HowTo Install

If you have further questions, please contact me at apexlib@oracleapex.info

• Before you begin
• Installation Requirements

There are two installation options available, depending on your security policy and the Oracle APEX version you are using, you have to select one of it. Read the Feature Restrictions first to find out what's the optimal installation option for you.

1. Install into its own APEXLIB schema (works with all APEX versions)
2. Install into the application schema (only works with APEX version 2.2.x and 3.x)
3. Install on apex.oracle.com
4. Upgrade an existing version of ApexLib

Post installation steps:

• Integration into your application
• Integration into the Oracle APEX Builder IDE
• Installation of the Example Application
• Uninstall the ApexLib Framework

Because nobody reads post-installation instructions, the important information at the beginning! :-)

I would really appreciate it if you would inform me if you are using the ApexLib Framework. I'm curious how many are actively using it and how much effort I should put into the framework. If you like it, donate a small amount to support my development efforts. Thanks a lot!

If you have suggestions or problems

Just drop a note to apexlib@oracleapex.info, create a feature/bug report on Sourceforge - Tracker or write a message in the Support Forum.

Thanks for your attention and have fun using the ApexLib Framework!

The ApexLib Framework currently supports the Oracle APEX versions 2.0, 2.1 (included with Oracle XE), 2.2.x, 3.0, 3.1 and 3.2.

Depending on the installation option you select and the Oracle APEX version you have, the ApexLib Framework might not be able to activate all features.

APEX 2.2.x doesn't expose all the meta-data of the application through the repository views, that's why the Framework is unable to determin all settings. If you want to use all features for APEX 2.2.x you have to choose the "Fast direct table access" option of the Install into its own APEXLIB schema installation option or upgrade to APEX 3.x.

If you use APEX 2.2.x and you choose the

• Access through the slower APEX repository views of the "Install into its own APEXLIB schema" option or
• Install into the application schema

the following features will not be available

• Page Flow Diagram Generator.
• Determine "Report Column Heading" for Validation Error Messages if the type is different to "Custom".
• Browser/Server side validation if the Region Title isn't unique on the page.

Just one copy of the views and packages are installed, they will be accessable for all APEX applications.

1. Open a command box.

   Eg on Windows Start/Execute => cmd

2. Change into the directory "Scripts"

   cd Scripts

3. Connect with SYS to create the APEXLIB schema. See ApexLib_create_apexlib_schema.sql why SYS and not an user with DBA privileges is required.

   sqlplus "sys/password@database as sysdba"

4. Execute the following script to create the schema APEXLIB and all the necessary privileges

   @ApexLib_create_apexlib_schema.sql

5. For faster execution, ApexLib can directly access (select only) the APEX repository tables in the FLOWS_xxx schema
   or it can use the APEX repository views if there are security concerns to grant read access to the FLOWS_xxx tables.
   Note: From APEX 3.2 on tables reside in Schema APEX_xxx
   1. Fast direct table access (works for all APEX versions)
      1. Execute the following script:

         @ApexLib_grant_apex_tables.sql

      2. Connect with the APEXLIB schema.

         connect apexlib/password@database

      3. Execute the following script:

         @../DataModel/ApexLib_views_for_apex_tables.sql

   2. Access through the slower APEX repository views (only works with APEX version 2.2.x and 3.x)
      1. Connect with the APEXLIB schema.

         connect apexlib/password@database

      2. Execute the following script:
         For 3.x:

         @../DataModel/ApexLib_views_for_apex_views_30.sql

         For 2.2.x:

         @../DataModel/ApexLib_views_for_apex_views_22.sql

6. Execute the following installation scripts: (connected as APEXLIB schema)

   1. @ApexLib_install_into_apexlib_schema.sql

   2. @ApexLib_grant_create_synonyms.sql

      When asked enter PUBLIC or your application schema.
7. Lock the APEXLIB schema with a DBA user.

   ALTER USER APEXLIB ACCOUNT LOCK;

The views and packages are installed into each application schema. They have to be installed into the "Parsing Schema" as defined in "Application\Edit Attributes\Definition". This version is probably a little bit slower, because it's using the APEX repository views which are doing a lot of other stuff for security reasons.

1. Open a command box.

   Eg on Windows Start/Execute => cmd

2. Change into the directory "Scripts"

   cd Scripts

3. Connect to your application schema:

   sqlplus [application schema]/password@database

4. Execute the following installation script:

   @ApexLib_install_into_application_schema.sql

   If your application schema doesn't have access to the SYS.UTL_FILE package, the ApexLib_PageFlowDiagram package will be invalid. Ask your DBA that he grants you the EXECUTE privilege on this package. If he doesn't want to grant it, you can install the Utl_File_Replacement.pks and .pkb files to get the ApexLib_PageFlowDiagram valid. But in that case you will not be able to use the file option which is offered by the interface.
5. That's it! No additional grants or synonyms are necessary.

If you want to install the framework on apex.oracle.com you don't have SQL*Plus access to do a regular installation. That's why I have created an empty application which includes all the views and packages of the framework as supporting objects to make the installation as painless as possible.

You can find the application in the Examples directory.

If you have already installed ApexLib and want to upgrade to a new version, just follow the regular installation steps of the option you used the last time.

@ApexLib_create_apexlib_schema.sql

For the necessary changes in the application, see the change log entries between your current ApexLib version and the new version.

To integrate the ApexLib Framework into your application, follow the steps in the How to integrate document.

For a description of the features check out the ApexLib postings on my blog.

Check out the Oracle APEX Builder Plugin which offers a seamless integration of the ApexLib configuration settings into the Oracle APEX Builder IDE so that you do not have to remember all the ApexLib tags ($APEXLIB_xxx$).

1. Download the ApexLib integration files.
2. Install and configure the Plugin as described on the web page.

In the Examples directory you will find the "Feature Demonstration" application which demonstrates how the different ApexLib Hints are used to configure the ApexLib Framework.

It's a regular Oracle APEX application which can be imported into a workspace. The parsing schema has to be the HR schema. If you don't have installed this schema yet, you will find the necessary installation scripts in the hr.zip which is also contained in the Examples directory.

Are you sure that you want to uninstall the framework?!?! ;-)

• If you have created public synonyms for the ApexLib Framework, connect to the database with the APEXLIB schema and execute the following script.

  @ApexLib_uninstall.sql

• If you have installed the framework into the APEXLIB schema, connect to the database with a DBA user and drop the APEXLIB schema.

  DROP USER APEXLIB CASCADE;

• If you have created synonyms for each application schema or if you have installed the framework into the application schema, connect to the the application schema and execute the following script.

  @ApexLib_uninstall.sql