5.1.4 Understanding Page Types, Features, and Settings

Learn about the supported page types, features, and configurable settings available in the Create Application Wizard.

5.1.4.1 Available Page Types in the Create Application Wizard

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

Available Page Types

Table 5-1 Create Application Wizard - Available Page Types

Page Type Description To Learn More

Blank

Creates a page with no built-in functionality. 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 features an orderly layout of information tiles. Developers choose between three layouts: Grid, Float, or Horizontal (Row).

Features:

  • Customize every aspect of a cards region's UI (including layout, appearance, icon, badge, and media).
  • Declaratively create links from a cards page by adding actions. Action types include Button, Full Card, Title, Subtitle, or Media.
  • Supports advanced HTML expressions including template directives for client-side conditional formatting.

See: Managing Cards

Chart

Creates a new page containing a chart. Supported chart types include area, bar, box plot, bubble, combination, status meter gauge, donut, funnel, gantt, line, line with area, pie, polar, pyramid, radar, scatter, and stock charts. See Creating Charts

Dashboard

Creates a dashboard page. Choose from four different chart layouts which you can easily customize in Page Designer. Available chart layouts include Primary and 2 secondary charts, Grid of 4 charts, Primary and 3 secondary charts, and Grid of 6 charts. See online Help when creating this page.

Faceted Search

A faceted search page displays and filters data using an intuitive experience users recognize from ecommerce sites (a left Search region and report region). Displays search results as cards or a classic report.

Features:

  • Select options from facets in the left Search region to narrow down search results.
  • Set filters using facets that show possible values together with the occurrence count within the result set.
  • Built-in search capability.
  • Optionally include a chart for any facet.
  • Toggle between a bar chart (which is the default) and pie chart type.
  • Create facet groups for data models having multiple flag columns.

See: Managing Faceted Search

Smart Filters

A smart filters page features single search field at the top of the page and a search results report (classic report, cards, map, or calendar). While a Smart Filter behaves similarly to faceted search, it features a more space efficient layout.

Features:

  • Includes a search field at the top of the page with filters that display as suggestion chip.
  • The Search Results can display as a classic report, cards, map, or calendar.
  • Clicking a filter name displays a list of values.
  • Clicking to right of a suggestion chip changes it to an applied filter chip and moves to the Applied Filters Area. Clicking the applied filter chip again displays a list.
  • Built-in search capability.

See: Managing Smart Filters

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: Creating a Form

Interactive Grid

An interactive grid presents data in a searchable, customizable report. Includes similar customization capabilities available in interactive reports plus the ability to rearrange the report interactively using the mouse or keyboard.

Features:

  • Extensive customization capabilities using menus or inline editing.
  • Turn editing on or off using the region Attribute, Edit, Enabled.
  • Built-in search capability.
  • For both editable and non-editable reports, users can change the report layout and create private reports:
    • Column Heading menu - Change the report layout with Control Break, Aggregations, Freeze, Hide, and Filter.
    • Actions menu:
      • Columns - Configure the columns to show or hide.
      • Filters - Create filters to alter the display.
      • Data - Sort, Aggregate, Refresh, Flashback.
      • Format - Control Break, Highlight, Stretch Column Widths.
      • Selection - Cell Selection, Copy to Clipboard, Refresh Rows.
      • Chart - Create chart.
      • Report - Create, edit, and manage saved Private or Alternative reports.
      • Download - Download or email the report as a CSV, HTML, PDF, or Excel file
  • If editable, users can edit the data directly:

    • Row Actions menu - Single Row View, Add Row, Duplicate Row, Delete Row, Refresh Row, Revert Changes.
    • Add Rows - Add new rows by clicking the Add Row button.
    • Edit Rows - Edit a row by selecting or double-clicking a cell with the mouse, editing the content, and clicking the Save button.

See: Managing Interactive Grids

Interactive Report

An interactive report page features a searchable, easily customizable report.

Features:

  • Report can display as a standard application page or as a modal dialog.
  • Enable the Include Form option to create a report and update form combination.
  • Built-in search capability.
  • Change the report layout and create private reports using menus:
    • Column Heading menu: Change the report layout with Sort Ascending, Sort Descending, Hide Column, Control Break, and Filter.
    • Actions menu:
      • Columns - Configure the columns to show or hide.
      • Filters - Create filters to alter the display.
      • Data - Sort, Aggregate, Compute, Flashback.
      • Format - Control Break, Highlight, Rows Per Page.
      • Chart - Create a chart.
      • Group By - Group sets of results by one or more columns with Group By.
      • Pivot - Pivot reports transpose rows into columns to generate results in a cross tab format.
      • Report - Create, edit, and manage saved Named reports.
      • Download - Download or email the report as a CSV, HTML, Excel, or PDF.
      • Subscription - Subscribe to report updates in CSV, HTML, Excel, or PDF format.

See: Managing Interactive Reports

Map

The map component consists of a background map and spatial geometry objects (or layers) sourced from data in a local table. Supported spatial geometry objects (or layers) include: Points, Lines, Polygons, Heat Map, or Extruded Polygons. Spatial geometry objects can be either:

  • Geometry Column - Supported datatypes include SDO_GEOMETRY, VARCHAR2, or CLOB. VARCHAR2 and CLOB columns must contain geometry information in GeoJSON format.

  • Two Numeric Columns - These columns must contain longitude and latitude values. This option only applies to Point and Heat Map layers.

See Creating Maps

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:

  • Stacked - Creates a single page master detail with editable interactive grids. Users select a row in the master grid to update the detail grids.

  • 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.

  • Drill Down - Creates a two page (or Drill Down) master detail. The first page contains an interactive report for the master table. The second page features a standard form for the master and interactive grids for the detail.

See Creating Master Detail Forms

Additional Pages, Classic Report

Expand the Additional Pages region to view this option.

A classic report features a simple report page based on the formatted result of a SQL query.

Features:

  • Report can display as a standard application page or as a modal dialog.

  • Enable the Include Form option to create a report and update form combination.
  • Enable column sorting in Page Designer by selecting a column and configuring Column, Sorting attributes.
  • The most versatile report as it is template-driven. Choose from the predefined report templates, including Media List, Comments, Timeline, Badge List, Value Attributes Pairs, and so on. Or, create your own template to customize and visualize data.
  • Download the report as a CSV, HTML, Excel, or PDF.
  • Supports Report Layouts to format PDF exports.

See: Managing Classic Reports

Additional Pages, Multiple Reports

Creates multiple 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: Managing Interactive Reports

See online Help when creating this page.

Additional Pages, 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.

Additional Pages, 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.

5.1.4.2 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 5-2 Create Application Wizard — Features

Page Type Description To Learn More
Install Progressive Web App Progressive Web Applications (PWA) are designed to be capable, reliable, and installable. A Progressive Web App feels like a platform-specific application. Enabling this option:
  • Adds a new navigation bar entry, Install App
  • Enables users to install the app on devices
See Creating a Progressive Web App (PWA)
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 enabled, 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 Vita theme style which has a much higher color contrast

Not applicable.

5.1.4.3 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 5-3 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 APEX 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 APEX 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 APEX 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, APEX 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 APEX SQL Workshop Guide

5.1.4.4 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 Oracle APEX 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 APEX 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.