Managing User Interface Defaults in APEX

Managing User Interface Defaults

User interface defaults enable you to assign default user interface properties to a table, column, or view within a specified schema. When you create a form or report using a wizard, the wizard uses this information to create default values for region and item properties. Utilizing user interface defaults can save valuable development time and has the added benefit of providing consistency across multiple pages in an application.
Because user interface defaults are associated with a table, you can use them with applications created using the form and report wizards.
This section contains the following topics:

• Viewing Tables or Views Utilizing User Interface Defaults
  
• Editing Column Attributes
  
• Comparing User Interface Defaults Across Applications
  
• About Exporting and Importing User Interface Defaults
  

See Also:

"Leveraging Application Models and User Interface Defaults"

Viewing Tables or Views Utilizing User Interface Defaults

You can view tables or views utilizing user interface defaults by either navigating to the User Interface Defaults page or viewing the UI Defaults report in Object Browser.
Topics in this section include:

• Creating to User Interface Defaults
  
• Viewing the UI Defaults Report in Object Browser
  

See Also:

"Managing Database Objects with Object Browser"

Creating to User Interface Defaults

To create user interface defaults:

1. On the Workspace home page, click the Application Builder icon.
   Application Builder home page appears.
   
2. Select an application.
   
3. On the Application, click Shared Components.
   The Shared Components page appears.
   
4. Under User Interface, select User Interface Defaults.
   The User Interface Defaults page appears.
   The current schema displays to the right of the breadcrumb menu.
   
5. To narrow the display, use the following controls at the top of the page and click Go:
   
   • Table/View - Enter a case insensitive query for a table or view name within the current schema.
     
   • Display - Determines the types of tables to display.
     
   • View - Make a selection to filter the view:
     
     • Icons (default) displays each table or view as a large icon.
       
     • Details displays each table or view as a line in a report, identifying the table or view name, the object type, and whether or not user interface defaults currently exist.
       
   • Display determines the number of items that display in the report.
     
6. Select a specific table or view by selecting the name.
   The Table Defaults page appears.
   
7. If no user interface defaults exist, click Create User Interface Defaults.
   

Tip:

You can also access the User Interface Defaults page by clicking User Interface Defaults on the Tasks list on either the Application Builder home or Applications home pages. See "About the Application Builder Home Page" and "About the Application Home Page".

Viewing the UI Defaults Report in Object Browser

To view the User Interface Details Report in Object Browser:

1. On the Workspace home page, click SQL Workshop and then Object Browser.
   Object Browser appears.
   
2. From the Object list, select either Tables or Views.
   
3. From the Object Selection pane, select an object.
   
4. Select the UI Defaults tab.
   The User Interface Defaults report appears displaying the following information:
   
   • Column Name - Indicates the name of the column.
     
   • Label - Specifies the default label text for items in a form and the heading for columns in reports.
     
   • Report Sequence - Specifies the sequence of items in a report.
     
   • Report Display - Specifies how the column should be displayed in a report.
     
   • Tabular Form Display - Specifies how an item should display in a tabular form.
     
   • Form Sequence - Specifies the sequence of items in a form.
     
   • Form Display - Specifies how items in a form display.
     
5. To edit the user interface defaults, click Edit.
   The Table Defaults page appears.
   
6. If no user interface defaults exist, click Create Defaults.
   

Editing Column Attributes

You define user interface defaults for a specific column by editing column attributes.
To edit column attributes:

1. Navigate to the Table Defaults page:
   
   1. On the Workspace home page, click the Application Builder icon.
      
   2. Select an application.
      
   3. On the Application, click Shared Components.
      
   4. Under User Interface, select User Interface Defaults.
      The User Interface Defaults page appears.
      
   5. Select a specific table or view by selecting the name.
      The Table Defaults page appears.
      
   The following information displays at the top of the Table Defaults page:
   
   • Table/View Name identifies the name of the selected table or view.
     
   • Report Region Title and Form Region Title become the default title for all report or form regions. These names are modified versions of Table/View Name in which the first letter is capitalized and any underscores are replaced with spaces.
     
   Column-level User Interface Defaults appear next. By default, a short report displays.
   
2. To view a complete report, click Detailed Report.
   
3. To edit select attributes for all displayed columns:
   
   1. Click Grid Edit.
      
   2. Edit the appropriate attributes and click Apply Changes.
      
4. To edit a specific column, select the column name.
   The column defaults appear. Column defaults are divided into two pages:
   
   • Column Definition
     
   • List of Values
     
   The topics that follow describe how to edit specific attributes on these pages.
   

About the Column Definition

Column Definition is the default page that displays when you edit column attributes. The top of the page displays the selected schema, table or view name, and column name. Click View Database Column Definition to view details about a specific column.

Label Default

This attribute is used in report and forms. Use Label to specify default label text for items in a form and the heading for columns in reports.

Report Defaults

Available attributes include:

• Display - Indicates if the column displays in a report. The default is Yes.
  
• Display Sequence - Specifies the display sequence of items in a report. The default value is based on the column ID, which is based on the order of the columns in the table.
  
• Display As - Specifies how the column should be displayed in a report.
  
• Mask - Indicates if a mask should be applied against the data. This attribute is not applicable for character- based items.
  
• Alignment - Specifies report alignment (left, center, or right). If the column is a number, the default is Right. Otherwise, the default is Left.
  
• Searchable - Indicates whether or not the column should be searchable in reports. If the column is VARCHAR2 or CHAR, the default is Yes. If not, the default is No.
  
• Group By - Indicates whether or not the column should be used for Group By and then the sequence of the grouping. The default is Yes.
  
• Aggregate By - Indicates whether or not the column should be used for aggregation in reports and charts.
  

Tabular Form Default

Use Display As to specify how an item should display in a tabular form.

Form Defaults

Available attributes include:

• Display - Indicates if the column displays in a form. The default is Yes.
  
• Display Sequence - Specifies the sequence of items in a form. The default is based on the column ID, which is based on the order of the columns in the table.
  
• Display As - Indicates how items in a form display. The default selection is Text Field.
  
• Mask - Indicates if a mask should be applied against the data in a form. Not used for character-based items.
  
• Default Value - Specifies the default value associated with this column.
  
• Width - Specifies the display width.
  
• maxWidth - Specifies the maximum string length a user is allowed to enter in this item.
  
• Height - Specifies the display height of an item.
  
• Required - Used to generate a validation in which the resulting item must not be null. If resulting item is not null, select Yes.
  
• Help Text - Becomes Item help. By default, this text is pulled from the column hint (if applicable).
  

About List of Values

You access the List of Values page by clicking the List of Values tab. The top of the page displays the selected schema, table or view name, and column name. Click View Database Column Definition to view details about a specific column.
Use the List of Values Type list to specify if the selected column will include a static or dynamic list of values. Once you select the type, you are prompted to enter either display value and return value pairs, or a list of values query.

About the Database Column Definition Report

You can view details about a specific column by accessing the Column Definition report. The Column Definition report displays the schema, table name, column name, data type, data length, and nullable as well as any check constraints, primary and unique keys, and foreign keys that reference the column. A link to this report appears on both the Column Definition and List of Values pages.
To view the Column Definition report:

1. Navigate to the Table Defaults page:
   
   1. On the Workspace home page, click the Application Builder icon.
      
   2. Select an application.
      
   3. On the Application, click Shared Components.
      
   4. Under User Interface, select User Interface Defaults.
      The User Interface Defaults page appears.
      
   5. Select a specific table or view by selecting the name.
      
   The Table Defaults page appears.
   
2. Select the column name.
   
3. Under Schema and Table, click the View Database Column Definition link.
   

Comparing User Interface Defaults Across Applications

Use the Compare Defaults report to monitor consistency in user interface design across all pages in a single application or multiple applications. Running the Compare Defaults report compares currently defined user interface defaults (or column attributes) against the item attributes set for forms, reports, and tabular forms.

See Also:

"Editing Column Attributes"

To run the Compare Defaults report:

1. On the Workspace home page, click the Application Builder icon.
   
2. Select an application.
   
3. On the Application home page, click Shared Components.
   The Shared Components page appears.
   
4. Under User Interface, select User Interface Defaults.
   The User Interface Defaults page appears.
   
5. On the Tasks list, click Comparison Report.
   The current schema displays to the right of the breadcrumb menu.
   
6. Make sections from the following lists and click Go:
   
   1. Table/View - Restricts the comparison to the selected table or view.
      
   2. Column - Select a column in which to search for form, reports, and tabular forms.
      
7. Optionally, make sections from the following lists and click Go.
   
   • Display - Select an attribute category.
     
   • Application - Select an application.
     

A report appears containing the following sections:

• Form Pages Referencing the Selected Column
  
• Report Regions Referencing the Selected Column
  
• Tabular Form Regions Referencing the Selected Column
  

About Exporting and Importing User Interface Defaults

You export user interface defaults in the same way you export any related application file. Exporting user interface defaults from one development instance to another involves the following steps:

1. Export the user interface defaults using the Export User Interface Defaults utility. See "Exporting User Interface Defaults".
   
2. Import the exported file into the target Oracle Application Express instance. See "Importing User Interface Defaults".
   
3. Install the exported file from Export Repository. See "Installing Export Files".
   

When you export user interface defaults, all user interface defaults for the selected schema are exported to a single script. The file contains an API call to create table hints by making calls to the application PL/SQL API. You can use this file to import user interface defaults to another database and Oracle Application Express instance.