FOP in APEX Listener Version 2

APEX Listener version 2, contains the internal FOP.

Here an example, how I configured to use the internal FOP printing functionality.

Announcements

For a long time, I did not make any update at my blog. I was too busy with my activities at Oracle and getting the book ready.

It was a big adventure to write a book and without my co-authors and reviewers, we never would have come to the final result. A lot of people inspired me along the process of writing.

To view the book

The book can be ordered and I really hope it will be useful for people working with the Application Express product. I cannot say it enough, the Application Express product and development team is an amazing team!

Starting last year, I am involved in the Database Services Cloud project. I strongly recommend you to try the Oracle Cloud and discover the possibilities. Try the Oracle Cloud

Documentation on the Database Cloud Service:
Via the Oracle website, https://cloud.oracle.com / Tab Resources
Material like white papers, video's, tutorials ( Oracle By Example ) can be found.

This year, I will not present at the UK_OUG conference because of the fact that I like to be at home at the 5th of December.
Next year, I hope to present for the Oracle User Group in Norway and Bulgaria. Probably many more but that also depends on my upcoming activities within Oracle.

Oracle Dutch User Group at the 26th of March 2012

The special Application Express event in the Netherlands was a great success.
The day started with the keynote session from Patrick Wolf from the Application Express Development team. Enhancements in Application Express were discussed and also some information from the Application Express development team and of course with the Safe Harbor statement. (it is all still preliminary, the Safe Harbor statement).
Application Express 4.2 will concentrate on the use of Application Express at mobile devices like Iphone, IPAD etc.
Statement of direction of version 4.2

After the keynote session there were three parallel sessions available. High content and great speakers and therefore extra honored to be one of the speakers.
It was a very difficult to decide which session to join.

The first session, I joined was the presentation from Roel Hartman about HTML 5.
Very short summary but it is still the truth. Cool stuff!
I did not realize in advance that there is so much possible in HTML 5!

After the perfect lunch, I joined the session from Dimitri Gielis about the differences in listeners used in Application Express. The advantages and disadvantages from a certain interest were discussed.

After the session from Dimitri, I presented about the Database Cloud Service.
The room was totally overbooked!
Amazing for myself!
I cannot thank you enough for so much intrest!

After my own presentation, I joined the presentation about Building desktop-like web applications with Ext JS & Appplication Express. Very pitty that the network did not collaborate.
The content of the presentation was excellent and the speaker cannot be applauded enough for keeping so calm with a slow network.

The last session from the day, was a practical case.
The real story behind making the decision to move to Application Express.

The successfull day was ended with a dinner together with some of the speakers from the User Group.

Thanks and credit to the OGH organization for organizing a successfull event like this! :-)

Dutch Application Express Event

Release 4.1.1 is now available

For existing installations, you can upgrade from the current release using patch # 13331096.
p13331096_11202_GENERIC.zip is available at My Oracle Support.

For a new installation, you are advised to install the latest full release.
Download APEX 4.1.1.

Upcoming presentation
---------------------
I will present about Database Cloud Service at the APEX day organized by the Dutch User Group.

APEX Day

I will talk about:
- What is Cloud
- Oracle Public Cloud
- Database Cloud Service
- Architecture
- Components

Hope to meet you at this event face to face!

Nice scenario

I received the following problem in Oracle Support that baffled me for some time.

Environment:
10.2.0.3 Rdbms
4.0.2.00.07 Application Express

Error in the browser:
Unable To Fetch Authentication_scheme In Application.

Error in the webserver log files:
ORA-06512: at "APEX_040000.WWV_FLOW", line xx
ORA-06512: at "APEX_040000.WWV_FLOW", line xx
ORA-06512: at "APEX_040000.F", line xx
ORA-06512: at "APEX_040000.F", line xx
ORA-06512: at line xx
ORA-20867: ORA-06502: PL/SQL: numeric or value error: character string buffer to small

Above error is also described in the known issues against Application Express Release 4.0.2
Known issues in APEX 4.0.2

Solution: Apply the patch for bug 5890966 (related bug) or apply the 10.2.0.3 Patch 6 on Windows Platforms (if on Windows Platforms) or apply the 10.2.0.4 database patch set or upgrade to 11gR1 or later.

But after applying the necessary patches the problem was not fixed yet.

Received the application without customer data. So a plain sql file.
Stripped the appliction completely.
At the end, I only had one page left.

Tried to create the most simple testcase as possible so replaced the tables used with the demo tables of Oracle DEPT and EMP.
Changed the authentication schema to application express.
Problem still reproduced.

Removed the form on the table and created a 'dummy HTML' region instead.
Tested the application:

After logging in, I received the ORA-06502 error
Could not write to error page

Checked the TAB pages and indeed, the problem was caused by the amount of TAB pages used!

Connclusion:
I was completely in the wrong direction because of the error message generated by the system.
Now, I can understand the error message generated by the system!
By eliminating, I was able to find the real underlying cause of the problem.

DBA Symposium at the 17th of May

At the 17th of May, I presented at the DBA symposium in the Netherlands.

There were ten technical sessions spread over two parallel tracks.
Different Oracle DBA people shared their experiences with the participants.
They showed how to recognize, prevent and solve problems.

For me, it was the first time to deliver a presentation for only Oracle DBA people.
Normally, I present for Oracle Developers and therefore an extra challenge for me!

I presented about Application Express.
Application Express is very popular in the Netherlands.
An Oracle DBA needs to know were to take care of when dealing with application express.

In autumn of this year, a next DBA symposium will be organized.
I hope to meet you there.

Information about planboard symposium can be found here:
DBA Symposium.

Bulgarian User Group Conference in Sandanski

Presented at the Bulgarian Oracle User Group in Sandanski.
Sandanski is the warmest and sunniest town in Bulgaria.

Around three hundred people attended the conference.
There were three parallel sessions available.
For me, a nice opportunity to broadening my knowledge in database area. I also very interested in DBA related stuff!
So next week, I am going to install Application Express in a RAC instance.

One of the sessions, I attended was the session from Daniel Morgan.
To increase your Pl/sql knowledge it is worth it to check the following website. Morgans Library.

Today, I attended sessions from Chris Date. Everybody of you has to recognize this name. Chris Date.

It was a very valuable conference and I did learn a lot.

I need to mention that the whole conference is very well organized, and that I will come back to Bulgaria!

Thanks a lot for the very warm welcome!