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.
Parent topic: Creating Database Applications
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:
Parent topic: Understanding Page Types, Features, and Settings
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: Note: The SQL query for a cards page includes
special aliases such as |
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 |
See: |
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: |
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: |
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:
|
||
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: |
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: |
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. |
Parent topic: Understanding Page Types, Features, and Settings
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:
|
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:
|
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. |
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
Parent topic: Understanding Page Types, Features, and Settings
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.