How do I Display the REST Data in APEX

 

Introduction
Displaying REST data in Oracle APEX is one of the most powerful capabilities for modern application development. Oracle APEX provides multiple ways to consume external RESTful services and integrate them into your pages using low-code components. Whether you're pulling live data from third-party APIs or integrating services across systems, APEX makes it easy to display REST data in reports, charts, forms, and other UI components.

How to Display REST Data in APEX

1. Create a Web Source Module

   • Navigate to Shared Components > Web Source Modules.

   • Click Create and enter the REST endpoint URL. APEX will attempt to fetch sample data from the endpoint.

   • Configure authentication if the endpoint requires it (e.g., API Key, OAuth2).

   • Define the structure of the response. APEX parses the JSON or XML and lets you select data fields.

   • Save the Web Source Module.

2. Use the Web Source in a Component

   • Go to a page (or create a new one).

   • Choose a region type like Interactive Report, Classic Report, or Form.

   • Select Web Source as the data source.

   • Choose the Web Source Module you created earlier.

   • APEX automatically binds the Web Source’s data structure to the region columns.

   • Customize columns, labels, formatting, and filters as needed.

3. Optional: Add Filters or Parameters

   • You can pass page items as bind variables into the Web Source to dynamically filter results.

   • Modify the Web Source Module and use Parameters to map input values (query string, path, or header).

   • Example: Pass :P1_ID as a query parameter to filter by ID.

   • This allows you to create dynamic and interactive REST-powered reports.

4. Preview the Output

   • Run the page to see the live REST data displayed directly in your APEX app.

   • You can combine REST data with client-side interactivity using Dynamic Actions or JavaScript.

Best Practices

• Use pagination options to avoid overloading the report with large datasets.

• If the REST service is slow or rate-limited, consider caching the results in a local table.

• Secure the Web Source Module using authentication schemes to protect credentials and sensitive data.

• Use meaningful column names and labels for better user experience.

• Monitor API response times and failures to catch issues early.

Oracle APEX Documentation

• Using Web Source Modules

• Creating REST Data Sources

Once you have extracted the relevant data (e.g., name, position), you can display it on your APEX page by setting values to page items like P1_EMPLOYEE_NAME, P1_EMPLOYEE_POSITION, etc.

Alternatively, you can use Interactive Reports, Charts, or Forms to display data in a more structured way.

HOW DO I CREATE A REST

Step 1. Navigate to an existing REST Data Service and click on the “Manage Synchronization” link.

Step 2. Select the “New Table” option, provide a name for the table, and press “Save”

Step 3. Click on the “Create Table” in the “Table Status” region.

Step 4. Review the table in SQL workshop

Step 5. Select the type of  “data load” that you want by selecting from the “Append/Merge/Replace” buttons

Step 6. Press the “Save and Run” button.

You should have the following results in your table.

 

Conclusion
Displaying REST data in Oracle APEX is a seamless process that integrates modern APIs into your low-code applications. By leveraging Web Source Modules, you can build interactive and responsive interfaces that connect with external data in real time. Whether you’re displaying data in a report, a form, or a dashboard, APEX offers all the tools needed to harness RESTful services securely and efficiently.