Creating Tabs

Tabs are an effective way to navigate users between pages of an application. You can create a tabbed application look by using parent tabs, standard tabs, and Oracle HTML DB lists.

Application Builder includes two different types of tabs:

Standard tabs
Parent tabs

An application having only one level of tabs uses a standard tab set. A standard tab set is associated with a specific page and page ID. You can use standard tabs to link users to a specific page. A parent tab set functions as a container to hold a group of standard tabs. Parent tabs give users another level of navigation as well as a context (or sense of place) within the application. You can use parent tabs link users to a specific URL associated with a specific page.

Topics:

About Template Support
About the Tabs Page
Editing Multiple Tabs at Once
Accessing Tab Reports

Note:

When running the Create Application Wizard, you have the option of creating an application with tabs. The following procedures assume you have already created an application that does not have any tabs.

About Template Support

Before you can create parent and standard tabs, you need to check that your default template has positions defined for both standard and parent tabs using the appropriate substitution strings. You also need to make sure you do not override this template at the page-level.

About the Tabs Page

The Tabs page displays a graphical representation of the tabs defined in your application. You access the Tabs page from the Shared Components page, or by clicking the heading Tabs on the Page Definition.

Topics:

Accessing the Tabs Page from Shared Components
Accessing the Tabs Page from a Page Definition
Creating a New Tab from the Page Definition
Using the Standard Tab Task List

Accessing the Tabs Page from Shared Components

To access the Tabs page from the Shared Components page:

Navigate to the Workspace home page.
Click the Application Builder icon.
Select an application.
On the Application Builder home page, click Shared Components.
Under Navigation, select Tabs.

The Tabs page appears displaying a graphical representation of the tabs defined in your application.
To make another tab current, click the tab.

Notice the two Add buttons. Use the Add button on the upper right side of the graphic to add Parent tabs. Use the Add button at the lower left side of the graphic to add standard tabs.
To add a new tab, click Add adjacent to the appropriate tab type.

Think of parent tabs as a container to hold standard tabs. For example, in order to add two levels of tabs you first create a parent tab and then add standard tabs to it.

Accessing the Tabs Page from a Page Definition

To access Tab Manager from the Page Definition:

Navigate to the appropriate Page Definition:
1. Navigate to the Workspace home page.
2. Click the Application Builder icon.
3. Select an application.
4. Select a page.
  
  The Page Definition appears.
Under Shared Components, select the heading Tabs.

The Tabs page appears displaying a graphical representation of the tabs defined in your application. The currently selected standard or parent tab is highlighted.
To make another tab current, click the tab.

Notice the two Add buttons. Use the Add button on the upper right side of the graphic to add Parent tabs. Use the Add button at the lower left side of the graphic to add standard tabs.
To add a new tab, click Add adjacent to the appropriate tab type.

Think of parent tabs as a container to hold standard tabs. For example, in order to add two levels of tabs you first create a parent tab and then add standard tabs to it.

Creating a New Tab from the Page Definition

To create a new tab from the Page Definition:

Navigate to the appropriate Page Definition:
1. Navigate to the Workspace home page.
2. Click the Application Builder icon.
3. Select an application.
4. Select a page.
  
  The Page Definition appears.
Under Tabs, click the Create icon.

The Create Tab Wizard appears.
Follow the on-screen instructions.

Using the Standard Tab Task List

The Standard Tab Task list displays on the right side of the Tabs page. You can access the links on this list to rename a standard tab set, resequence the display order, associate pages with a tab set, create a new standard tab, or create a new standard tab set.

To access the Standard Tab Task list:

Navigate to the Tabs page:
1. Click the Application Builder icon on the Workspace home page.
2. Select an application.
3. Click Shared Components.
4. Under Navigation, select Tabs.
Make a selection from the Standard Tab Task list. Available options include:
- Rename Standard Tab Set
- Resequence Display Order
- Associate Page(s) with Selected Standard Tab
- Create New Standard Tab
- Create New Standard Tab Set

Editing Multiple Tabs at Once

You can edit multiple tabs at once by clicking Edit Standard Tabs and Edit Parent Tabs on the Tabs page.

To edit multiple tabs at once:

Navigate to Tab Manager. See "About the Tabs Page".
Click one of the following buttons:
- Edit Standard Tabs
- Edit Parent Tabs

Accessing Tab Reports

You can view the Tab Utilization and Tab History reports by clicking the appropriate tab at the top of the Tab Manager page.

Standard Tab Utilization

Click Utilization to access the Standard Tab Utilization report. This report lists the standard tabs used in the current application.

Standard and Parent Tab History

Click History to view the Standard Tab History and Parent Tab History reports. These reports display a history of changes to tab attributes for the current application.