APEX: Save a user’s checkbox selection on local PC

You want a checkbox item on a page which is a preference, you want it to be remembered for the user across login sessions, but you don’t want the overhead of storing it in a database table. You might choose to store the value in a cookie instead. It may be lost (e.g. when the user clears their cookies or changes to a different browser or another computer), but we don’t mind – it’s just a preference.

1. Create checkbox item, e.g. P1_STAY_ON_PAGE

Display As = Checkbox
Template = No Label
List of values definition = STATIC2:Stay on page;Y

2. Add dynamic action to the checkbox item to save it when it’s changed

Event = Change
Selection Type = Item(s)
Item(s) = P1_STAY_ON_PAGE
Condition = (none)
True Action = Execute JavaScript Code
Fire On Page Load = (No)
Code = SetCookie("APEX_P1_STAY_ON_PAGE",$v("P1_STAY_ON_PAGE"));

3. Add dynamic action on page load to load it

Event = Page Load
True Action = Execute JavaScript Code
Code = $s("P1_STAY_ON_PAGE",GetCookie("APEX_P1_STAY_ON_PAGE"));

Note that the cookie name (“APEX_P1_STAY_ON_PAGE” in this example) is up to you to choose. Probably best to try making it specific to your application so it doesn’t clash with anything else.

Jeffrey Kemp 14 August 2014

APEX / apex-4.2 / dynamic-action / javascript / tips-&-tricks /

About Jeffrey Kemp

Application Designer & Developer at Oracle specialising in Oracle APEX (Application Express), Oracle SQL and PL/SQL. Oracle ACE Alumni ♠️. Piano player, father, husband, Christian. The views expressed on this blog are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Oracle.