Oracle Database. 2 Day + Application Express Developer s Guide Release 4.0 E

Transcription

1 Oracle Database 2 Day + Application Express Developer s Guide Release 4.0 E December 2010

2 Oracle Database 2 Day + Application Express Developer's Guide, Release 4.0 E Copyright 2003, 2010, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Primary Authors: Drue Baker, Terri Jennings Contributors: Sharon Kennedy, David Peake This software and related documentation are provided under a license agreement containing restrictions on use and disclosure and are protected by intellectual property laws. Except as expressly permitted in your license agreement or allowed by law, you may not use, copy, reproduce, translate, broadcast, modify, license, transmit, distribute, exhibit, perform, publish, or display any part, in any form, or by any means. Reverse engineering, disassembly, or decompilation of this software, unless required by law for interoperability, is prohibited. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice and is not warranted to be error-free. If you find any errors, please report them to us in writing. If this software or related documentation is delivered to the U.S. Government or anyone licensing it on behalf of the U.S. Government, the following notice is applicable: U.S. GOVERNMENT RIGHTS Programs, software, databases, and related documentation and technical data delivered to U.S. Government customers are "commercial computer software" or "commercial technical data" pursuant to the applicable Federal Acquisition Regulation and agency-specific supplemental regulations. As such, the use, duplication, disclosure, modification, and adaptation shall be subject to the restrictions and license terms set forth in the applicable Government contract, and, to the extent applicable by the terms of the Government contract, the additional rights set forth in FAR , Commercial Computer Software License (December 2007). Oracle USA, Inc., 500 Oracle Parkway, Redwood City, CA This software is developed for general use in a variety of information management applications. It is not developed or intended for use in any inherently dangerous applications, including applications which may create a risk of personal injury. If you use this software in dangerous applications, then you shall be responsible to take all appropriate fail-safe, backup, redundancy, and other measures to ensure the safe use of this software. Oracle Corporation and its affiliates disclaim any liability for any damages caused by use of this software in dangerous applications. Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. This software and documentation may provide access to or information on content, products, and services from third parties. Oracle Corporation and its affiliates are not responsible for and expressly disclaim all warranties of any kind with respect to third-party content, products, and services. Oracle Corporation and its affiliates will not be responsible for any loss, costs, or damages incurred due to your access to or use of third-party content, products, or services.

3 Contents Preface... vii Topic Overview... Audience... Documentation Accessibility... Related Documents... Conventions... vii viii viii viii x What s New... xi What s New in this Document for Release xi 1 Introducing Oracle Application Express About Oracle Application Express Understanding Oracle Application Express Architecture About the Oracle Application Express Environment About Workspaces About Oracle Application Express User Roles Overview of the Application You Build Accessing Your Development Environment Before You Begin Accessing the Hosted Demo Environment Logging In to the Hosted Demo Environment Setting Up Your Own Local Environment Logging In to Administration Services Creating a Workspace Logging In to Your Local Instance Creating Additional User Accounts Getting Started with Oracle Application Express About the Workspace Home Page What Is Application Builder? Installing the Sample Objects Downloading OEHR Sample Objects Importing the OEHR Sample Objects iii

4 Checking Your Workspace Storage Space Deleting the OEHR Sample Objects Application Viewing Your Database Objects Building Your Application About the Application You Build in This Tutorial Creating the Initial Application Previewing Your Application Modifying the Departments Report Run the Report to View Added Columns Using an Interactive Report Save Report Settings as the Default Create a Filter Change the Sort Order Add a Controlled Break Display the Single Row View Reset Report Settings Adding an Employees Report and Form Previewing the Pages Editing the Employees Report Create a Function Add a Column Previewing the Page Changing the Column Format Adding a Link on the Home Page to the Employees Report Adding a Department Column to the Employees Report Add a Column Display Column in the Report Save Report Settings as the Default Linking a Column Value to Another Page Change Column Value to a Link Run the Departments Report Create a Highlight to Test Clear Interactive Report Command Adding a List of Values to the Employees Report Add a List of Values Add an Item to Display List of Values Change Employees Report Query Change Column Link on Department Report Turning Off Pagination Adding Your Company Name Switching Themes to Change the User Interface About Deploying Your Application Overview of Deploying Your Application Creating End Users About Publishing the Application URL iv

5 6 About Globalization About Language Identification and Rendering Specifying the Method for Global Identification Next Steps Downloading Public Packaged Applications and Sample Code Additional Resources v

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7 Preface Oracle 2 Day + Application Express Developer's Guide introduces you to application development using Oracle Application Express. This guide shows you how to set up development environment or access a hosted demonstration environment to use with this guide. It then walks you through building an initial application, modifying it, and previewing it. Through a series of exercises, you become familiar with the Oracle Application Express user interface, basic product functionality, and some underlying concepts that enable you to develop professional, fast, and secure applications. Topics: Topic Overview Audience Documentation Accessibility Related Documents Conventions Topic Overview This document contains the following sections: Title Introducing Oracle Application Express Accessing Your Development Environment Getting Started with Oracle Application Express Building Your Application About Deploying Your Application Description Describes Oracle Application Express, its architecture and the environment for using the product. It also introduces you to some concepts and terms used in this guide. Leads you through the steps to access a development environment for your use. Introduces you to areas of the user interface. It also leads you through installing the sample objects to use with this guide. Leads you through the steps for building an application, modifying it, and previewing it at different points during the development process. Describes some basic information about deploying your application. It also leads you through the steps to create end users and to determine the URL of your application. vii

8 Title About Globalization Next Steps Description Describes some basic information about globalization. It also leads you through the steps to specify how the application determines global identification. Describes additional resources to expand your knowledge of Oracle Application Express and boost your productivity. Audience Oracle 2 Day + Application Express Developer's Guide is intended for: Workspace administrators who want to set up the Oracle Application Express development environment Application developers who want to learn how to build database-centric Web applications using Oracle Application Express To use this guide, you must have a general understanding of relational database concepts and the operating system environment under which Oracle Application Express is running. Documentation Accessibility Our goal is to make Oracle products, services, and supporting documentation accessible to all users, including users that are disabled. To that end, our documentation includes features that make information available to users of assistive technology. This documentation is available in HTML format, and contains markup to facilitate access by the disabled community. Accessibility standards will continue to evolve over time, and Oracle is actively engaged with other market-leading technology vendors to address technical obstacles so that our documentation can be accessible to all of our customers. For more information, visit the Oracle Accessibility Program Web site at Accessibility of Code Examples in Documentation Screen readers may not always correctly read the code examples in this document. The conventions for writing code require that closing braces should appear on an otherwise empty line; however, some screen readers may not always read a line of text that consists solely of a bracket or brace. Accessibility of Links to External Web Sites in Documentation This documentation may contain links to Web sites of other companies or organizations that Oracle does not own or control. Oracle neither evaluates nor makes any representations regarding the accessibility of these Web sites. Access to Oracle Support Oracle customers have access to electronic support through My Oracle Support. For information, visit or visit if you are hearing impaired. Related Documents For more information, see these Oracle resources: viii

9 Oracle Application Express Installation Guide Oracle Application Express Release Notes Oracle Application Express Application Builder User's Guide Oracle Application Express SQL Workshop Guide Oracle Application Express API Reference Oracle Application Express Migration Guide Oracle Application Express Administration Guide Oracle Database Concepts Oracle Database Advanced Application Developer's Guide Oracle Database Administrator's Guide Oracle Database SQL Language Reference SQL*Plus User's Guide and Reference Oracle Database PL/SQL Language Reference For information about Oracle error messages, see Oracle Database Error Messages. Oracle error message documentation is available only in HTML. If you have access to the Oracle Database Documentation Library, you can browse the error messages by range. Once you find the specific range, use your browser's "Find in Page" feature to locate the specific message. When connected to the Internet, you can search for a specific error message using the error message search feature of the Oracle online documentation. For additional documentation available on Oracle Technology Network (OTN), visit the Oracle Application Express Web site located at: For additional application examples, go to the Learning Library. Search for free online training content, including Oracle by Example (OBE), demos, and tutorials. To access the Oracle Learning Library, go to: Many books in the documentation set use the sample schemas of the seed database, which is installed by default when you install Oracle. See Oracle Database Sample Schemas for information about how these schemas were created, and how you can use them yourself. Printed documentation is available for sale in the Oracle Store at: To download free release notes, installation documentation, white papers, or other collateral, visit the Oracle Technology Network (OTN). You must register online before using OTN; registration is free and can be done at: If you have a user name and password for OTN, then you can go directly to the documentation section of the OTN Web site at: ix

10 Conventions The following text conventions are used in this document: Convention boldface italic monospace Meaning Boldface type indicates graphical user interface elements associated with an action, or terms defined in text or the glossary. Italic type indicates book titles, emphasis, or placeholder variables for which you supply particular values. Monospace type indicates commands within a paragraph, URLs, code in examples, text that appears on the screen, or text that you enter. x

11 What s New This section summarizes updates made to Oracle Application Express Administration Guide for release 4.0. What s New in this Document for Release 4.0 This section summarizes general updates, revised content, and new content added to Oracle Database 2 Day + Oracle Application Express Developer's Guide for release 4.0. General Updates All content has been updated to reflect new functionality All discussions of the Page Definition have been rewritten to use Tree view Screen captures and graphics have been added and updated to reflect release 4.0 user interface enhancements Revised Content The following sections contain significant revisions: "Using an Interactive Report" on page 4-11 "Adding a List of Values to the Employees Report" on page 4-29 "Switching Themes to Change the User Interface" on page 4-33 xi

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13 1 Introducing Oracle Application Express This section describes Oracle Application Express, its architecture, and the environment for using the product. It also introduces you to concepts and terms used in this guide when discussing Oracle Application Express. Topics: About Oracle Application Express Understanding Oracle Application Express Architecture About the Oracle Application Express Environment About Oracle Application Express User Roles Overview of the Application You Build About Oracle Application Express Oracle Application Express is a rapid Web application development tool for the Oracle database. Using only a Web browser and limited programming experience, you can develop professional applications that are both fast and secure. Thanks to built-in features such as user interface themes, navigational controls, form handlers, and flexible reports, Oracle Application Express accelerates the application development process. From the end user s perspective, the deployed applications require only a browser and access to an Oracle database running Application Express. Tip: To learn more about Oracle Application Express features, click the Learn more... button on the Workspace home page. Understanding Oracle Application Express Architecture Oracle Application Express installs with your Oracle database and is comprised of data in tables and PL/SQL code. Whether you run the Oracle Application Express development environment or an application you built using Oracle Application Express, the process is the same. Your browser sends a URL request that is translated into the appropriate Oracle Application Express PL/SQL call. After the database processes the PL/SQL, the results are relayed back to your browser as HTML. This cycle happens each time you request or submit a page. The application session state is managed in the database tables within Oracle Application Express. It does not use a dedicated database connection. Instead, each Introducing Oracle Application Express 1-1

14 Understanding Oracle Application Express Architecture request is made through a separate database session, consuming minimal CPU resources. Understanding Web Server Options In order to run, Oracle Application Express must have access to Oracle Application Express Listener, Oracle HTTP Server and mod_plsql, or the embedded PL/SQL gateway. About Oracle HTTP Server (Apache) and Oracle Application Express Listener Oracle HTTP Server uses the mod_plsql plug-in to communicate with the Oracle Application Express engine within the Oracle database. Oracle Application Express Listener communicates directly with the Oracle Application Express engine, thus eliminating the need for the mod_plsql plug-in. Both Oracle HTTP Server and the Oracle Application Express Listener function as communication brokers between the Web server and the Oracle Application Express objects in the Oracle database. More specifically, they map browser requests into database stored procedure calls over a SQL*Net connection. The following graphic illustrates the Oracle Application Express architecture using Oracle HTTP Server and mod_plsql. Note that this three tier architecture consists of the following components: a Web browser, Oracle HTTP Server (Apache) with mod_plsql or Oracle Application Express Listener, and an Oracle database containing Oracle Application Express. Advantages of Oracle HTTP Server (Apache) with mod_plsql or Oracle Application Express Listener include: Separation from mid-tier for the database tier Appropriate for Oracle Real Application Clusters (Oracle RAC) environments Versions prior to Oracle Database 11.1 require Oracle Application Express Listener or Oracle HTTP Server (Apache) with mod_plsql. The following graphic illustrates the three-tier architecture. About the Embedded PL/SQL Gateway The embedded PL/SQL gateway installs with in the Oracle database. It provides the Oracle database with a Web server and also the necessary infrastructure to create dynamic applications. The embedded PL/SQL gateway runs in the Oracle XML DB HTTP server in the Oracle database and includes the core features of mod_plsql. The following graphic illustrates the Oracle Application Express architecture using the embedded PL/SQL gateway. 1-2 Oracle Database 2 Day + Application Express Developer's Guide

15 About the Oracle Application Express Environment As shown in the previous graphic, the embedded PL/SQL gateway is a simple two tier architecture and consists of theses components: a Web browser and an Oracle database, containing the embedded PL/SQL and Oracle Application Express. Advantages of the embedded PL/SQL gateway: Ease of configuration Included in the database No separate server installation About the Application Express Engine The Application Express engine renders and processes pages. It also performs these tasks: Session state management Authentication services Authorization services Page flow control Validations processing About the Oracle Application Express Environment About Workspaces See Also: "Understanding Administrator Security Best Practice" in Oracle Application Express Application Builder User's Guide Oracle Application Express enables a single Oracle database to become a shared workgroup database service. Multiple users can access it using a Web browser without installing additional software. The area where you develop applications is called a workspace. A workspace is a virtual private database that enables multiple users to work within the same Oracle Application Express installation while keeping their objects, data, and applications private. In a typical development environment, you might create a single workspace for all your developers to share. However, you can also create dedicated workspaces for specific developers or projects. Creating a dedicated workspace limits access to the workspace objects to only those users associated with the workspace. The following illustration shows the relationship among users and developers, workspaces, and database schemas. Introducing Oracle Application Express 1-3

16 About Oracle Application Express User Roles When you create a workspace, you associate it with a new or existing schema. A schema is a logical container for database objects such as tables, views, and stored procedures. A single schema can be associated with one or more workspaces. About Oracle Application Express User Roles When setting up Application Express users at a large organization, you assign roles and privileges to specific users. The roles within Oracle Application Express include the following: Workspace administrators are users who perform administrator tasks specific to a workspace such as managing user accounts, monitoring workspace activity, and viewing log files. Developers are users who create and edit applications and modify database objects. Developers can have their own workspace or share a workspace. End users have no development privileges. You define end users so that they can access applications that do not use an external authentication scheme. Instance administrators are superusers that manage an entire hosted instance using the Application Express Administration Services application. The following illustration shows multiple users with various roles accessing the Oracle Application Express development environment, Application Express Administration Services, and the published applications. 1-4 Oracle Database 2 Day + Application Express Developer's Guide

17 Overview of the Application You Build For this guide, you must have the privileges usually associated with three roles: Instance Administrator, Workspace Administrator, and Developer. The following illustration shows an Oracle Application Express instance with a single user. Overview of the Application You Build In "Building Your Application" on page 4-1, you create a simple Human Resources (HR) application for a fictitious company called AnyCo Corp. The application manages departmental and employee information stored in the department and employees tables that you create. The tutorial shows you how to build the application, modify it, and then preview it. Introducing Oracle Application Express 1-5

18 Overview of the Application You Build 1-6 Oracle Database 2 Day + Application Express Developer's Guide

19 2 Accessing Your Development Environment This section guides you through the steps to access an Oracle Application Express development environment for your use. Then, you and other developers can begin building applications within Oracle Application Express. Topics: Before You Begin Accessing the Hosted Demo Environment Setting Up Your Own Local Environment Creating Additional User Accounts Before You Begin Before you begin this section, do the following: Read "Introducing Oracle Application Express" on page 1-1. Confirm your Web browser supports JavaScript and the HTML 4.0 and Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) 1.0 standards. The following browsers meet this requirement: Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0 or later version Mozilla Firefox 3.5 or later version Google Chrome 4.0 or later version Apple Safari 4.0 or later version Enable cookies for your Web browser. Determine which environment you want to use: Oracle provides a hosted demonstration (demo) environment where you can try out Oracle Application Express. Using the demo environment is the fastest way to access a development environment. You request a workspace from an Oracle Application Express Web site and provide some basic user information. Shortly after you submit your request, you receive your login credentials in an . This option does not require installing any software. For instructions on using the demo environment, see "Accessing the Hosted Demo Environment" on page 2-2. Accessing Your Development Environment 2-1

20 Accessing the Hosted Demo Environment Note: Do not use the hosted demonstration environment for your production work. Set up your own local instance of Oracle Application Express. To do that, install Oracle Application Express and then follow the steps in "Setting Up Your Own Local Environment" on page 2-3. For instructions on installing Oracle Application Express, review the Oracle Application Express Installation Guide. Accessing the Hosted Demo Environment To use Oracle Application Express without installing the product locally, go to the hosted demo environment and sign up for a workspace. To access the hosted demo environment: 1. In a Web browser, go to: 2. Click the Sign Up button. The Registration Wizard appears. Note the steps included in the wizard appear in a flowchart on the left side of the page. The highlighted block indicates the step you are performing. 3. On Welcome, review the information and click Next. 4. Identify the administrator for the service. Enter a first name, last name, and valid address and click Next. The system generates an with your login credentials and sends it to the address you enter. 5. For Workspace, enter a workspace name. Workspace names must be unique. Requesting a duplicate name might delay your request. In general, enter a name that is significant to you. For example, enter your own name, your company name, or the name of the project or department to which your applications pertain. To use the same name for your workspace and your schema (defined in the next step) use alphabetic characters when naming your workspace. Schema names are restricted to alphabetic characters. 6. For Select Database Schema, enter the following: a. New schema to create - Enter a name containing only alphabetic characters. b. Initial Space Allocation - Select at least 10 MB to accommodate the space needed for creating the objects required for this guide. c. Click Next. 7. Describe why you are requesting the service and click Next. 8. For Confirmation, enter: a. Verification Code - Enter the displayed numeric and alphabetic characters in the Verification Code field. Be sure to use the correct capitalization because the verification code is case-sensitive. 2-2 Oracle Database 2 Day + Application Express Developer's Guide

21 Setting Up Your Own Local Environment b. Review the information and click Submit Request. An initial containing a link is sent to you. Click the link within the to complete the workspace provisioning process. This step verifies that your address is valid before approving a workspace. After that, an with your login credentials is sent to you. Use those credentials to log in to the hosted demo environment and begin using Oracle Application Express. Logging In to the Hosted Demo Environment Using the login credentials you received in an , log in to your dedicated workspace on the hosted demo environment. To log in to the hosted demo environment: 1. In a Web browser, go to: 2. On the Login page, enter your login credentials. 3. Click Login. The Workspace home page appears. You may be prompted to change your password. If not, you can change it manually by clicking the Change Password link on the right side of the Workspace home page. Then, enter in the information requested on the page that appears. To continue with the tutorials, skip the rest of this section and go to "Getting Started with Oracle Application Express" on page 3-1. Setting Up Your Own Local Environment Instead of using the hosted demo environment, you can install Oracle Application Express locally. If you do a local installation, you must set up your development environment. The general steps you must perform include: 1. Install Oracle Application Express as described in Oracle Application Express Installation Guide. 2. Log in to Application Express Administration Services, as described in "Logging In to Administration Services" on page Create a workspace, as described in "Creating a Workspace" on page 2-5. Accessing Your Development Environment 2-3

22 Setting Up Your Own Local Environment 4. (Optional) Create additional users with developer or administrator privileges, as described in "Creating Additional User Accounts" on page 2-9. Logging In to Administration Services To set up your local development environment, you first must log in to Oracle Application Express Administration Services. This is a separate application for managing an entire Oracle Application Express instance. To log in to the Oracle Application Express Administration Services: 1. In a Web browser, go to the Oracle Application Express Administration Services application. Depending on which setup you are using, Oracle Application Express is installed in one of these locations: Note: This tutorial explains a simplified method for setting up your development environment so that you can begin using Oracle Application Express. However, when you want to set up your development environment to accommodate your real-life development needs, review Oracle Application Express Hosted Instance Administration" in Oracle Application Express Administration Guide. If your setup uses the embedded PL/SQL gateway: Where: hostname is the name of the system where Oracle XML DB HTTP Server is installed. port is the port number assigned to Oracle XML DB HTTP Server. In a default installation, this number is apex is the database access descriptor (DAD) defined in the configuration file. For users who have upgraded from earlier versions, or who have a custom configuration, this value may be htmldb or something else. Verify your DAD with your Oracle Application Express administrator. See Also: "Verifying the Oracle XML DB HTTP Server Port" in Oracle Application Express Application Builder User's Guide If your setup uses the Oracle Application Express Listener, go to: Where: hostname is the name of the system where Oracle HTTP Server is installed. port is the port number assigned to Oracle HTTP Server. In a default installation, for Oracle WebLogic Server this number is 7001, in OC4J this number is 8888, in Oracle Glassfish Server this number is These defaults are correct at the time this document was written. Please review the related Web server documentation for the latest default port if necessary. apex is the mount point defined in the Web Server configuration file. 2-4 Oracle Database 2 Day + Application Express Developer's Guide

23 Setting Up Your Own Local Environment See Also: Oracle Application Express Listener documentation If your setup uses the Oracle HTTP Server (Apache) with mod_plsql: Creating a Workspace Where: hostname is the name of the system where Oracle HTTP Server is installed. port is the port number assigned to Oracle HTTP Server. In a default installation, this number is You can find information about your Oracle HTTP Server installation s port number from either of the following files: ORACLE_BASE\ORACLE_HOME\install\portlist.ini ORACLE_BASE\ORACLE_HTTPSERVER_HOME\Apache\Apache\conf\httpd.conf Be aware that if you change a port number, it is not updated in the portlist.ini file. You can only rely on this file immediately after installation. pls is the indicator to use the mod_plsql cartridge. apex is the database access descriptor (DAD) defined in the mod_plsql configuration file. For users who have upgraded from earlier versions, or who have a custom configuration, this value may be htmldb or something else. Verify the DAD with your Oracle Application Express administrator. See Also: "Managing Oracle Database Port Numbers" in Oracle Application Express Installation Guide and ORACLE_BASE\ORACLE_ HTTPSERVER_HOME\Apache\modplsql\conf\dads.readme for more information on database access descriptors The Login page appears. 2. In Username, enter the username you specified when you installed Oracle Application Express. 3. In Password, enter the Oracle Application Express administrator account password you specified when you installed Oracle Application Express. 4. Click Login. Oracle Application Express Administration Services appears. From Administration Services, create a workspace. A workspace is a shared work area within the Oracle Application Express development environment that has a unique ID and name. All users in the workspace can access all its applications and scripts. For more information about workspaces, see "About Workspaces" on page 1-3. To create a workspace: 1. Log in to Oracle Application Express Administration Services. The Instance Administration Home page appears. Accessing Your Development Environment 2-5

24 Setting Up Your Own Local Environment 2. Click Manage Workspaces. 3. Under Workspace Actions, click Create Workspace. The Create Workspace Wizard appears. 4. For Identify Workspace, enter the following: a. Workspace Name - Enter a unique workspace name. This guide uses 2DayPlus for the workspace name. In general, you want to enter a workspace name that is significant to you. For example, you might enter your own name, your company name, or the name of the project or department to which your application pertains. If you want to use the same name for both your workspace and schema, enter a workspace name that contains only alphabetic characters. Schema names are restricted to alphabetic characters. b. Workspace ID - Leave Workspace ID blank to have the new Workspace ID automatically generated. A Workspace ID must be a positive integer greater than c. Workspace Description - Enter a workspace description. d. Click Next. 2-6 Oracle Database 2 Day + Application Express Developer's Guide

25 Setting Up Your Own Local Environment 5. For Identify Schema, enter the following: a. Re-use existing schema - Select No if you are creating your first workspace. A schema is a logical container for database objects. In this step, you are creating the container for database objects you add later in this tutorial. b. Schema Name - Enter a schema name. This guide uses TWODAYPLUS for the schema name. You must use only alphabetic characters in your schema name. c. Schema Password - Enter a case-sensitive password. d. Space Quota (MB) - Select at least 10 MB to accommodate the necessary space for creating the objects required for this guide. e. Click Next. 6. For Identify Administrator, enter the following: a. Administrator Username - Accept the default, ADMIN, or enter another user name to be used in Oracle Application Express. You are creating an account for only one user, yourself as an administrator. To see instructions for creating additional users, see "Creating Additional User Accounts" on page 2-9. b. Administrator Password - Enter a case-sensitive password. c. Enter the remaining information, including your valid address, and click Next. The login credentials for accessing Oracle Application Express are sent to the address you enter here, if you have configured the settings for your Oracle Application Express environment. Accessing Your Development Environment 2-7

26 Setting Up Your Own Local Environment 7. Confirm your selections and click Create Workspace. Logging In to Your Local Instance To log in to your local instance of Oracle Application Express, you must have this information: URL where you can access Oracle Application Express Workspace name you use to develop applications Username set up for you for this workspace within Oracle Application Express Password set up for you for this workspace within Oracle Application Express If you set up your development environment, you have your login credentials. Otherwise, contact the person who created your user account to supply the information. To log in to Oracle Application Express: 1. In a Web browser, go to the Oracle Application Express Login page. Depending on your setup, Oracle Application Express installs to one of these locations: If your setup uses the embedded PL/SQL gateway or the Oracle Application Express Listener: If your setup uses the Oracle HTTP Server (Apache) with mod_plsql: For an explanation of the URLs, see "Logging In to Administration Services" on page 2-4. The Login page appears. 2. Under Login, enter your login credentials. 3. Click Login. 2-8 Oracle Database 2 Day + Application Express Developer's Guide

27 Creating Additional User Accounts Creating Additional User Accounts As an administrator, you inherit all the privileges associated with the developer role. If you want to start developing the application shown in this guide, skip this section and go to "Logging In to Your Local Instance" on page 2-8. However, you might want to create user accounts for other developers who share this workspace. Associating users with the workspace grants them access to all applications and scripts within that workspace. You can also create additional user accounts for workspace administrators. To create a user account: 1. Log in to the workspace where you want to add users. See "Logging In to the Hosted Demo Environment" on page 2-3 or "Logging In to Your Local Instance" on page 2-8. The Workspace home page appears. 2. Click Administration. 3. Click Manage Users and Groups. 4. Click Create User. The Create User page appears. 5. Under User Identification, enter: a. Username - Enter the username used to log in to the system. Restrictions include: Maximum length of 100 characters No spaces Only these special characters are permitted: ampersand (@) and period (.) b. Address - Enter the valid address for this user. c. First Name - Enter the first or given name to further identify the user (optional). Accessing Your Development Environment 2-9

28 Creating Additional User Accounts d. Last Name - Enter the last or family name to further identify the user (optional). e. Description - Enter comments about this user (optional). 6. Under Account Privileges: a. Default Schemas - Specify the default schema used for data browsing, application creation, and SQL script execution. When using workspaces that have more than one schema available, this schema is the default. This setting does not control security, only the user's preference. b. Accessible Schemas (null for all) - Leave this blank to enable the end user to access all applications in the workspace, or enter a colon-delimited list of schemas for which this user has permissions when using the SQL Workshop. c. User is a workspace administrator - Specify if this user should have workspace administrator privileges. Administrators are given access to all components. Additionally, they can manage user accounts, groups, and development services. Components may not be available if they are switched off by Instance Administrators. d. User is a developer - Specify if this user should have developer privileges. Developers must have access to either Application Builder, SQL Workshop, or both. Components may not be available if they are switched off by Instance Administrators. e. Application Builder Access - Determines whether a developer has access to the Application Builder. f. SQL Workshop Access - Determines whether a developer has access to the SQL Workshop. g. Team Development Access - Determines whether a developer has access to the Team Development. h. Set Account Availability - Select Locked to prevent the account from being used. Select Unlocked to allow the account to be used. 7. Under Password: Password - Enter a case sensitive password. Confirm Password - Enter the password again. Require Change of Password On First Use - Select No to not require this user to change his or her password at first log in. Select Yes to require the user to change the password immediately after logging in the first time. 8. Under User Groups, optionally select a user group. 9. Click Create User or Create and Create Another. See also: "Managing Application Express Users" in Oracle Application Express Administration Guide 2-10 Oracle Database 2 Day + Application Express Developer's Guide

29 3 Getting Started with Oracle Application Express This section introduces you to areas of the Oracle Application Express user interface. It also shows you how to install the sample objects to use with this guide. Before you begin, log in to Oracle Application Express. For instructions, see "Accessing Your Development Environment" on page 2-1. Topics: About the Workspace Home Page What Is Application Builder? Installing the Sample Objects About the Workspace Home Page When you log in to Oracle Application Express, the Workspace home page appears. Take a few minutes to explore the product. The following large icons display in the center of the page: Application Builder. Use Application Builder to assemble an HTML interface (or application) on top of database objects such as tables and procedures. SQL Workshop. Use the SQL Workshop to access tools for viewing and managing database objects. Team Development. Use Team Development to track new features, non-feature to do tasks, bugs, and milestones. Users can also provide real-time feedback which then can be categorized into features, to do tasks, or bugs. Administration links to the Workspace Administration page. Getting Started with Oracle Application Express 3-1

30 What Is Application Builder? About Learn More Click the Learn More button to view an informative introduction to Oracle Application Express. Topics covered include architecture, self service, security, websheets, application development, SQL Workshop, Team Development, administration, and managing development. What Is Application Builder? You use the Application Builder component of Oracle Application Express to build your application. Through wizards or your direct input, you can assemble an HTML interface (or application) on top of database objects such as tables and procedures. Each application is a collection of linked pages using tabs, buttons, or hypertext links. A page is the basic building block of an application. Pages also contain user interface elements such as tabs, lists, buttons, items, and regions. To see the definition of each page belonging to your application, you use the Page Definition page. The Page Definition contains three main areas: Page Rendering lists user interface controls and logic that are executed when a page is rendered. Page rendering is the process of generating a page from the database. Page Processing lists logic controls (such as computations and processes) that are evaluated and executed when the page is processed. Shared Components lists components used by the current page that can also be referenced by other pages within your application. Installing the Sample Objects In Oracle Application Express, users log in to a workspace. You can think of each workspace as a shared work area that separates your objects, data, and applications into a virtual private database. Before performing any tasks in this guide, you must create the appropriate sample objects within your workspace. These sample objects are copies of the objects that are typically installed in two schemas: Human Resources (HR) The HR schema contains information about the employees and the facilities where they work. Each employee has an identification number, address, job identification code, salary, and manager. Employees are assigned to a department, and each department is associated with one location that has a full address, including the street name, postal code, city, state or province, and country code. Order Entry (OE) The OE schema tracks product inventories and sales of a company's products, including the product identification number, the product name, the associated associates product category, product descriptions, the weight group (for shipping purposes), the warranty periods, the suppliers, the availability status, and a minimum price. To create the objects locally in your workspace, import the OEHR Sample Objects application. Topics: Downloading OEHR Sample Objects 3-2 Oracle Database 2 Day + Application Express Developer's Guide

31 Installing the Sample Objects Importing the OEHR Sample Objects Viewing Your Database Objects Downloading OEHR Sample Objects To import the OEHR Sample Objects application, you must download it from the Oracle Technology Network (OTN). To download the OEHR Sample Objects application from OTN: 1. In your Web browser, go to: 2. Under Sample Code, click OEHR Sample Objects. 3. Download and save the oehr_sample_objects.zip file to your computer. 4. Unzip and extract the oehr_sample_objects_installer.sql file: Microsoft Windows - Double-click the oehr_sample_objects.zip file UNIX or Linux - Enter the following command: $ unzip oehr_sample_objects.zip Importing the OEHR Sample Objects Tip: In order to successfully import the objects associated with the OEHR Sample Objects application, your Oracle database must include Oracle Spatial. If your database instance does not include Oracle Spatial, you can install it using Database Configuration Assistant. To learn more, see the Oracle Application Express Installation Guide for your operating environment. After you download and unzip the OEHR Sample Objects application, import it into Oracle Application Express. During the import process, specify installation of both the application and the supporting objects. Installing the application creates the objects and sample data needed to complete the exercises in this guide. To import and install the OEHR Sample Objects application: 1. Log in to Oracle Application Express. For instructions, see "Logging In to the Hosted Demo Environment" on page 2-3 or "Logging In to Your Local Instance" on page On the Workspace home page, click Application Builder. The Application Builder home page appears. 3. Click the Import button. 4. For Specify File, specify the following: a. Import file - Click Browse and navigate to the oehr_sample_objects_ installer.sql file. b. File Type - Select Database Application, Page, or Component Export. c. File Character Set - Select the correct character set. d. Click Next. Getting Started with Oracle Application Express 3-3

32 Installing the Sample Objects Next, you install the imported file. 5. To install an imported file, click Next. The Install Application Wizard appears. 6. For Install Application, specify the following: a. Parsing Schema - Select the schema you created when you set up your development environment. b. Build Status - Select Run and Build Application. c. Install As Application - Select Auto Assign New Application ID. d. Click Install. Once you install the application, you must install the supporting objects. 7. For Install Supporting Objects, select Yes and click Next. 8. Confirm your selections by clicking Install. 9. After the installation is completed, click the Home breadcrumb link at the top of the page. The Application Builder home page appears. Checking Your Workspace Storage Space If you experience problems installing the OEHR Sample Objects application, verify the available space in your workspace. If you do not have enough space, request additional storage space. If you are a workspace administrator, you can: Determine if you have enough storage space. See "Viewing the Workspace Overview Report" in Oracle Application Express Administration Guide. Request additional storage space. See "Requesting a New Schema, More Storage, or Terminating Service" in Oracle Application Express Administration Guide. Deleting the OEHR Sample Objects Application Deleting the OEHR Sample Objects application and deinstalling the supporting objects completely removes all associated objects and sample data. To delete the OEHR Sample Objects application: 1. Log in to Oracle Application Express. 2. On the Workspace home page, click Application Builder. The Application Builder home page appears. 3. Click the OEHR Sample Objects icon. 4. On the Tasks list, click Delete this Application. The Deinstall page appears. 5. To remove all associated objects and sample data, select Remove Application Definition and Deinstall Supporting Objects. 6. Click Deinstall. 3-4 Oracle Database 2 Day + Application Express Developer's Guide

33 Installing the Sample Objects Viewing Your Database Objects Review the objects you just created by going to Object Browser. Object Browser enables you to browse, create, and edit objects in your database. To view the objects: 1. On the Workspace home page, click SQL Workshop. 2. Click Object Browser. Object Browser appears. Object Browser is divided into two sections: Object Selection pane displays on the left side of the Object Browser page and lists database objects of a selected type within the current schema. Detail pane displays to the right of the page and displays detailed information about a selected object. 3. From the list in the Object Selection pane on the left, select Tables. The Detail pane lists the tables in your current schema. 4. In the Object Selection pane, click OEHR_EMPLOYEES from the list. The Detail pane shows details about the table. 5. Click the Data tab at the top of the Details pane. The data in the OEHR_EMPLOYEES table appears. Note that other tabs show additional details about the object you select. 6. To search for an object name, enter a case-insensitive term in the Search field. Getting Started with Oracle Application Express 3-5

34 Installing the Sample Objects 7. To view all objects, leave the Search field blank. See also: "Managing Database Objects with Object Browser" in Oracle Application Express SQL Workshop Guide 3-6 Oracle Database 2 Day + Application Express Developer's Guide

35 4 Building Your Application In this tutorial, you create a Human Resources (HR) application for a fictitious company called AnyCo Corp. This section shows you how to build the application, modify it, and preview it at different points during the development process. Before you begin this section: Read "Getting Started with Oracle Application Express" on page 3-1. Ensure you have installed the database objects as described in "Installing the Sample Objects" on page 3-2. This applies to both the hosted demo environment and local instance. Topics: About the Application You Build in This Tutorial Creating the Initial Application Using an Interactive Report Modifying the Departments Report Adding an Employees Report and Form Editing the Employees Report Adding a Link on the Home Page to the Employees Report Adding a Department Column to the Employees Report Linking a Column Value to Another Page Adding a List of Values to the Employees Report Adding Your Company Name Switching Themes to Change the User Interface About the Application You Build in This Tutorial This tutorial guides you through the development of a Human Resources (HR) application for a fictitious company called AnyCo Corp. The application enables users to view and modify employee information stored in the OEHR_DEPARTMENTS and OEHR_EMPLOYEES tables. When building the application, you perform these tasks: 1. Creating the Initial Application: Create an application that includes a Home page and a basic Departments report. Building Your Application 4-1