The Most Underused Section of APEX
Shared Components in APEX is where application-wide settings, reusable objects, and configuration live. Many developers only visit it when forced to, but mastering Shared Components dramatically reduces code duplication and makes applications more maintainable. Here are the shared components that deserve more attention.
Lists of Values (LOVs)
Define LOVs once in Shared Components and reference them across all pages. When the list of valid statuses changes, you update it in one place. Shared LOVs also support caching, which improves performance when the same LOV query runs on every page load. Use static LOVs for fixed lists and dynamic LOVs backed by SQL queries for database-driven lists.
Application Items and Computations
Application items (like G_USER_ROLE, G_DEFAULT_DEPT) are session-scoped variables accessible from any page. Combined with application computations that calculate values on every page load or session creation, they provide a clean way to maintain global state without querying the database on every page.
Build Options
Build options are feature flags for APEX. Create a build option like “BETA_FEATURES” and apply it to specific pages, regions, or items. Toggle the build option to include or exclude those components without deleting or modifying them. This is invaluable for staging new features, A/B testing, and maintaining different configurations for development versus production.
-- Build Option: ADVANCED_REPORTING
-- Status: Include (development) or Exclude (production)
-- Applied to: Advanced Analytics region on Page 15Shortcuts
Shortcuts define reusable HTML or PL/SQL snippets that you can embed in any page using the shortcut syntax "SHORTCUT_NAME". Use them for standard disclaimers, help text fragments, or HTML blocks that appear in multiple locations. When the text changes, update the shortcut once.
Navigation Menu and Breadcrumbs
The navigation menu defined in Shared Components drives the sidebar or top navigation for your entire application. Manage it centrally rather than creating ad-hoc navigation links on individual pages. Apply authorization schemes to menu entries so they automatically hide for unauthorized users. Breadcrumbs, similarly defined in Shared Components, provide consistent hierarchical navigation context across all pages.
Static Application Files
Store custom JavaScript and CSS in Static Application Files rather than inline on pages. Files stored here are served with proper caching headers, can be versioned, and are accessible from any page. Organize them in a folder structure like /js/app.js and /css/app.css for clarity.