Oracle APEX Best Practices

Alex Nuijten, Iloon Ellen-Wolff, Learco Brizzi

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Overview

Table of Contents

Author

Reviews

Support

Sample Chapters

"Oracle APEX Best Practices" will get you started with Oracle APEX for developing real-world applications that perform and maximize the full potential of Oracle APEX
You will also learn to take advantage of advanced SQL and PL/SQL along the way
Combines the knowledge of Oracle Apex Experts -- Alex Nuijten, Iloon Ellen-Wollf, and Learco Brizzi
Setting up your environment and getting ready for developing applications

Book Details

Language : English
Paperback : 298 pages [ 235mm x 191mm ]
Release Date : November 2012
ISBN : 1849684006
ISBN 13 : 9781849684002
Author(s) : Alex Nuijten, Iloon Ellen-Wolff, Learco Brizzi
Topics and Technologies : All Books, Oracle Applications, Oracle Database, Enterprise, Oracle

Preface
Chapter 1: Prepare and Build
Chapter 2: Leveraging the Database
Chapter 3: Printing
Chapter 4: Security
Chapter 5: Debugging and Troubleshooting
Chapter 6: Deploy and Maintain
Appendix A: Database Cloud Service and APEX 4.2
Index

Preface

Chapter 1: Prepare and Build

History and background
Installing APEX

Runtime or full development environment

Build status

Tablespaces
Converting runtime environment into a full development environment and vice versa

Choosing a web server

OHS
EPG
APEX Listener

Creating a second administrator

APEX web interface
Command line
Other accounts

Database

Data model
Creating the database objects
Other tools
PL/SQL usage

Creating a workspace

Creating administrators, developers, and users

User Interface Defaults

Attribute Dictionary
Table Dictionary
Creating User Interface Defaults

Page Zero
Structure of multiple applications

Subscribe and publish
Creating a framework

Master and template application
Login application—optional
System application—optional

Deploying
Template workspace

Creating applications

List of values
Mapping the model to pages

Base tables
Master detail
Intersection
Simple report
Other pages

Summary

Chapter 2: Leveraging the Database

Instrumentation
Efficient lookup tables

Single-table hash clusters
Index-organized tables

Analytic functions

Syntax overview
Examples

Running totals
Visualizing the window
Accessing values from other records
Another way of accessing other rows in the result set
Ranking—top N
Stringing it all together
Caveats

Aggregate functions

Grouping sets

Rollup
Cube
Identifying the totals and subtotals with grouping

Offloading your frontend and scheduling a job

One-off job
Pipelined table functions
Pipelined table functions in APEX
Using images

Searching the contents of documents
Summary

Chapter 3: Printing

Printing architecture

What is planned for the future version of APEX Listener?

Installation and configuration of the Apache FOP report server

How to configure Apache FOP
Business Intelligence Publisher

Installation of Business Intelligence Publisher Version 11
Simple print test using BI Publisher

How to debug or troubleshoot printing issues
How to check if network services are enabled
Creating a report with BI Publisher

Creating the report query
Designing the report layout

Downloading XML data
Designing with the RTF template (MS Word)

Uploading the report layout
Linking the report to your application

How to create a report that can deliver output in different formats
How to add a chart to a report

Creating a chart in a report

How to add dynamic images to a report
Print API
How to bypass the 32K limit
Alternatives to use for PDF printing

Integration with Oracle Reports
Integration with Cocoon
Integration with JasperReports

Architecture

Plugins

Reports 2 PDF
Embedded PDF

Summary

Chapter 4: Security

Securing Oracle Application Express for administrators

Protecting the database environment

Virtual Private Database

VPD policy
VPD and Application Context
Implementing VPD in APEX
What to do when you get a runtime exception
Securing the web listener

HTTP server

Embedded PL/SQL gateway
Oracle Application Express Listener

Enabling SSL for the web server

Security considerations when installing Oracle Application Express

Runtime installation
Access Control Lists (ACLs)
Enabling builders in Oracle Application Express
Session timeout

Instance level
Application level

Password complexity rules
Patching strategy

Security considerations for the developer

Browser attacks

Cross-site scripting (XSS)
Protecting HTML regions and other static areas
Protecting dynamic output
Protecting reports regions
Protecting form items

SQL injection

Insecure use of variables
Correct use of Bind variables
SYS.DBMS_ASSERT

Security attributes

Authentication
Authorization
Database schema

URL tampering

Session state protection against URL tampering

Browser security attributes

Cache
Embed in Frames
Database session

Authorization and authentication plugin
Secure items in an application

Item encryption
Hidden items protection
Items of type password
File upload items
Managing instance security
Application data
Fake input
Saving state before branching

Utilities

Application dashboard

How to check the security of your application

Oracle Application Express Advisor
Third-party tools to check on security

Summary

Chapter 5: Debugging and Troubleshooting

Debugging an APEX page

Instrumentation of the APEX code

APEX_APPLICATION.G_DEBUG

The debug Advanced Programming Interface (API)
The APEX debug message
APEX_DEBUG_MESSAGE.LOG_MESSAGE
WWV_FLOW_API.SET_ENABLE_APP_DEBUGGING

APEX and Oracle SQL Developer
Remote debugging

Steps to be performed in APEX

JavaScript console wrapper

Installation of the console wrapper

Web development tools

Firebug

APEX and Firebug

Debugging dynamic actions
Yslow
Error handling
Logging and tracing
Enabling/disabling logging
Reports in Application Express that facilitate troubleshooting
Application Express Advisor

Summary

Chapter 6: Deploy and Maintain

Package your application, or not?

Version control

Subversion

Deploying the database packages
Deploying the APEX application

Using the APEX environment
Using the command-line interface
Housekeeping the APEX repository

Being active and proactive

Feedback

Activate feedback
Processing entered feedback

Weighted page performance

Summary

Appendix A: Database Cloud Service and APEX 4.2

Oracle Public Cloud

Packaged applications

Plan for the future

RESTful web services

The RESTful Web Services wizard

Data load feature (SQL Workshop/utilities/data load)

Summary

Index

Alex Nuijten

Alex Nuijten works as a database developer and Expertise Lead (database development) for AMIS Services BV in Nieuwegein, The Netherlands. Besides his consultancy work, he conducts training classes, mainly in SQL and PL/SQL. Alex has been a speaker at numerous international conferences, such as ODTUG, Oracle Open World, UKOUG, IOUG, OGh, and OBUG. He is also a frequent contributor at the Oracle Technology Network forum for SQL and PL/SQL. He has written many articles in Oracle-related magazines, and at regular intervals he writes about Oracle database development on the AMIS Technology Blog (technology.amis.nl), as well as on his own blog, Notes on Oracle (nuijten.blogspot.com). In August 2010, Alex was awarded the Oracle ACE Director membership.

Iloon Ellen-Wolff

Iloon Ellen-Wolff started working with Oracle 21 years ago, employed by several software houses in the Netherlands. Her experience goes back to Oracle Forms version 2 and Report Writer. Almost 14 years ago, she started working for Oracle Support Services for the developer competency (Oracle Forms, Oracle Reports, SQL Developer, and Application Express), assisting customers by solving their software-related problems. During those years, she applied the knowledge she had gained in many ways such as coaching new engineers, team leading, teaching the Application Express courses, and seminars for Oracle University. Aside from being a very senior team member with excellent troubleshooting and customer skills, in Oracle Support, she acts as Advanced Resolution Engineer. One of her responsibilities in Oracle Support is Global Technical Lead Application Express. She works closely with Sustaining Engineering, Product Development, and Product Management of the Application Express team. Starting last year, she is now involved in the Oracle Cloud project. She is member of the platform as a service readiness team. Involved in testing Application Express in the Cloud and being a trainer in this area, she enjoys the challenge to prepare her engineers for the Cloud and ultimately to support Oracle customers in the very near future! Besides that, she is a frequent speaker for different Oracle User Groups about Application Express, SQL Developer, and Oracle Public Cloud.

Learco Brizzi

Learco Brizzi received his MSc in Informatics in 1993 and then he started working with the early versions of Oracle Forms (3.0), Reports (1.1), and Designer (1.2.1). When WebDB was launched, he created his first steps towards building Internet applications. When APEX (HTMLDB) hit the market, he saw the potential of this tool and built a complete music download store with it in 2004, including integration with e-mail, reports, and payment service providers. This was one of the very first serious applications ever built with APEX. Nowadays, Learco is dedicated to the APEX and PL/SQL development. He is a very enthusiastic technician, trainer of advanced APEX courses, presenter at conferences, organizer of seminars, committee member of the OGh (Oracle user group in Holland) and member of the editorial-committee for the Oracle magazine OGh Visie. Together with a companion Learco started his own company, Itium, in 1999, which specializes in Oracle technology. In May 2010, Learco was awarded the Oracle ACE membership. You can contact Learco at lbrizzi@itium.nl.

Perfect information if you are intermediate to advanced, but what should be a required read for all APEX technologists. Kudos to the authors & publisher: Scott Wesley

I think ever APEX developers should read this book for better designed APEX application: Yavuz Barutcu

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Sample chapters

You can view our sample chapters and prefaces of this title on PacktLib or download sample chapters in PDF format.

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What you will learn from this book

Lesser known features of SQL and PL/SQL
Incorporate printing capabilities
Create secure applications
Troubleshooting and Debugging
Setting up your environment
Best practices for building real life applications

In Detail

Have you ever wanted to create real-world database applications? In this book you’re not only getting APEX best practices, but will also take into account the total environment of an APEX application and benefit from it.

"Oracle APEX Best Practices" will guide you through the development of real-world applications. It will give you a broader view of APEX. The various aspects include setting up APEX environment, testing and debugging, security, and getting the best out of SQL and PL/SQL.

In six distinct chapters you will learn about different features of Oracle APEX as well as SQL and PL/SQL.

Do you maximize the capabilities of Oracle APEX? Do you use all the power that SQL and PL/SQL have to offer? Do you want to learn how to build a secure, fully functional application? Then this is the book you’ll need.

"Oracle APEX: Best Practices" is where practical development begins!

Approach

In clearly written chapters you will be guided through different aspects of Oracle Application Express. Varying from setting up your environment to maximizing SQL and PL/SQL. Examples are given based on a simple but appealing case.

Who this book is for

This book is filled with best practices on how to make the most of Oracle APEX. Developers beginning with application development as well as those who are experienced will benefit from this book. You will need to have basic knowledge of SQL and PL/SQL to follow the examples in this book.