What Are Shared Components in Oracle APEX?
Tags: webdev, oracle, tutorial
Published: 2023-09-05 07:22:14

In this easy-to-understand tutorial, we will explore the concept of Shared Components in Oracle APEX. Think of Shared Components like your favorite crayons that you can use to color different pictures. We'll explain everything with clear examples, so even a 3rd-grade student can understand.

## 1. Introduction to Shared Components

Shared Components in Oracle APEX are like special tools that help you save time and keep things consistent in your web applications. Imagine having a magic box of crayons that you can use to draw the same beautiful rainbow on different pages of your coloring book.

## 2. Why Are Shared Components Useful?

Imagine you have a favorite toy that you want to play with in different rooms of your house. You wouldn't want to have a separate toy in each room, right? That's where Shared Components come in handy:

**Consistency**: Shared Components help you make sure that things like logos, buttons, and menus look and behave the same on every page of your web app.

**Efficiency**: Instead of making the same logo or button over and over again, you can create it once and use it everywhere. It's like using your favorite crayon to color multiple pictures.

## 3. Types of Shared Components

There are different types of Shared Components, just like you have different crayons for different colors:

**Navigation Menu**: Think of it as a menu that helps you move around your web app easily.

**Theme**: Themes are like special colors that you can use to make your app look beautiful and consistent.

**Page Template**: A Page Template is like a coloring book page with a special layout. You can use it to make your pages look the same.

There are more types of Shared Components in Oracle Apex, here is the screenshot:

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/9007ymiecu8bnyx3yk6r.png)

## 4. How to Create Shared Components

Creating Shared Components is as easy as drawing with your crayons:

Login to Oracle APEX: Make sure you're logged in.

Open Your Application: Go to the application where you want to use Shared Components.

Click on "App Builder": This is where you build your web app.

Shared Components: Click on "Shared Components" in the menu.

Create: Click "Create" to make a new Shared Component.

Choose Type: Pick the type of Shared Component you want to create.

Fill in Details: Give it a name and provide any information it needs.

Save: Click "Save," and your Shared Component is ready to use.

## 5. Example

Let's see how Shared Components work with some fun examples:

**Example 1**: Navigation Menu

Scenario: You want to have a consistent navigation menu that helps users move around your web app easily.

Log in to Oracle APEX: Make sure you're logged in to your Oracle APEX workspace.

Open Your Application: Go to the application where you want to add the Navigation Menu.

Click on "App Builder": This is where you build your web app.

Shared Components: Click on "Shared Components" in the menu.

Create: Click "Create" to make a new Shared Component.

Choose Type: Select "Navigation Menu" as the type of Shared Component.

Fill in Details: Give your Navigation Menu a name, and provide information like the menu items and links you want.

Save: Click "Save" to create your Navigation Menu Shared Component.

With this Navigation Menu Shared Component, you don't have to create the same menu on every page. Just make it once, and it's ready to use wherever you need it, just like using your favorite crayon to color different parts of your coloring book.

To learn more Oracle Apex Tutorial, check [this link](https://www.foxinfotech.org/oracle-apex-tutorials-version-19-1-onwards).

## Conclusion

Shared Components in Oracle APEX are like magic crayons that help you keep things the same and save time in your web apps. You create them once and use them wherever you want. Just like coloring your favorite pictures, Shared Components make your web app colorful and consistent. Have fun creating and using Shared Components!