder substitution string within a template to reference component values.
• Reference page or application items using Session State Substitution syntax (also called&ITEM. syntax).
• Use built-in substitution strings

Placeholder Substitution Strings within Templates

Placeholder substitution strings available within a template are denoted by the number symbol (#). For example:

#ABC#

Tip:

You can also use JavaScript API apex.util.applyTemplate to evaluate templates on the client side. See applyTemplate in Oracle APEX JavaScript API Reference.

Session State Substitution for Page or Application Items

To reference page or application items using Session State Substitution string syntax (also called &ITEM. syntax):

1. Reference the page or application item in all capital letters.
2. Precede the item name with an ampersand (&).
3. Append a period (.) to the item name.

For example, you would refer to an application item named F101_X in a region, a region title, an item label, or in any of numerous other contexts in which static text is used, for example:

&F101_X.

Tip:

Notice the required trailing period. When the page is rendered, APEX engine replaces the value the substitution string with the value of the item F101_X .

Substitution Strings for Interactive Grid, Cards, and Map Columns

To reference columns in an interactive grid, cards page, or map page using substitution variables:

1. Reference the column name in all capital letters.
2. Precede the column name with an ampersand (&).
3. Append a period (.) to the item name.

For example, to reference the interactive grid column ENAME:

&ENAME.

Substitution Strings for Other Report Columns

To reference columns in other reports using substitution variables:

1. Reference the column name in all capital letters.
2. Precede the column name with a pound sign (#).
3. Append a pound sign (#) to the item name.

For example, to reference the interactive or classic report column ENAME:

#ENAME#

Using Double Quotation Marks for Special Characters or Case Sensitivity

Enclose items or columns with double quotation marks if the name contains special characters or is case sensitive. For example:

&"ITEM-OR-COLUMN-NAME".

Use the following syntax:

&"<name>"[!<format>].

Where:

• "<name>" is an application item or page item or column name. If not quoted, then it must be in set A-Z–0-9_$#
• "<name>" is APP_TEXT$<message-name>

  Where <message-name> is an APEX text message name.

• <format> is a predefined filter name: HTML, ATTR, JS, RAW, STRIPHTML as described in Controlling Output Escaping in Substitution Strings.

See Also:

Translating Messages