Database Foundations

6-1
Introduction to Oracle APEX

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Introduction to Oracle APEX
Purpose
• Every day, in one way or another, we come in contact
with computer applications
−If you checked your email today, it was probably done using
an application
−If you bought an item at a grocery store, the clerk scanned
the item using an application that calculated your bill and
updated the store inventory
• In this course, you will learn the syntax of SQL using
the application called Oracle APEX

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Introduction to Oracle APEX
Application Programs
• Although computers have been around for a very long
time (possibly before you were born), their use for
business and personal computing didn't take place
until application software programs were developed
• Application programs allowed the end user—people
like you and me—to be able to buy fully developed,
ready-to-use programs. It was no longer necessary to
know how the program worked, just that it did work
and accomplished what we wanted it to do

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Introduction to Oracle APEX
Application Programs
• Yahoo.com uses the Oracle database to store data
• Rather than having everyone who wants to search the
database or retrieve email learn SQL, an application
has all of the SQL (and other coding languages) pre-
programmed into it
• With a few mouse clicks, users have access to all of the
information they need

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Introduction to Oracle APEX
Using Applications
• An application is like a car
−To drive a car, you need to know enough to make it work.
−It has a friendly “shell” to hide all the things that you don’t
need to know, such as how the transmission works or how
fuel like petrol or diesel is used to power the engine
• Could you ever get your driver's license if you had to
demonstrate an understanding of every system—
electrical, powertrain, hydraulic, fuel, etc.—used to
make the car run?

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Introduction to Oracle APEX
Oracle APEX
• Oracle APEX is a web application development,
deployment, and maintenance tool

Oracle APEX
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Introduction to Oracle APEX
Oracle APEX Components
• Oracle APEX has these components:
−SQL Workshop
−Application Builder
−Object Browser
• To learn SQL, you will use the SQL Workshop
component
• To design an application, you use Application Builder
• For instruction on using APEX please refer to the Oracle
APEX Learner Guide located in the resources of this
course.

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Introduction to Oracle APEX
Project Exercise
• DFo_6_1_Project
−Oracle Baseball League Store Database
−Upload and run a script in APEX

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Introduction to Oracle APEX
Basic SELECT Statement
• The SELECT * command returns all the rows in a table
−The syntax is:
SELECT *
FROM <table name>;

• For example:
SELECT *
FROM employees;

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Introduction to Oracle APEX
SELECT Statement with a Condition
• To return a subset of the data, modify the SELECT
statement.
−The syntax is:
SELECT <column name 1, column name 2, etc.>
FROM <table name>
WHERE <condition>;
• For example:
SELECT first_name, last_name, job_id
FROM employees
WHERE job_id = 'SA_REP';

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Introduction to Oracle APEX
Correcting errors
• When entering SQL commands, it is important to use
the correct spelling, otherwise you will get an error
message
• For example (SELECT: spelling incorrect):
• Would result in the error message:
SEECT *
FROM employees;

• To rectify, simply correct the spelling and run again

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Introduction to Oracle APEX
Terminology
• Key terms used in this lesson included:
−Application software
−System software
−Oracle APEX
−Syntax
−Subset
−Comparison Operator

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Introduction to Oracle APEX
Summary
• In this lesson, you should have learned how to:
−Distinguish between application software and system
software and give an example of each
−Log-in to the Oracle APEX practice environment
−Execute a simple query to retrieve information from the
Database
−Apply the rules of SQL to display all columns and a subset of
columns specified by criteria

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Introduction to Oracle APEX