Preface

Oracle Application Express API Reference describes the Application Programming Interfaces, referred to as APIs, available when programming in the Oracle Application Express environment.

This preface contains these topics:

Topic Overview
Audience
Documentation Accessibility
Related Documents
Conventions

Topic Overview

This document contains the following chapters:

Title	Description
APEX_UTIL	Use the `APEX_UTIL` package to get and set session state, get files, check authorizations for users, reset different states for users, and also to get and set preferences for users.
APEX_MAIL	Use the `APEX_MAIL` package to send an email from an Oracle Application Express application.
APEX_ITEM	Use the `APEX_ITEM` package to create form elements dynamically based on a SQL query instead of creating individual items page by page.
APEX_APPLICATION	Use the `APEX_APPLICATION` package to take advantage of a number of global variables.
APEX_CUSTOM_AUTH	Use the `APEX_CUSTOM_AUTH` package to perform various operations related to authentication and session management.
APEX_LDAP	Use `APEX_LDAP` to perform various operations related to Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) authentication.
APEX_INSTANCE_ADMIN	Use the `APEX_INSTANCE_ADMIN` package to get and set email settings, wallet settings, report printing settings and to manage schema to workspace mappings.
APEX_UI_DEFAULT_UPDATE	You can use the `APEX_UI_DEFAULT_UPDATE` package to set the user interface defaults associated with a table within a schema. The package must be called from within the schema that owns the table you are updating.
JavaScript APIs	Use these JavaScript functions and objects to provide client-side functionality, such as showing and hiding page elements, or making XML HTTP Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX) requests.
APEX_PLSQL_JOB	Use `APEX_PLSQL_JOB` package to run PL/SQL code in the background of your application. This is an effective approach for managing long running operations that do not need to complete for a user to continue working with your application.
APEX_LANG	Use `APEX_LANG` API to translate messages.

Note:

In release 2.2, Oracle Application Express APIs were renamed using the prefix APEX_. Note that API's using the previous prefix HTMLDB_ are still supported to provide backward compatibility. As a best practice, however, use the new API names for new applications unless you plan to run them in an earlier version of Oracle Application Express.

Audience

Oracle Application Express API Reference is intended for application developers who are building database-centric Web applications using Oracle Application Express. The guide describes the APIs available when programming in the Oracle Application Express environment.

To use this guide, you need to have a general understanding of relational database concepts as well as an understanding of the operating system environment under which you are running Oracle Application Express.

Documentation Accessibility

For information about Oracle's commitment to accessibility, visit the Oracle Accessibility Program website at http://www.oracle.com/pls/topic/lookup?ctx=acc&id=docacc.

Access to Oracle Support

Oracle customers have access to electronic support through My Oracle Support. For information, visit http://www.oracle.com/pls/topic/lookup?ctx=acc&id=info or visit http://www.oracle.com/pls/topic/lookup?ctx=acc&id=trs if you are hearing impaired.

Accessibility of Code Examples in Documentation

Screen readers may not always correctly read the code examples in this document. The conventions for writing code require that closing braces should appear on an otherwise empty line; however, some screen readers may not always read a line of text that consists solely of a bracket or brace.

Conventions

For a description of PL/SQL subprogram conventions, refer to the Oracle Database PL/SQL Language Reference. This document contains the following information:

Specifying subprogram parameter modes
Specifying default values for subprogram parameters
Overloading PL/SQL subprogram Names

The following text conventions are used in this document:

Convention	Meaning
boldface	Boldface type indicates graphical user interface elements associated with an action, or terms defined in text or the glossary.
italic	Italic type indicates book titles, emphasis, or placeholder variables for which you supply particular values.
`monospace`	Monospace type indicates commands within a paragraph, URLs, code in examples, text that appears on the screen, or text that you enter.

Preface

Topic Overview

Audience

Documentation Accessibility

Related Documents

Conventions