How to Create and Use APEX Loop Directives

 

Introduction
Oracle APEX enables developers to build dynamic and data-rich user interfaces using template directives in region templates. One of the most powerful and flexible tools available is the loop directive, which allows you to iterate through collections or delimited strings directly within a TEMPLATE_TEXT. This approach is ideal for displaying repeating content inside a single column or report row, such as a list of tags, attachments, or user roles.

How to Create and Use APEX Loop Directives

The {loop} directive in Oracle APEX lets you loop over a delimited list or array-like data from your SQL query and output multiple elements based on that loop. It is often used inside Cards, Classic Reports, and other custom template regions.

Basic Syntax Example

<ul>
  {loop TAGS}
    <li>{TAG}</li>
  {endloop}
</ul>

Here, TAGS is the column from your SQL query that contains delimited data (e.g., 'Oracle,APEX,PLSQL'), and {TAG} represents the value in each iteration.

Step-by-Step: How to Implement Loop Directive in Oracle APEX

1. Prepare the SQL Source
   Format your data to return a delimited string in a column. For example:

   SELECT
     POST_TITLE,
     'Oracle,APEX,PLSQL' AS TAGS
   FROM BLOG_POSTS
   

2. Enable Template Customization

   • Go to your Classic Report or Cards region.

   • Under “Appearance,” enable custom TEMPLATE_TEXT.

3. Insert Loop Directive

   • Use {loop COLUMN_NAME} to begin the loop.

   • Reference the current item using {COLUMN_NAME_ITEM} or define a name using {as variable} syntax:

     {loop TAGS as TAG}
       <span class="badge badge-primary">{TAG}</span>
     {endloop}
     

4. Control the Delimiter (Optional)
   By default, the loop splits using a comma (,). You can define a different delimiter using:

   {loop TAGS delimiter:";" as TAG}
     {TAG}
   {endloop}
   

5. Example Output in a Card Template

   <div class="card">
     <div class="card-body">
       <h5>{POST_TITLE}</h5>
       <div>
         {loop TAGS as TAG}
           <span class="badge badge-info">{TAG}</span>
         {endloop}
       </div>
     </div>
   </div>
   

Best Practices

• Use simple delimiters like commas or semicolons in the database column.

• Avoid complex or nested delimiters unless absolutely necessary.

• Normalize and clean your delimited string in SQL using REPLACE or REGEXP_REPLACE to ensure consistent output.

• Keep {loop} content minimal and fast-rendering for performance.

• Prefer {loop} for output use only — complex logic should remain in SQL or PL/SQL.

Oracle APEX Documentation
You can find the official Oracle APEX documentation on Template Directives here:
Oracle APEX Template Directives Guide

 

In Oracle APEX, loop directives allow you to repeat a section of content multiple times. They are particularly useful when you want to display multiple rows of data dynamically in regions, reports, or templates.

What are Loop Directives?

The loop directive in APEX follows the format {loop}, {endloop}, and is used to iterate through a collection of items, such as a list, an array, or a result set from a query. It is a way to repeat content for each item in the collection.

There are two types of loop syntax in APEX:

1. Loop using a "SEP" separator:

{loop ["SEP"] NAME/}

    TEMPLATE_TEXT

{endloop/}

Loop using a "MODEL_ID" reference:

{loop MODEL_ID/}

    TEMPLATE_TEXT

{endloop/}

In both cases, the content defined inside {loop} is repeated for each item in the collection, and the loop will automatically stop when all the items have been processed.

Step 1: Loop Using "SEP" Separator

This loop directive is often used when you want to iterate through a collection of values and insert separators between items.

Syntax Explanation:

• {loop ["SEP"] NAME/}: The SEP represents a separator that will be placed between each iteration (like a comma, space, or other separator). The NAME is the collection that you want to loop through.

• {endloop/}: Marks the end of the loop.

Example 1: Loop with Separator for a List of Tags

Suppose you want to display a list of tags associated with an article, separated by commas.

1. Define a Collection: Assume that you have a page item or session variable that stores a list of tags, like this: 'APEX, Oracle, SQL, Data, Reports'.

2. Create a Static Content Region.

3. Use the loop directive in the HTML Expression:

{loop [", "] :P1_TAGS/}

    <span class="tag">{ITEM}</span>

{endloop/}

• Explanation: This example loops through the tags stored in the page item :P1_TAGS, and it separates each tag with a comma (,). Each tag is wrapped in a <span> element for styling.

• :P1_TAGS: This represents a page item that contains the list of tags, and ITEM is used to represent each tag in the loop.

Expected Output:

For a list like 'APEX, Oracle, SQL, Data, Reports', the output will be:

<span class="tag">APEX</span>, <span class="tag">Oracle</span>, <span class="tag">SQL</span>, <span class="tag">Data</span>, <span class="tag">Reports</span>

Step 2: Loop Using "MODEL_ID" Reference

The second syntax for looping uses a MODEL_ID, which refers to a specific collection or dataset, often linked to a query result or model.

Syntax Explanation:

• {loop MODEL_ID/}: This will loop over the results of the model or collection identified by MODEL_ID.

• {endloop/}: Marks the end of the loop.

Example 2: Loop through Query Results

Let’s say you have a list of orders in your database and want to display them in a formatted list.

1. Create a SQL Query to fetch order data:

SELECT order_id, order_date, amount

FROM orders

WHERE order_status = 'SHIPPED'

ORDER BY order_date;

2. Create a Static Content Region in APEX.

3. Use the loop directive to display order information in the HTML Expression:

{loop ORDERS/}

    <div class="order">

        <h3>Order #{ORDER_ID}</h3>

        <p>Date: {ORDER_DATE}</p>

        <p>Amount: {AMOUNT}</p>

    </div>

{endloop/}

• Explanation: In this case, the ORDERS model refers to the result set from the query that retrieves orders. The loop will go through each row of the query result and output the ORDER_ID, ORDER_DATE, and AMOUNT for each order.

• {ORDER_ID}, {ORDER_DATE}, {AMOUNT}: These are the data points from the query that will be rendered dynamically within the loop.

Expected Output:

If the query returns the following rows:

ORDER_ID	ORDER_DATE	AMOUNT
1001	2025-03-20	250
1002	2025-03-21	450
1003	2025-03-22	350

The output will be:

<div class="order">

    <h3>Order #1001</h3>

    <p>Date: 2025-03-20</p>

    <p>Amount: 250</p>

</div>

<div class="order">

    <h3>Order #1002</h3>

    <p>Date: 2025-03-21</p>

    <p>Amount: 450</p>

</div>

<div class="order">

    <h3>Order #1003</h3>

    <p>Date: 2025-03-22</p>

    <p>Amount: 350</p>

</div>

Step 3: Combining Both Loop Types for Dynamic Data Rendering

You can combine the use of both loop types (with separator and model) to display dynamic content in a more complex scenario.

Example 3: Looping Through Product Categories and Products

Imagine you have a list of product categories, and each category contains a list of products. You can use the loop directives to display categories and their associated products.

1. Create a SQL Query to fetch product categories and products:

SELECT category_name, product_name

FROM products

ORDER BY category_name, product_name;

2. Create a Static Content Region and use the following HTML Expression:

{loop PRODUCTS/}

    <h3>{CATEGORY_NAME}</h3>

    <ul>

        {loop [", "] :PRODUCT_NAMES/}

            <li>{ITEM}</li>

        {endloop/}

    </ul>

{endloop/}

• Explanation: The outer loop ({loop PRODUCTS/}) will iterate over the categories, and the inner loop ({loop [", "] :PRODUCT_NAMES/}) will loop through the list of products in each category. The :PRODUCT_NAMES can be a collection or model that holds product names for each category.

Expected Output:

For categories like "Electronics" with products like "Laptop", "Smartphone", and "Headphones", and "Clothing" with "Shirt", "Jeans":

<h3>Electronics</h3>

<ul>

    <li>Laptop</li>, <li>Smartphone</li>, <li>Headphones</li>

</ul>

<h3>Clothing</h3>

<ul>

    <li>Shirt</li>, <li>Jeans</li>

</ul>

Step 4: Using Loop with Dynamic Data Models

You can create loops that iterate over dynamic data models in APEX. APEX’s Interactive Reports, Classic Reports, and Collections are great sources of dynamic data that can be used with the loop directive.

For example, if you have a Dynamic Action or SQL Query generating data, you can bind it directly to a loop structure.

Example 4: Looping Through a Dynamic Collection

Suppose you have a collection of items, and you want to display them dynamically:

1. Create a collection in APEX:

• Use the APEX_COLLECTION.CREATE_COLLECTION function to create a collection with items.

2. Loop through the collection using the loop directive:

{loop ITEM_COLLECTION/}

    <p>{ITEM_NAME}</p>

{endloop/}

This loops through each item in the collection and displays its name.

Key Takeaways:

• {loop ["SEP"] NAME/}: Loops through a collection with a separator between each item.

• {loop MODEL_ID/}: Loops through a collection or dataset defined by MODEL_ID.

• Use in Reports: Loop directives can dynamically display data in reports, collections, or interactive regions.

• Data Binding: Bind loop directives to collections, page items, or query results to render dynamic content.

With these techniques, you can create more interactive, dynamic, and personalized pages within your Oracle APEX applications.

Conclusion
The {loop} directive in Oracle APEX empowers developers to iterate through list-based values inside region templates with minimal code. Whether you're displaying user tags, related items, or sets of values, loops help you maintain clean markup and flexible logic without writing JavaScript or custom PL/SQL. Use this feature wisely to create interactive, data-rich reports that enhance user experience while keeping development declarative and efficient.

How to Create and Use APEX CASE Directive with TEMPLATE_TEXT Using {case}, {when}, {otherwise}, and {endcase}

 

Introduction
Oracle APEX allows developers to create highly customized report layouts using Template Directives. One powerful tool in this arsenal is the {case} directive, which lets you implement conditional logic directly within TEMPLATE_TEXT of a region or component. With {case}, {when}, {otherwise}, and {endcase}, you can alter the output dynamically based on column values—without writing any JavaScript or dynamic actions. This approach keeps your layout clean and declarative.

How to Create and Use APEX CASE Directive with TEMPLATE_TEXT

In Oracle APEX, TEMPLATE_TEXT is used in Classic Reports, Cards, and other templated components to control how each row or item is displayed. The {case} directive evaluates the value of a column and renders different markup accordingly.

Basic Syntax Example

{case STATUS}
  {when 'OPEN'}
    <span class="badge badge-success">Open</span>
  {when 'CLOSED'}
    <span class="badge badge-danger">Closed</span>
  {otherwise}
    <span class="badge badge-secondary">Unknown</span>
{endcase}

Step-by-Step: How to Implement It

1. Create or Edit a Report Region

   • Navigate to a Classic Report or Cards region.

   • Under the “Appearance” section, open Template Options.

   • Choose a Custom Template or enable Custom Template Text.

   • Set the TEMPLATE_TEXT or Card Template to a custom expression.

2. Insert the {case} Directive

   • Use {case COLUMN_NAME} where COLUMN_NAME is a column alias in your SQL query.

   • Add {when} blocks for each value you want to handle.

   • Include an optional {otherwise} block for any unmatched values.

   • Close the structure with {endcase}.

3. Example with Card Report

   <div class="card">
     <div class="card-body">
       <h5>{TITLE}</h5>
       {case PRIORITY}
         {when 'HIGH'}
           <span class="badge badge-danger">High</span>
         {when 'MEDIUM'}
           <span class="badge badge-warning">Medium</span>
         {otherwise}
           <span class="badge badge-secondary">Low</span>
       {endcase}
     </div>
   </div>
   

4. SQL Example for the Above

   SELECT 
     TASK_TITLE AS TITLE,
     TASK_PRIORITY AS PRIORITY
   FROM TASKS
   

Best Practices

• Keep logic simple. Do not embed complex expressions inside the {case} block; pre-process in SQL when possible.

• Use consistent casing (upper/lower) for value comparison to avoid mismatches.

• Escape HTML properly if you're displaying user data inside condition blocks.

• Test each case by previewing sample data to ensure proper rendering.

Oracle APEX Documentation
Learn more about template directives and advanced templating in Oracle APEX here:
APEX Template Directives Reference

 

In Oracle APEX, you can use CASE directives in templates to dynamically generate content based on specific conditions. The syntax {case}, {when}, {otherwise}, and {endcase} are used in APEX templates to create conditional logic, allowing you to show or hide content based on certain values or conditions.

In this tutorial, we’ll demonstrate how to use these directives to display different content dynamically in your APEX application.

Step 1: Understanding the Syntax

Here’s the basic structure of a CASE directive using TEMPLATE_TEXT with {case}, {when}, {otherwise}, and {endcase}:

{case NAME/}

    {when string1/}

        TEMPLATE_TEXT1

    {when string2/}

        TEMPLATE_TEXT2

    {otherwise/}

        TEMPLATE_TEXT

{endcase/}

• {case NAME/}: This begins the CASE block and is followed by a name or expression. The block will evaluate conditions based on the value of NAME.

• {when string1/}: This specifies a condition (string1). If NAME matches string1, the content (TEMPLATE_TEXT1) will be displayed.

• {when string2/}: This specifies another condition (string2). If NAME matches string2, the content (TEMPLATE_TEXT2) will be displayed.

• {otherwise/}: If no conditions match, this content will be displayed as the default.

• {endcase/}: This closes the CASE block.

Step 2: Example 1 - Showing Different Content Based on User Role

Suppose you want to display different messages to users based on their roles (e.g., Admin, User, Guest). You can create a CASE directive that evaluates the &APP_USER. (the current user) and shows different text depending on the role.

Steps:

1. Create a Static Content Region.

2. In the HTML Expression field, use the following template:

{case &APP_USER./}

    {when 'ADMIN'/}

        <h2>Welcome, Administrator!</h2>

        <p>You have full access to the system.</p>

    {when 'USER'/}

        <h2>Welcome, User!</h2>

        <p>You have limited access to certain features.</p>

    {otherwise/}

        <h2>Welcome, Guest!</h2>

        <p>Please log in to access more features.</p>

{endcase/}

• Explanation: This block checks the value of &APP_USER. (the logged-in user):

• If the user is 'ADMIN', it shows a message welcoming the admin.

• If the user is 'USER', it shows a message for the standard user.

• If the user is neither, it displays a default guest message.

Expected Output:

If &APP_USER. is 'ADMIN':

Welcome, Administrator!

You have full access to the system.

If &APP_USER. is 'USER':

Welcome, User!

You have limited access to certain features.

If &APP_USER. is any other value (e.g., 'GUEST'):

Welcome, Guest!

Please log in to access more features.

Step 3: Example 2 - Showing Content Based on Page Item Value

In this example, let's say you want to show different content depending on the value selected in a page item (P1_STATUS). For instance, the status could be either 'Active', 'Inactive', or 'Pending'.

Steps:

1. Create a Page Item: Create a page item called P1_STATUS with possible values: 'Active', 'Inactive', and 'Pending'.

2. Create a Static Content Region.

3. In the HTML Expression field, use the following template:

{case :P1_STATUS/}

    {when 'Active'/}

        <h2>Status: Active</h2>

        <p>The system is running smoothly.</p>

    {when 'Inactive'/}

        <h2>Status: Inactive</h2>

        <p>The system is currently inactive. Please contact support.</p>

    {when 'Pending'/}

        <h2>Status: Pending</h2>

        <p>The system status is pending. Please wait for further updates.</p>

    {otherwise/}

        <h2>Status: Unknown</h2>

        <p>The status could not be determined.</p>

{endcase/}

• Explanation: This block evaluates the value of the P1_STATUS page item:

• If P1_STATUS is 'Active', it shows a message indicating that the system is running smoothly.

• If P1_STATUS is 'Inactive', it shows a message about the system being inactive.

• If P1_STATUS is 'Pending', it shows a message about the pending status.

• If none of these values are selected, it shows a default message.

Expected Output:

If P1_STATUS is 'Active':

Status: Active

The system is running smoothly.

If P1_STATUS is 'Inactive':

Status: Inactive

The system is currently inactive. Please contact support.

If P1_STATUS is 'Pending':

Status: Pending

The system status is pending. Please wait for further updates.

If P1_STATUS is any other value:

Status: Unknown

The status could not be determined.

Step 4: Example 3 - Customizing Output Based on a Session Variable

In this example, let’s use a session variable to customize content dynamically. You can create a condition that checks whether the session variable SESSION_STATUS is 'LOGGED_IN' or 'LOGGED_OUT' to display different messages.

Steps:

1. Set a session variable: Set the SESSION_STATUS session variable to 'LOGGED_IN' or 'LOGGED_OUT' based on the user’s login state.

2. Create a Static Content Region.

3. In the HTML Expression field, use the following template:

{case :SESSION_STATUS/}

    {when 'LOGGED_IN'/}

        <h2>Welcome Back!</h2>

        <p>You're logged in and ready to go.</p>

    {when 'LOGGED_OUT'/}

        <h2>Logged Out</h2>

        <p>You have been logged out. Please log in again to continue.</p>

    {otherwise/}

        <h2>Status Unknown</h2>

        <p>Your session status could not be determined. Please try again later.</p>

{endcase/}

• Explanation: This block evaluates the session variable SESSION_STATUS:

• If SESSION_STATUS is 'LOGGED_IN', it shows a welcome message.

• If SESSION_STATUS is 'LOGGED_OUT', it shows a message indicating the user is logged out.

• If neither condition is met, it shows a default "status unknown" message.

Expected Output:

• If SESSION_STATUS is 'LOGGED_IN':

• Welcome Back!

• You're logged in and ready to go.

• If SESSION_STATUS is 'LOGGED_OUT':

• Logged Out

• You have been logged out. Please log in again to continue.

• If SESSION_STATUS has any other value:

• Status Unknown

• Your session status could not be determined. Please try again later.

Step 5: Using Dynamic Content with CASE Directive in Regions

You can dynamically change the content of entire regions based on conditions. The CASE directive can be used to show or hide entire regions or provide different content within regions depending on the condition being evaluated.

For instance, you can conditionally show a region only for certain user types or based on a condition.

Example Code:

{case :USER_ROLE/}

    {when 'ADMIN'/}

        <h2>Admin Dashboard</h2>

        <p>You have full control over the application settings and users.</p>

    {when 'MANAGER'/}

        <h2>Manager Dashboard</h2>

        <p>You can manage your team's performance and reports.</p>

    {otherwise/}

        <h2>User Dashboard</h2>

        <p>Access basic application features.</p>

{endcase/}

Expected Output:

• If USER_ROLE is 'ADMIN':

• Admin Dashboard

• You have full control over the application settings and users.

• If USER_ROLE is 'MANAGER':

• Manager Dashboard

• You can manage your team's performance and reports.

• If USER_ROLE is anything else:

• User Dashboard

• Access basic application features.

By applying these techniques, you can provide a personalized experience to your users by displaying the right content based on various conditions, ensuring a more dynamic and interactive user interface.

 

Key Takeaways:

• {case NAME/} begins the conditional block and evaluates the value of NAME.

• {when value/} is used to specify a condition and display content when the condition is met.

• {otherwise/} defines the default content when no conditions match.

• {endcase/} closes the CASE block.

Conclusion
The {case} directive in Oracle APEX's TEMPLATE_TEXT enables powerful, readable, and maintainable conditional display logic within your UI. It helps create visually responsive reports and cards without relying on dynamic actions or JavaScript. When used thoughtfully and combined with clean SQL and template design, {case} directives can greatly enhance the dynamic presentation of your data-driven applications.