Which web server to use?

Oracle APEX is accessed through a browser via a HTTP server, which may be the Oracle HTTP Server (OHS) with the mod_plsql plug-in, the Embedded PL/SQL gateway (EPG), or most recently the Oracle APEX Listener certified against Oracle WebLogic Server, OC4J, and Oracle Glassfish Server. The APEX Listener can be installed on any modern J2EE Server, such as Tomcat.

Note

The APEX 4.0 Installation Guide covering each of the web server options is available at http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E17556_01/doc/install.40/e15513/toc.htm.

Here, I'm assuming you're working in a team environment, and we're setting up a dedicated development web server, only accessible within the intranet.

I'll go through the relevant merits of each option separately, before showing how to configure them to support development with Ext JS. Once again, rather than repeat the standard installation documentation provided by Oracle, I will simply assume that you have made your choice and installed your preferred web server into your development environment together with Oracle APEX.

Storing your web assets

The virtual path the web server uses to point to the images directory distributed with the Application Builder in Oracle APEX defaults to the alias /i/.

Regardless of which web server you use, it's a good idea to keep your web assets in a different location from where Oracle stores them. Later sections in this chapter for each of the web server options will cover storing assets in a different location and configuring the web server to reference your assets with the alias /ux/, which stands for user extensions.

Storing your web assets in a different location makes life a whole lot easier when it comes to upgrading Oracle APEX again. All you have to do is follow the upgrade notes, secure in the knowledge that you are not going to delete any of your application files accidentally.

It allows your server administrator to secure the Oracle APEX directories, preventing anyone from making changes to the standard Application Builder configuration. Similarly, your application directory can be accessed only by the necessary people.

Customizing application builder files

If you ever have the need to modify some of the CSS rules or JavaScript provided by Oracle, here is one way to do it. By copying the Oracle APEX directories from the /i/ location to your /ux/ location, you can customize the standard Application Builder files without impacting anyone else.

To use your customized version, you need to update the application preferences image prefix to point to your alias, as shown in the following screenshot. To edit application properties, log into Oracle Application Express, and then select the appropriate application from the Application Builder. Click the Edit Application Properties button, top right on the Application Definition page.

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