Think APEX

In Oracle APEX, the built-in Date Picker is simple and functional — but sometimes, users need quick shortcuts for commonly used dates. For example, setting the first or last day of the current month with just one click can save time and reduce input errors. In this post, we’ll enhance the Oracle APEX Date Picker by adding two custom buttons — “Set Month Start” and “Set Month End” — directly inside the date picker footer. Using a small piece of jQuery code, you can seamlessly integrate these buttons without modifying the native APEX components. By the end of this guide, your Date Picker will not only look smarter but also provide a faster and more user-friendly experience.  ⚙️ This customization is created for learning purposes. Paste the below code on execute when page loads (js) apex.jQuery(document).on('focus', '#P20_START_DATE', function() {   var intervalId = setInterval(function() {     var $footer = apex.jQuery('.a-DatePicker-footer');     if ($f...

Today, I came across a post on the APEX discussion forum where Karoly Dede raised a request to restrict row selection in an Interactive Grid. In this post, we’ll share the solution to his request. In Oracle APEX, the Interactive Grid (IG) is a powerful component that allows users to view, edit, and interact with data dynamically. However, in certain business scenarios, developers may need to restrict how many rows a user can select at a time — for example, when performing bulk updates, approvals, or exports. In this example, we use a Dynamic Action on the “Selection Change [Interactive Grid]” event to: Detect how many rows the user has currently selected. Display an error message if the count exceeds five. Automatically deselect the extra rows to enforce the limit. This approach ensures that validation happens instantly on the client side , without requiring a page submit or PL/SQL process — making the user experience smooth and responsive. Paste the following JS code o...

In Oracle APEX, long column names in Interactive Grids often make the headers look cluttered or misaligned. Many developers manually insert <br> tags in the column headings to fix this — but that’s time-consuming and hard to maintain. Here’s a smarter and cleaner way!  With a small JavaScript snippet, you can automatically wrap column headers wherever you want — simply by adding an underscore ( _ ) in the column name. The script detects these underscores and replaces them with line breaks ( <br> ), giving you perfectly wrapped headings without touching the HTML. Just add this script to the Page Load event, and your column headings will format themselves dynamically based on the number of underscores. Clean, flexible, and maintenance-free!  $("#EMP th span.a-GV-headerLabel").each(function() { // Emp - static id of the IG   let text = $(this).text();   if (text.includes("_")) {     $(this).html(text.replace(/_/g, "<br>"));   } }); ...

In Oracle APEX, Interactive Reports provide built-in flexibility — including the convenient ability to place buttons right next to the  search bar. However, Classic Reports don’t offer that option out of the box. While working with a project that used the Standard template , I wanted to achieve the same clean and functional layout in a Classic Report. With a bit of creative use of jQuery and APEX region structure , I successfully replicated the Interactive Report’s button placement, giving the Classic Report a modern and consistent look. Paste the below code on Execute on page load section $(document).ready(function () {     if ($('#Btn_Open').length) {          $('#EMP .t-Region-headerItems--title').append($('#Btn_Open'));          $('#EMP .t-Region-headerItems--title').append($('#P8_DEPT_CONTAINER'));     } }); EMP                        ...

Date pickers are an essential part of web applications, especially when users need to select dates for bookings, reports, or scheduling tasks. However, in many business scenarios, certain dates like holidays, weekends, or special events need to be visually distinguished to prevent users from selecting them by mistake. In this blog, we will create a reusable JavaScript function that highlights holiday dates in an Oracle APEX date picker. This approach allows developers to call the function anywhere in their application, ensuring consistency and reducing redundant code. By the end, you’ll have a flexible solution to visually mark holidays on any date picker item in your APEX applications. Step 1: Create a Static Content region and set it to Blank with Content under the region attributes. Step 2: Inside that region, enclose a <script> tag and paste the following JavaScript function. function applyHolidayFormatterToDateItems(itemNames) {   const holidayList = [   ...

This blog demonstrates how to upload a text file in Oracle APEX and store its contents directly into a page item. Using JavaScript’s file reader API, the file is read on the client side without server upload. Once read, the content is dynamically assigned to a page item, allowing immediate use in forms or processes.  We can approach this in two ways. First , the text file can have a structured format: the first row contains the name with a colon, the second row contains the email with a colon, and the third row contains the remarks with a colon. When the user uploads this kind of text file, the content is read and the corresponding values are set into the appropriate page items. Second , we can simply upload any text file, and its entire content is set into a single APEX page item. I created this blog for learning purposes, to explore the different options we can implement using APEX. Step1: Create Apex Page with Following components. P3_File Upload Item P3_Name Text Field ...

 In Oracle APEX, the Amount page item is configured as a Number field with a format mask, while the corresponding backend database column (AMT) is defined as a NUMBER data type. During runtime, APEX applies the format mask at the session state level, resulting in values that include thousand separators (commas). When the session value is persisted to the database, this formatted string causes a data type conversion error, since the AMT column expects a pure numeric value. To handle this, developers typically apply the TO_NUMBER() conversion function in PL/SQL processes to strip formatting before DML operations. This ensures data integrity and prevents ORA-01722 (invalid number) errors during inserts or updates. Instead of using a format mask, we can apply below JavaScript code on the global page and call it wherever needed. function setformatAuto(input) {     const formatter = new Intl.NumberFormat('en-IN', {         currency: 'INR',     ...

 These reusable JavaScript functions provide client-side validation for Oracle APEX forms, improving data accuracy before submission. They allow developers to enforce mandatory fields and ensure certain fields contain only numeric values . By using these functions, APEX forms become more user-friendly and robust , reducing the chance of invalid data entry. Step 1: Create a Static Content region on the Global Page using the Blank with Attributes template. Step 2: Paste the following code into the HTML Source section of the region. <script>     function validateInputField(inputFieldId, pageItemName, errorMessage) {         $(inputFieldId).focusout(function() {             var itemValue = apex.item(pageItemName).getValue();             apex.message.clearErrors(pageItemName);             if (!itemValue) {               ...

 This customization adds collapse/expand controls to a Classic Card Report in Oracle APEX, enhancing user interaction and report usability. Step 1: Copy the existing Classic Report Card template and save it with a new name. Step 2: Add the following customized code in the Row Template 2 section. <li class="t-Cards-item #CARD_MODIFIERS#">   <div class="t-Card">     <!-- Icon and Title/Subtitle -->     <a href="javascript:void(0);" class="t-Card-wrap">       <div class="t-Card-icon u-color #CARD_COLOR#">         <span class="t-Icon fa #CARD_ICON#">           <span class="t-Card-initials" role="presentation">#CARD_INITIALS#</span>         </span>       </div>       <div class="t-Card-titleWrap">         <h3 class="t-Card-title">#CARD_TITLE#</h3> ...

This PL/SQL block allows end users to export multiple Oracle APEX applications simultaneously. It collects the selected application IDs, generates their export files, and packages them into a single downloadable ZIP file for convenience. Step1: Create Classic Report with following query  SELECT  APEX_ITEM.CHECKBOX2(1, APPLICATION_ID, p_attributes => 'class="my_value"') AS SELECT_BOX,      OWNER,     WORKSPACE,     APPLICATION_ID,     APPLICATION_NAME,     CREATED_BY,     CREATED_ON,     LAST_UPDATED_BY,     LAST_UPDATED_ON FROM APEX_APPLICATIONS; Step2: Create Following Apex Page Items Step3: Paste the following code in Function global declaration $(document).ready(function () {     $('.my_value').on('click', function () {         var app_id = "";         $('.my_value:checked').each(function () {             ...

  In Oracle APEX applications, enhancing user experience through person ally is a key aspect of modern UI design. One effective way to achieve this is by dynamically setting the application logo based on the currently logged-in user. This approach allows us  to display different logos   for example, company-specific branding, department icons, or user-type indicators   tailored to each user. Step1:   Store the logo image in the user details table. Step2:  Create a Module from Restful service Step3:  Add a Template Step4:  Add a Handler Step5:  Paste the following PLSQL code DECLARE v_blob BLOB; v_mime_type VARCHAR2(50); v_length NUMBER; v_user_id NUMBER; BEGIN v_user_id := TO_NUMBER(:USER_ID); SELECT USER_LOGO, MIME_TYPE INTO v_blob, v_mime_type FROM USER_TABLE WHERE USER_ID = v_user_id; v_length := DBMS_LOB.GETLENGTH(v_blob); IF v_length > 0 THEN OWA_UTIL.MIME_HEADER(NVL(v_mime_type, 'image/png'), FALSE); HTP.PRN(''); WPG_DOCLOAD.DOWNLOAD...

 A  Password Feedback form is often used to provide feedback to users when they are creating or updating their passwords. This form typically includes elements such as password strength indicators, rules for creating a secure password, and a confirmation field.  Here's a basic guide on how you might create a Password Feedback Form in Oracle APEX.