How Do I Use a Card Display to Navigate to a Form in Oracle APEX

Oracle APEX offers a modern, user-friendly way to present and navigate data using Cards. Card regions can display key data points in a visual format and are perfect for providing users with a summarized view of records. A powerful use case is to allow users to click on a card to navigate directly to a form where they can view or edit the full details of that record. This makes your application not only more interactive but also more intuitive.

How to Set Up a Card Display That Links to a Form

1. Create a Card Region

   • In your APEX app, go to a page where you want to display the cards.

   • Add a new region and choose the Cards region type.

   • Set the region source to a SQL query that retrieves the relevant records.

   • Example:

     SELECT id,
            employee_name,
            job_title,
            department,
            hire_date
     FROM employees
     

   • Make sure the id column (or your primary key) is included, as you'll use it for navigation.

2. Configure the Card Template

   • In the Cards region, map the columns to the visual elements:

     • Title: employee_name

     • Subtitle: job_title

     • Body: department

     • Badge or Media: optional fields like hire_date

   • Set the Link property:

     • Target: Page in this Application

     • Page: Select your form page (e.g., Page 10)

     • Set Items: Assign the id column to the form's primary key item, e.g., P10_ID

     • Clear Cache: Clear the cache for the form page, usually 10

3. Create the Form Page

   • If not already created, add a Form > Form on a Table with Report or Form on a Table or View.

   • Ensure the form page accepts the P10_ID parameter in the page item.

   • Add validations or processing logic as needed.

4. Test the Navigation

   • Run your app.

   • You should see a card layout.

   • Clicking on a card should take the user to the form page, with that record loaded for viewing or editing.

Example Use Case

Suppose you’re building an employee management app:

• Page 5 has a Card region showing employee profiles.

• Each card shows the name, job title, and department.

• Clicking a card takes the user to Page 10, which has a form to update the employee's full record.

• The id from the card is passed as a parameter to the form.

Best Practices

• Always use a primary key or unique identifier in your card’s SQL source.

• Use meaningful visual hierarchy in card templates: names in titles, roles or dates in subtitles or body.

• Avoid long texts in card body sections to keep layouts clean.

• If performance becomes an issue, limit the number of displayed cards using pagination or filters.

• Consider using icons, media, or color badges to highlight statuses or categories.

• When passing parameters to forms, use item-based linking (Set Items) instead of URL parameters for security and cleaner URLs.

Cards don’t have links but they can have Actionbuttons.

Step 1 – Create a Card report for the CUSTOMER table

Step 2- Add an action to the CARD region, make it a Type: Button, and name it Edit

 

Step 3  -  Create  link to page 41 and pass the correct values

Step 4- change the button’s appearance if you need to

Save and Browse

 

 

Pressing the button fires the navigation to the form page.

 

Oracle APEX Documentation

For more detailed guidance on Cards and Navigation in APEX, refer to the official documentation:
https://docs.oracle.com/en/database/oracle/apex/
Search for “Card Region” and “Page Navigation” for specific tutorials and parameters.

Conclusion

Using Card displays to navigate to forms in Oracle APEX creates a modern and efficient user interface that bridges the gap between summary views and detailed records. This method is ideal for applications that require a quick overview with easy access to record management. With just a few configuration steps, you can deliver a professional and user-friendly experience to your users, streamlining workflows and improving productivity.