extremely useful APEX titbit

This is one of the most useful things I have found while using the SQL Workshop. I am not an oracle expert by any means, and sometimes I find their error messages, for the most part, useless. I discovered something so brainlessly simple it saddens me I didn't think of it myself.

Open the workshop, select 'SQL Commands' and type in the following query:

select * from user_errors;

Save this query with whatever name you want.

Next time you get something really cryptic, like

PL/SQL: Compilation unit analysis terminated

Open the query and run it. It will give you much more useful information.

maxapex.com pulled through

Looks like maxapex.com pulled through for me. I received my log on details earlier today and gave it a whirl. It all works! I will have to start developing something tonight after work. Will post later.

apex hosting on the web

I have found a site that ostensibly hosts APEX apps for free. I am waiting for an email with details of my account. You don't get much (5 MB db space, 1 user, 1 workspace) but it's enough to practice on. Plus if you are mocking-up an app for a prospective client you don't have to host through your own web site, or put your development box in your DMZ.

Check them out here.

Evil LDAP Trickery

Before you even try to use LDAP authentication between APEX and Microsoft's Active Directory, you need to remember that MSAD is NOT standard. Do not, repeat, do not use a DN structure such as DN=userid, OU=people, DC=your, DC=domain, DC=com. The DN Microsoft's AD wants is domain\userid. Very VERY frustrating.

Oracle Application Express 3.1.1

I've recently been working with the Oracle Applications Express 3.1.1 development tool provided free with Oracle's 10g and up database product. It is pretty cool. Not being a DBA or a web developer, but also not being wholly ignorant of either, has not prevented me from creating some pretty useful tools at work. The best part is that you can create 'apps' from spreadsheets, which is very useful.

Once you start messing around with it you start to see how it works, and you can really expand on what you have done. For example, you can create your own javascript functions and implement them directly with buttons etc. And you can reference application variables, constants easily.

Go here ---> http://apex.oracle.com