Oracle® Application Express Application Builder User’s Guide Release 4.1 E21674-05 September 2012 Oracle Application Express Application Builder User's Guide, Release 4.1 E21674-05 Copyright © 2003, 2012, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Primary Authors: Terri Jennings, Drue Swadener Contributors: Marco Adelfio, Christina Cho, Hilary Farrell, Michael Hichwa, Christopher Jones, Joel Kallman, Sharon Kennedy, David Peake, Anthony Rayner, Marc Sewtz, Scott Spadafore, Jason Straub, Patrick Wolf 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. 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Contents Preface ............................................................................................................................................................... xxi Topic Overview ......................................................................................................................................... xxi Audience................................................................................................................................................... xxiii Documentation Accessibility................................................................................................................. xxiii Related Documents ................................................................................................................................. xxiii Conventions ............................................................................................................................................. xxiv What’s New ................................................................................................................................................. xxvii Oracle Application Express Release 4.1 New Features..................................................................... xxvii What’s New in this Document for Release 4.1.................................................................................. xxviii 1 Quick Start What is Oracle Application Express? ................................................................................................... 1-1 About Oracle Application Express Architecture................................................................................ 1-2 Understanding Application Express User Roles................................................................................ 1-3 Logging In To Oracle Application Express.......................................................................................... 1-3 About Browser Requirements .......................................................................................................... 1-4 Configuring Your Oracle Application Express Environment ..................................................... 1-4 Logging In To Oracle Application Express as a Developer ......................................................... 1-5 About the Workspace Home Page......................................................................................................... 1-9 About the Oracle Application Express Documentation ................................................................ 1-11 Accessing the Online Documentation Library............................................................................ 1-12 Downloading the Online Documentation Library..................................................................... 1-13 About Field-Level Help.................................................................................................................. 1-13 2 Application Builder Concepts What is an Oracle Application Express Application? ....................................................................... 2-1 Understanding the Difference Between Database and Websheet Applications....................... 2-1 About the Create Application Wizard ............................................................................................ 2-2 What Is a Page? ......................................................................................................................................... 2-3 Understanding Page Processing and Page Rendering ...................................................................... 2-3 How the Application Express Engine Renders and Processes Pages......................................... 2-4 Understanding Conditional Rendering and Processing .............................................................. 2-4 Verifying User Identity...................................................................................................................... 2-6 Controlling Access to Controls and Components......................................................................... 2-6 iii Understanding Session State Management ........................................................................................ 2-6 What Is a Session? .............................................................................................................................. 2-6 Understanding Session IDs............................................................................................................... 2-7 Viewing Session State........................................................................................................................ 2-7 Understanding URL Syntax ................................................................................................................... 2-8 Understanding the URL that Displays for a Page......................................................................... 2-9 Using f?p Syntax to Link Pages........................................................................................................ 2-9 Calling a Page Using an Application and Page Alias................................................................ 2-10 Calling a Page from a Button URL ............................................................................................... 2-11 Facilitating Bookmarks by Using Zero as the Session ID.......................................................... 2-11 Managing Session State Values.......................................................................................................... 2-12 Referencing Session State............................................................................................................... 2-13 Setting Session State........................................................................................................................ 2-13 Clearing Session State....................................................................................................................