Databases Reference
In-Depth Information
Navigation Bar Entries
Each APEX application has one navigation bar that may contain multiple entries. Examples of links typically displayed
on every page are Login, Logout, Help, and My Account. As a developer, you can create and modify navigation bar
entries depending on the application and need. The navigation bar can also go beyond standard link text; it can be
modified to include images. Entries can be based on conditions, authorization schemes, and build options. Placement
of navigation bars is dictated by the page template substitution variable
#NAVIGATION_BAR#
. In most applications,
the navigation bar is placed either at upper right or upper left on the page.
The example application already has a very simple navigation bar that has been created for you, as shown in
Figure
5-27
. It currently contains only a simple welcome message and a Logout link.
Figure 5-27.
Icons on a navigation bar
Because you've modified the home page to be a publicly viewable page, you need to add a navigation bar entry
that allows a user to log in. At the same time, you need to make both the Login and Logout links context sensitive so
they're only displayed when it makes sense. (For instance, the Logout link should only be displayed when a user is
actually logged in.)
Navigation bars are part of an application's shared components, so they're created and maintained from the
Shared Components section of the Application Builder. Create one in the example application as follows:
1.
Navigate to the Application Builder home page for the Help Desk application. This is the
page that shows a list of all the pages in the application.
2.
Navigate to the
Shared Components
section of the Application Builder, either by clicking
the large
Shared Components
icon at the top of the page or by clicking the gear icon in the
builder utility bar in the upper-right section of the page.
3.
Under
Navigation
, click
Navigation Bar Entries,
as shown in Figure
5-28
. You see that
APEX has already created a Logout entry for you, but you need to create your own Login
link.
Figure 5-28.
Navigation items in the Shared Components screen
