Copy Records in Oracle Apex - oracle-apex

Question

I need to copy selected row values and store as a new record.
I am using Oracle Apex 4.2 and Tabular Form.
I need to use checkbox to select the rows and button copy. When i select multiple rows followed by click copy button to copy all the selected row values as new rows and save.
Can anyone Help

Answer 1

Copying Records Through an APEX Tabular Form Input
The idea of cloning existing records from a single table through an Oracle APEX Tabular Form works without much interference with the default design that you can set up through the APEX wizard for page region content.
Build a table with an independent primary key.
Suggested to include two auxiliary columns: COPY_REQUEST and COPIED_FROM for running copy operations. Specific form elements will map to these columns on the tabular form that will be set up.
Build an Oracle stored procedure that can read which records need to be copied. This procedure will be invoked each time the SUBMIT button is pressed.
(optional) Consider including a suppression of step (3) in the event that there is nothing to process (i.e., no records marked for copying).
The Working Table for Receiving Input: COPY_ME
TIP: You will have an easier time if you use the standard TABLE creation wizard. Designate CUSTOMER_ID as the PRIMARY_KEY and have APEX create its standard auto-incrementing functionality on top. (sequence plus trigger set up.)
Here's the sample data I used... though it doesn't matter. You can put in your own values and be able to verify what happened easily.
The Heavy Lifting: The Stored Procedure for Cloning Records in COPY_ME
This procedure works with 1 or more records at a time with a special identifier in the COPY_REQUEST table. After the task is done, the procedure cleans up and resets the request value again.
create or replace procedure proc_copy_me_request is
c_request_code CONSTANT char(1):= 'Y';
cursor copy_cursor is
SELECT cme.CUSTOMER_ID, cme.CUSTOMER_NAME, cme.CITY, cme.COUNTRY,
cme.COPY_REQUEST
FROM copy_me cme
WHERE cme.COPY_REQUEST = c_request_code
FOR UPDATE OF cme.COPY_REQUEST;
BEGIN
FOR i in copy_cursor LOOP
INSERT INTO copy_me (customer_name, city, country, copied_from)
VALUES (i.customer_name, i.city, i.country, i.customer_id);
UPDATE copy_me
SET copy_request = null
WHERE CURRENT OF copy_cursor;
END LOOP;
COMMIT;
END proc_copy_me_request;
There is also a column that can be hidden. It tracks where the record was originally copied from.
Note that the cursor is using the FOR UPDATE OF and WHERE CURRENT OF notation. This is important because the procedure is changing the records that are referenced by it.
APEX Page Setup Instructions
Set up a standard FORM type page and choose the TABULAR FORM style. Follow the set up instructions, taking care to map the correct primary key, and also to the PK sequence object created with the table in the previous steps above.
This is what your page set up will look like after these steps are completed:
EDIT The COPY_REQUEST Form Value:
Under the column attributes section, change the Display As option to "simple checkbox"
Under the list of values section, put a single value under the LOV Definition: Y (case sensitive in either way... just be consistent)
EDIT The COPIED_FROM Form Value:
Under the column attributes section, change the Display As option to "Display as Text(Saves State)". This is just to prevent users from stepping on this read-only field. You could also suppress it if it isn't important to know.
CREATE a New Process: Execute Copy Procedure
This is the bottom of the same configuration page, there are very few things to change or add:
Demonstration: Screenshot of COPY_ME Tabular Form Page in Action
The first screenshot below is before the page is tidied up and the checkbox control is put into place.
Plug in some test data and give it at try. The Page Process created in the step above conditionally invokes the stored procedure that processes all copy requests made at the same time when the SUBMIT form button is selected.
COMMENTS: If you spend enough time tinkering around with the built-in wizards in Oracle APEX, there are opportunities to learn new design patterns and process flows compatible within the tool. Adapting your approach can reduce the amount of additional work and frustration.