APEX - A Web Based Application Development Tool

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Date

Name: Sateesh D

Oracle APEX – Application Express

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Objectives

1) About Oracle Application Express

2) Consolidation with Application Express

3) Application Express Architecture

4) Logical Architecture of ApEx

5) Key features of ApEx

6) Functionality Overview of ApEx

7) Application Development

Objectives

3

Objectives

8) Performance and security in Oracle Application Express

9) Case study for creating a simple form/ report using ApEx application

10) Integration of ApEx form/report in OEBS

11) Diff. between 11i and R12; with respect to Integration

12) Inbound and outbound interface features in ApEx

13) Converting Oracle forms/ reports to ApEx application (ApEx 3.2)

Objectives

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What is Oracle Application Express?

Tool for developing web-based application.

Development done via Web-browser interface.

Contains pre-built templates and wizards.

Makes development easier and simpler.

Formerly this was known as HTML-DB

It is Standard part of Oracle 10g.

What is Oracle Application Express?

What is Oracle Application Express?

Oracle Application Express (OAE) is a tool for building web based applications on an oracle database.

Using OAE all development can be done on a web browser on objects

such as tables and views in an oracle database.

OAE has got pre-built templates and wizards to create reports, charts and forms and this makes database application development relatively easier and simpler.

OAE was previously known as Oracle HTML DB.

Drawbacks to Desktop Tools

Drawbacks to Desktop Tools

• Fragmented

• Vulnerable

• Platform dependent

• Web unfriendly

• Costly

Oracle Application Express features

Oracle Application Express features

The Qualities of a Personal Database Productivity Ease of Use Flexibility

• The Qualities of an Enterprise Database Security Integrity Scalability Availability Portability

• Built for the Web

Consolidation with Application Express

APEX Architecture

How APEX works?

How APEX works?Shared Workgroup Database Service Centrally Deployed & Managed

Accessed anywhere via a Browser

Declarative development style

Logical Architecture of APEX

Key Features of APEX

Key Features of APEX

Report Creation

Forms and Chart Creation

Spreadsheet Upload

User Interface Theme

Flow Control and navigation

SQL builder

Key Features of APEX

Report Creation OAE enables quick generation of HTML reports which displays the

results of SQL queries.

Forms and Chart Creation Forms and Tables are on a stores procedure can be easily created

using wizards.

You can also generate HTML/SVG charts using wizards. It is worth well to mention here is that the forms and charts are dynamically refreshed/ manipulated depending on the application needs.

Key Features of APEX

Spreadsheet Upload

One of the useful features in OAE is spreadsheet upload. Using this spreadsheet wizard in OAE spreadsheet data can be

uploaded quickly and directly into the database. The data can be stored as a new table or can be added to an existing

table and can be used in developing future applications.

User Interface Theme OAE allows designing application in one theme and then changing it to

other theme or creating using custom themes. In OAE presentations the user interface themes are separated from

the application logic.

Key Features of APEX

Flow Control and navigation

OAE provides a rich set of built-in components to simplify the development and maintenance of navigational controls which are needed widely in any web based application development.

SQL builder SQL workshop provides tools for viewing and managing database

objects from a web browser.

For example SQL query builder allows defining queries by dragging dropping tables and creating relationships between objects.

Object browser provides easy to use GUI for viewing, creating, modifying, browsing and dropping database objects.

Functionality Overview of APEX

Complete Environment

Application Builder

SQL Workshop

Administration

Application Development

Application Development

• Reports

• Data entry forms

• Charts

• Security

• Navigation

• Look and feel

Application Development

Reports

• Pagination

• Column sorting

• Export to spreadsheet or XML

• Calendar and tree

• Template driven

• Drill down to other reports, charts, forms

Application Development

Data Entry Forms

• Many built in widgets

• Pop up calendar

• List of values

• Validations

• Lost update detection

• Tabular forms

• Master detail forms

Application Development

Charts

• Bar, Pie, Line, Dial

• SVG based

• Drill down

• Asynchronous refresh

Application Development

Security

• Built in authentication modules LDAP

Single Sign-On

• Centrally defined authorization rules

• Session state protection

• Integration with database security features FGAC

Transparent Data Encryption

Application Development

Navigation

• Tabs

• Lists

• Menus

• Breadcrumbs

Application Development

Look and Feel

• Template driven

• Consistent throughout application

• Customize with HTML and CSS

Performance in OAE

Performance:

High level of performance.

Reduced Network Traffic.

OAE provides very high level of performance. The network traffic load is

kept low as the OAE resides in Oracle database.

Security in OAE

Security

Can create secure applications that require authentication.

Single Sign on feature

Easy to manage and administer security.

OAE allows creating secure applications that requires

authentication. There are a number of authentication schemes

including single sign on and easy to use user management system.

It also allows interfacing with other authentication schemes such as

Including “Microsoft Active Directory”.

CASE STUDY

- How to create a simple form/ report using APEX application

What the Case Study document describes?

This document describes the following:1) How to create an admin account in APEX application?

- Admin can create number of users.

2) How to create users?

3) How to create workspace?

4) How to create schemas and assign it to a workspace?

5) How to create SQL scripts?

What the Case Study document describes?

6) How to create Application using “Application Builder”?

- How to create a form?

(In our case study application is a form)

- How to create a LOV in a form?

- How to run the developed form?

Case study document with step by step approach

Please find the attached document to know how to create a simple form/ report in ApEx with step by step process including screenshots.

NOTE:

Create the form without even missing single step mentioned in the document.

Case_study_to_create_form

Integration of ApEx form/report in OEBS

Integration of ApEx form/report in OEBS

Introduction:

After successfully developing and executing the ApEx form/ report from the application, we should integrate that form/report in E-business Suite (OEBS).

The steps to follow to integrate the ApEx application is different for OEBS 11i and OEBS R12.

Diff. between 11i and R12; respect to Integration

The major difference between Integration of APEX Application with 11i and

R12 is “11i supports mod PL/SQL but R12 doesn’t support mod PL/SQL”

Difference while creating function.

11i :

- Properties Tab

Type: SSWA plsql function

- Web HTML Tab

HTML Call: apps.apex_launch /* Procedure created in the apps schema. */

Diff. between 11i and R12; respect to Integration

The flow of control while launching APEX Application in OEBS 11i

Diff. between 11i and R12; respect to Integration

R12 :

- Properties Tab

Type: SSWA JSP function

The Applications R12 form function is then created with the following

attributes:

• Properties/Type

– Must be a SSWA JSP function.

• Web HTML/HTML Call

– Enter your JSP page name that redirects to APEX Application.

• Form/Parameters

– Enter the parameters (application_id, page_id, etc…) to JSP page.

Diff. between 11i and R12; respect to Integration

The flow of control while launching APEX Application in OEBS R12

Document that includes steps for integration

The document describes the following:1) The steps that needs to be followed for integrating an ApEx

application with OEBS 11i.

2) The steps that needs to be followed for integrating an ApEx application with OEBS R12.

3) The differences between 11i and R12 with respect to interation of ApEx application.

Document that includes steps for integration

Please find the attached document to know how to integrate a simple ApEx form/ report with OEBS; step by step process including screenshots.

NOTE:

Integrate the Application without even missing single step mentioned in the document.

APEX appl. Integration with OEBS.doc

Inbound and outbound interfaces using ApEx

1) ApEx offers features of inbound as well as outbound to load/ unload data from the database.

It provides the following features of inbound:

a) Loading data from .csv file to Oracle tables

b) Loading data from .xml file to Oracle tables

c) Loading data from .txt file to Oracle tables

It provides the following features of inbound:

a) Unloading data from Oracle table to .xml file

b) unloading the data from the Oracle table to text file

Inbound and outbound interfaces using ApEx

1) Please find the document that lets you walk through the step by step screen shots of different inbound/ outbound methods.

APEX_inbound_outbound

Converting Oracle forms/ reports to ApEx application (ApEx 3.2)

1) ApEx also provides a feature to convert Oracle Forms/ Reports into ApEx application forms/ reports.

In Oracle Application Express 3.2, a new utility has been provided to allow you to convert your Oracle Forms, Menus, Reports, PL/SQL Libraries and Object Libraries to an Oracle Application Express application. The process to convert your Oracle Forms applications is outlined in the diagram below:

Oracle forms ApEx forms

Oracle forms ApEx forms

Steps to convert oracle form application

To convert your Oracle Forms application, follow the steps below:

1. Convert Oracle Forms to XML:

Run the Forms to XML Conversion tool, Forms2XML, to convert the Forms FormModules in your application. In addition, this tool will convert OLBs (Object Libraries) and MMBs (Menus). This creates XML output files.

2. Convert PLLs to PLD Text:

Run the Convert utility in Forms Builder to convert PLLs to PLD text format.

3. Convert Reports to XML:

Run the Convert utility in Reports Builder to convert your Reports to XML format.

Steps to convert oracle form application

4. Create an Oracle Application Express Workspace:

Run Oracle Application Express and create a workspace. Associate the workspace with the Oracle Forms application schema.

5. Create a conversion project:

Log in to the workspace created in Step 2 and navigate to Application Migrations from the Migrations Tasks region. Create a conversion project and load the application metadata from Step 1.

6. Analyze the Oracle Forms application:

From the Application Migration Workshop, verify and adjust the Forms

application metadata. Refine the scope of conversion.

Steps to convert oracle form application

7. Generate the Oracle Application Express Application:

Create an application based on the selected Forms objects.

8. Customize your Application Express application:

Open your application in the Application Builder part of Application Express, and customize your converted application. You can change application attributes or add new pages to the application.

Prerequisites for conversion

Prerequisites

Before you perform this tutorial, you should:

1. Install Oracle Database 11g.

2. Install Oracle Application Express Release 3.2 located on OTN.

3. Download and unzip the forms_conversion.zip file into your working directory.

Prerequisites for conversion

4. Create an Application Express Workspace and user.

5. In SQL*Plus, as your workspace user, execute the forms_conversion_ddl.sql file to create the forms database objects.

6. In SQL*Plus, as your workspace user, execute the forms_conversion_data_insert.sql file to load the data into the forms database objects.

Thank You…..