# Manually Creating a Tabular Form
When I first started developing in APEX (back when it was called HTMLDB) I had a requirement for a tabular form. I tried to use the standard tabular forms but it was very limited and I couldn't customize it to meet my requirements. I had poked around on the APEX forum, but wasn't able to find a reasonable solution.
After several iterations, I have come up with a process that works extremely well. It is slightly labor intensive but it has met all the requirements each time. Please note that Patrick Wolf, http://www.inside-oracle-apex.com/, has developed an open source framework to handle customized tabular forms. Though it is very good it does not allow for complete access. Marcie Young did a presentation at ODTUG 2008 which outlined a very similar method, this example is taking it a step further. A working example is available here: [http://apex.oracle.com/pls/otn/f?p=20195:200](http://apex.oracle.com/pls/otn/f?p=20195:200)
The process below will not only build a customized tabular form, but also handle the errors etc.
Overview
Here's an overview of the overall methodology
- Create 2 collections. One will handle data: DATA_COLLECTION and one will handle the errors: ERROR_COLLECTION.
- The DATA_COLLECTION will be loaded on the first viewing of the page and will only be refreshed from the database when the changes have been sent to the database.
- The ERROR_COLLECTION will contain errors specific for the corresponding entry in the DATA_COLLECTION. We could keep this in the same collection, but I like to keep them separate. It makes things easier if we need to add or remove columns.
- In the ERROR_COLLECTION I keep column 50 reserved for the row error. An example of when you'd need a row error is when you have a start and end date and the end date is before the start date.
- This application will allow users to modify the emp.ename and emp.salary fields
- In the data collection I keep column 1 reserved for the sequence id (seq_id). Note though I won't use it in this example, it has come in handy (especially when hiding/delete rows in the front end then submitting the page)
Getting Started
Step 1: Create a PL/SQL Process On Load Before Header called Create Collection
DECLARE
BEGIN
IF NVL (:p200_reload_flag, 'N') = 'N'
THEN
-- IF error collection exists, delete
IF apex_collection.collection_exists
(p_collection_name => 'ERROR_COLLECTION')
THEN
apex_collection.delete_collection
(p_collection_name => 'ERROR_COLLECTION');
END IF;
-- Create New Collection
apex_collection.create_or_truncate_collection ('DATA_COLLECTION');
FOR rec IN (SELECT e.empno, e.ename, e.sal
FROM emp e
ORDER BY e.ename)
LOOP
apex_collection.add_member (p_collection_name => 'DATA_COLLECTION',
p_generate_md5 => 'NO',
p_c002 => rec.empno,
p_c003 => rec.ename,
p_c004 => TO_CHAR
(rec.sal),
-- Remember the collection is only text
p_c049 => 'Y',
-- Modifiable Flag
p_c050 => 'U'
-- SQL Action (Insert, Update, Delete)
);
END LOOP;
--
END IF;
-- Create Extra rows (if we wanted to add a new employee
FOR i IN 1 .. NVL (:p200_num_extra_rows, 0)
LOOP
apex_collection.add_member (p_collection_name => 'DATA_COLLECTION',
p_generate_md5 => 'NO',
p_c002 => -1,
-- use negative numbers for new employees
p_c049 => 'Y',
p_c050 => 'I'
);
END LOOP;
-- Insert seq_id
FOR rec IN (SELECT ac.seq_id
FROM apex_collections ac
WHERE ac.collection_name = 'DATA_COLLECTION')
LOOP
apex_collection.update_member_attribute
(p_collection_name => 'DATA_COLLECTION',
p_seq => rec.seq_id,
p_attr_number => 1,
p_attr_value => rec.seq_id
);
END LOOP;
END;
Step 2: Create a Report / SQL Report region for our custom tabular form called Employee Data
SELECT
-- Notice how I'm keeping the idx value the same as the column value in the collection. This helps to keep things organized
-- I also apply an id to each entry
-- I append the error value to the empname and sal
-- The Seq_id. Usefull when hiding rows (for delete) and then submitting from
apex_item.hidden(1,x.seq_id, null, x.seq_id || '_seq_id') ||
-- The Primary Key of the column
apex_item.hidden(2, x.empno, null, x.seq_id || '_empno_id') || x.empno empno,
-- Employee Name
apex_item.text(3,x.empname,null, null, null, x.seq_id || '_empname_id') || err.empname employee_name,
-- Employee Salary
apex_item.text(4,x.sal, null, null, null, x.seq_id || '_sal_id') || err.sal ||
-- Store the sql action type as well.
apex_item.hidden(50,x.sql_action_typ, null, x.seq_id || '_sql_action_typ_id') sal,
-- Last but not least the row error
err.row_error
FROM (SELECT ac.c001 seq_id,
ac.c002 empno,
ac.c003 empname,
ac.c004 sal,
ac.c049 modifiable_flag,
ac.c050 sql_action_typ
FROM apex_collections ac
WHERE ac.collection_name = 'DATA_COLLECTION'
ORDER BY ac.seq_id) x,
-- Error Collection
(SELECT ac.seq_id seq_id,
ac.c002 empno,
ac.c003 empname,
ac.c004 sal,
ac.c050 row_error -- Useful when individual data is correct, however the row of data is not. Ex: start/end dates
FROM apex_collections ac
WHERE ac.collection_name = 'ERROR_COLLECTION'
ORDER BY ac.seq_id) err
WHERE x.seq_id = err.seq_id(+)
Step 3: Add Region items and buttons
All items/buttons should be added to the report region
Create Buttons:
ADD, submit page. Branch to &APP_PAGE_ID.
SUBMIT, submit page. Branch to 201
Note: Page 201 is a simple sql report for
SELECT *
FROM EMP
Create Hidden and Protected Items:
P200_DISPLAY_ROW_ERROR_FLAG
- Source value or expression: N
- Comment: Used to determine if the error column should be displayed
P200_NUM_EXTRA_ROWS
- Source value or expression: 1
- Comment: Number of extra rows to add to the tabular form
P200_RELOAD_FLAG
- Comment: If Y then we won't refresh the collection with database values
Computations (After Submit)
P200_NUM_EXTRA_ROWS
Static: 1
Condition: Request = ADD
P200_NUM_EXTRA_ROWS
Static: 0
Condition: Request != ADD
P200_RELOAD_FLAG
Static: Y
Condition: None
P200_DISPLAY_ROW_ERROR_FLAG
Static: N
Condition: None
Step 4: Store Collection
After submit, this will store the data from the form into the collection. No data validation is performed at this point
Process: Store Collection
Type: PL/SQL Anonymous Block
Processing Point: On Submit: Before Computation and Validations
Source:
DECLARE
BEGIN
FOR i IN 1 .. apex_application.g_f01.COUNT LOOP
apex_collection.update_member (p_collection_name => 'DATA_COLLECTION',
-- I know some of you are still wondering why were are still wondering why I stored the seq_id as a collection attribute. This is why. If you had hidden the row (i.e. let the user "delete" it) then it would not show up on this and your collection synchronization wouldn't be correct.
p_seq => apex_application.g_f01 (i), -- Sequence ID
p_c001 => apex_application.g_f01 (i), -- Sequence ID
p_c002 => apex_application.g_f02 (i), -- Empno
p_c003 => apex_application.g_f03 (i), -- Empname
p_c004 => apex_application.g_f04 (i), -- Sal
p_c049 => 'Y', -- Modifiable Flag
p_c050 => UPPER(apex_application.g_f50 (i))
);
END LOOP;
END;
Step 5: Validation
Type: Page Level Validation
Type: PL/SQL - Function returning Error Text
Name: Validate Collection
Condition: When Button Pressed - SUBMIT
Validation Expression:
DECLARE
v_err_msg VARCHAR2 (255);
BEGIN
-- IF error collection exists, truncate. Else Create
IF apex_collection.collection_exists
(p_collection_name => 'ERROR_COLLECTION')
THEN
apex_collection.truncate_collection
(p_collection_name => 'ERROR_COLLECTION');
ELSE
-- Create Error Collection
apex_collection.create_or_truncate_collection ('ERROR_COLLECTION');
END IF;
-- Basic Check. Make sure the emp name is more than 5 chars long
FOR x IN (SELECT ac.c003 empname, ac.c004 sal, ac.seq_id
FROM apex_collections ac
WHERE ac.collection_name = 'DATA_COLLECTION')
LOOP
-- Always add a blank error
apex_collection.add_member (p_collection_name => 'ERROR_COLLECTION');
IF LENGTH (x.empname) < 5
THEN
apex_collection.update_member
(p_collection_name => 'ERROR_COLLECTION',
p_seq => x.seq_id,
p_c003 => '
Name must be 5 Chars'
);
v_err_msg := 'Error Occured';
END IF;
-- Add a "row level" check for demo purposes
IF LENGTH (x.empname) = LENGTH (x.sal)
THEN
apex_collection.update_member
(p_collection_name => 'ERROR_COLLECTION',
p_seq => x.seq_id,
p_c050 => '
Row Level Error'
);
apex_util.set_session_state (p_name => 'P200_DISPLAY_ROW_ERROR_FLAG',
p_value => 'Y'
);
v_err_msg := 'Error Occured';
END IF;
END LOOP;
RETURN v_err_msg;
END;
Step 6: Finishing it off
As you notice there's a column called: row_error. Set the condition where item: P200_DISPLAY_ROW_ERROR_FLAG = Y.