Think APEX

While developing Oracle APEX applications, debugging page processes and backend PL/SQL logic can be challenging—especially when values are lost between processes or execution flow is unclear.  Although DBMS_OUTPUT is useful, it doesn’t work well inside APEX runtime. To solve this, I built a custom PL/SQL debug Package that logs execution flow and variable values into a database table.  This approach helps trace exactly where the code reached, what values were passed, and whether a block executed or not - even inside page-level processes and packaged procedures Why a Custom Debug Package? Works seamlessly inside Oracle APEX page processes Persists debug information even after session ends Helps trace execution flow Captures runtime values Can be turned ON/OFF dynamically Does not interrupt business logic The Package consists of:- Debug Table                         -  Stores debug messages Sequence ...

  In this solution, I leverage Oracle APEX data dictionary views particularly the workspace activity log to capture detailed navigation audit information for each user within a given application.  This audit data includes which pages users visit, how frequently they access them, and their overall navigation patterns. Using this information, I create a Dynamic List in Shared Components, which automatically generates entries based on the most recently accessed pages for the logged-in user.  This list is then displayed on the Home page as a personalized dashboard. The result is a dynamic, user-specific " Recently Used Pages " dashboard that updates in real time.  Each user sees a tailored set of pages they frequently or recently visited, allowing them to quickly navigate back to their most relevant screens.  This is especially valuable for APEX applications where users routinely work across many pages and need faster access without searching through lengthy menu...

APEX Diff gives us a clean, intelligent way to understand how Oracle APEX evolves across versions making it effortless to pinpoint what’s new, what’s changed, and what may impact our applications. APEX Diff gives you a quick glance at what has changed between APEX releases.  By default, the application shows the latest six APEX releases on the right side of the page. we can use the filter to select any 2 to 6 versions and compare what changed between them. If we want an overview of the metadata differences between any two selected releases, we can click on either the APEX Views Diff or PL/SQL APIs Diff. Selecting the APEX Views Diff option, for example, will display the differences in columns across APEX Views between the two selected releases. For Public PL/SQL APIs, the focus is on functions and procedures. Column level differences do not apply here. The app highlights additions, removals or updated definitions in the API signatures. As developers, we can easily identify deprecat...

While browsing the Oracle APEX discussion forum, I came across a useful workaround shared by a user named blue.  His requirement was to activate a specific tab automatically when navigating from  different pages — based on the redirect source, button click, or custom navigation logic. In this blog, we will walk through how to achieve this behavior. I hope it helps you in similar APEX use cases. Step 1: Create the Tab Container Create a tab container region and assign it a Static ID Static ID: TAB_MAIN Template: Tabs Tab Style: Pill Step 2: Create Sub Tabs Inside the main tab container, create three tabs and assign Static IDs: Tab Label               Static ID Emp                EMP Dept              DEPT Location              LOCATIONS Step 3: Create a Hidden Page Item Create a hidden page item na...