Course Overview
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Intermediate What is Oracle Application Express
Oracle Application Express also known as Oracle APEX is Oracle’s important tool for database and web application development. It was formerly known as Oracle HTML DB. Oracle APEX is fully supported and comes with all Oracle database editions. Oracle APEX combines the qualities of a personal database with the qualities of an enterprise database. The application development environment of APEX is web based and it helps to build even complex web based applications using SQL and PL/SQL.
Benefits
- Person with SQL or PL skills can develop web applications using Oracle APEX
- Oracle APEX is highly scalable and easy to deploy
- APEX has server side processing and validations
- APEX has a strong and supportive user community
Disadvantages
The major disadvantages of APEX are listed below
- Oracle APEX has a large installation size
- The display pages are limited to 200 in Oracle APEX
- The reporting capabilities are limited in APEX
- APEX applications can be hosted only in an Oracle database and thus as a result APEX applications are limited in their choice of webhosts
When to use Application Express
Application Express can be used in place of multi user desktop database applications like Microsoft Access.
Course Objectives
At the end of this course you will be able to
- Understand what is Oracle APEX and its benefits
- Install and administer APEX
- Learn the basics of creating applications and pages in APEX
- Know all about forms, reports, charts and themes
- Use APEX for your own development projects
Pre requisites for taking this course
A basic understanding of Oracle SQL fundamentals and database is needed to take up this course.
Target Audience for this course
The target audience for this course are
- DBA
- Database developer
- Data analyst
- SQL developer
- Web developer
- Data warehouse engineer
- And anyone who works with database
Course Description
Section 1: Introduction to Oracle Application Express
General Introduction
Oracle Application Express (Oracle APEX) was formerly known as HTML DB is a web application development tool for the Oracle database. You can use Oracle APEX for developing professional applications with the help of a web browser and a little programming skill. Oracle APEX is fast and secure. APEX has an integrated development environment which makes the adoption of APEX easy. APEX also helps the users to build and represent data quickly with the help of its intuitive wizard. APEX reduces the cost and development functionality of an application. In this chapter you will learn about the detailed introduction to Oracle APEX and its features.
Section 2: Pre-Installation Tasks
Pre-Installation Tasks and Role of the Web Listener
Before installing Oracle APEX oracle recommends you to finish certain steps. These steps includes reviewing and satisfying the installation requirements, backing up the Oracle APEX, starting the oracle database instance that contains the target database and others. These steps are explained in detail in this chapter.
The web listener in APEX works as a mediator between the web browser and the Oracle APEX objects in the Oracle database.
Listener Options‚ Architecture‚ Associated Roles
The architecture of APEX contains a metadata repository that helps to store the definitions of applications and an engine which is called the APEX engine. This engine helps to process the pages in APEX. When installing Oracle APEX there are different key architectures and management areas to know about and that includes
- Database
- Web listener
- Multi tenancy
- Roles and responsibilities
- Environments
- Database jobs
- Database backup
The web listener has three options that include Oracle REST Data Services, Embedded PL/SQL Gateway and HTTP Server. These options are discussed in brief under this chapter.
Installation
This section contains the steps to download and install Oracle Application Express in a non multitenant container database or locally in a pluggable database. The steps are explained with few screenshots for easy reference.
Post Installation Tasks
Once the installation of Oracle APEX is done successfully you should first delete all the schemas from prior Oracle APEX installations. This chapter contains the following topics
- Deleting prior Oracle APEX installations
- Verifying if there is any prior installation is done
- Removing schemas from prior installations
- Fixing invalid ACL in Oracle Database
Section 3: Installing Oracle Rest Data Services
Installing ORDS – 1
Oracle Rest Data Services is a Java EE based alternative for Oracle HTTP server. This ORDS is flexible as it supports deployments from Oracle WebLogic Server, GlassFish Server, Apache Tomcat, and a standalone mode. The ORDS has an architecture which requires a web server to act as a communicator between the web browser and APEX engine. This chapter gives you an overview of Oracle REST Data Services and provides information about the supported platforms and requirements of ORDS. The other topics involved in this section are
- Understanding the installation process – Java EE application servers, System requirements
- About Installing Oracle REST Data Services
- Steps to install the Oracle REST Data Services
- Running in standalone mode
Configuring REST Data Services with APEX
Before starting to deploy the ORDS you should first configure it using a command line interface. This chapter explains the ways through which you can configure Oracle REST Data Services. You will also learn how to connect to multiple databases for routing requests and contains details of other documentation sources involved in configuration. The topics included in this chapter are
- Using the Command Line Interface
- Downloading and Configuring Oracle REST Data Services
- Using SQL Developer Oracle REST Data Services Administration
- Using OAuth2 in Non HTTPS Environments
- Configuring Multiple Databases
- Configuring Security, Caching, Pre- and Post Processing, Environment, and Excel Settings
- Developing RESTful Services for Use with Oracle REST Data Services
Section 4: Getting Started
Logging In
Whenever you log into Oracle APEX you are taken into a workspace. A workspace is an area in the Oracle APEX where developers are allowed to create their applications. The type of log in depends on the configuration of Oracle APEX. The other topics covered under this topic are
- Browser Requirements
- Configuring Oracle APEX Environment
- Logging in as a developer
Creating Workspace
Each workspace in APEX has a unique numeric ID and name. If a change has to be made to the workspace then a change request has to be sent to the Oracle APEX administrator. Only the administrator can approve for the changes or for creating new workspaces in APEX. This section includes
- Workspace provisioning
- Specifying a provision mode
- Managing workspace to Schema assignments
Creating Another Workspace‚ Developer‚ Workspace
The workspaces can be created manually either in a full development environment or a runtime environment. This chapter includes the steps to create workspace manually in Oracle APEX using an existing schema or a new schema. It also contains the statements used to create workspace in a runtime environment.
Developers are those who create and edit applications
Workspace administrators are the developers who perform administration tasks related to their workspace
Logging in as Workspace Administrator and Developer
If you are a developer and you are logging into Oracle APEX then you need get permission from the administrator to log into the workspace. The topics included in this chapter are
- Requesting a workspace
- Logging into a workspace
- Finding your workspace name
- Resetting your password
- Logging out of a workspace
Section 5: Data Applications
Comparing Database Application with Websheet Application
Websheet applications are the web pages that combine the text with the data. These applications are defined by their users and are highly dynamic and secured. They have navigation controls and contains several built in authentication models.
A database application is a group of paged connected together using tabs, buttons or links.
This chapter deals with the differences between the Database application and Websheet application.
Create Application Wizard-Overview
The Create Application Wizard helps to create a application which contains multiple pages that includes reports and forms. This wizard is used to create blank pages or pages based on SQL queries. In the Create Application Wizard you can choose between the type of application you want to create. These options include Database, Websheet and Packaged Application. These options are discussed in detail in this lesson.
Deletion of Application‚ Managing UI‚ Page
In case you delete an application it means that all the defined components and shared components of the application also gets deleted. There are two options to delete an application
- Deleting from the Application Builder Home Page
- Deleting from the Edit Application Definition Page
These two options are explained in this chapter.
A page is a building block of an application. Pages contain user interface elements like tabs, lists, buttons, items and regions. This chapter also contains details about creating pages in database applications.
Section 6: Creating Form Page and Report Page
Creating a Form Page and Entering Data
The way to create a form is to use the wizard. There are different form page types which are included in this section along with its description. The forms included in this chapter are
- Form on a procedure
- Form on a Table or View
- Master detail form
- Tabular form
- Form on a SQL query
- Form on web service
- Form and report on web service
- Summary page
Creating a Report Page in Classic Style
A report is the formatted result of a SQL query in Oracle APEX. The other topics included in this section are
- Creating a report using a wizard
- Using interactive reports
- Editing Interactive reports
- Editing SQL and Wizard reports
- Printing report regions
Section 7: Shared Components
Shared Components – Removing Tab
Shared components are elements that can be applied on any page within an application. The shared components page contains the following sections
- Application
- Logic
- Security
- Globalization
- Navigation
- User Interface
- Reports
- Files
These sections of the shared components page are explained in detail in this tutorial
Using the Find Icon and Managing Developer and Database Comments
The find icon is in a flashlight symbol which appears in all the pages of the application builder to create and manage shared components. You can also add developer comments to an application using the developer icon in the page which resembles a green balloon.
Application Utilities
The APEX utilities are used to load and unload data from an Oracle database, generate DDL and restore dropped database objects. This section contains the following topics under it
- Importing, exporting, loading and unloading data
- Generating DDL
- Object reports
- Comparing Schemas
- Viewing and monitoring the database details
Managing Application Groups
Groups in APEX means collection of users. This chapter deals with the Group Management in APEX.
Creating Web sheet Applications as Workspace Administrator
This section explains the step by step procedure of creating a Websheet application as a workspace administrator.
Packaged Applications
Packaged applications are fully functional ones which are designed in such a way to address a specific business need. There are two types of packaged application – Sample and Productivity application. This chapter contains details about the two types and its differences.
Debugging an Application
In this chapter you will learn how to manually remove a control or a component from the application to solve the problem. This section contains the following topics
- Tuning performance
- Debug mode
- Enabling SQL tracing
- Viewing reports
- Debugging SQL queries with problems
FAQ’s General Question
- What type of application can be built using Oracle Application Express ?
This is a productive tool which helps to build applications that could produce a report on database data. APEX is also very much useful to edit the database data and it supports a huge number of declarative form controls like check boxes, option buttons and the others.
Testimonials
Barnes
One of the most interesting as well as valuable course on Oracle APEX. The course has excellent material and each session is explained neatly with proper steps and screenshots wherever needed. I have never thought learning Oracle APEX would be this easy. Thanks to educba for making this platform available.
