Hitchhiker's guide to
the Universal Theme
Christian Rokitta
1993
today
1996 1999 2009 20152010 2011 2014
Oracle
Database
Version 6
Hoechst AG
Clinical Research
Frankfurt, Germany
Custom Development
Utrecht, Netherlands
<HTML>
Oracle Consultant/Product Development Manager
Utrecht, Netherlands
mod_plsql
Oracle Web Toolkit
JavaScript();
HTML DB
APEX
Speaker
Oracle Database & Application Express Consultant
Utrecht, Netherlands
{CSS}
proud member of
APEX UI Customization
Reporting Plug-in
Christian Rokitta
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
a trilogy in five parts
In The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (published in 1979), the characters visit the
legendary planet Magrathea, home to the now-collapsed planet-building industry, and
meet Slartibartfast, a planetary coastline designer who was responsible for the fjords of
Norway. Through archival recordings, he relates the story of a race of hyper-intelligent
pan-dimensional beings who built a computer named Deep Thought to calculate the
Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything. When the answer
was revealed to be 42, Deep Thought explained that the answer was incomprehensible
because the beings didn't know what they were asking. It went on to predict that
another computer, more powerful than itself would be made and designed by it to
calculate the question for the answer. (Later on, referencing this, Adams would create
the 42 Puzzle, a puzzle which could be approached in multiple ways, all yielding the
answer 42.)
The computer, often mistaken for a planet (because of its size and use of biological
components), was the Earth, and was destroyed by Vogons to make way for a hyper
spatial express route five minutes before the conclusion of its 10-million-year program.
Two members of the race of hyper-intelligent pan-dimensional beings who
commissioned the Earth in the first place disguise themselves as Trillian's mice, and want
to dissect Arthur's brain to help reconstruct the question, since he was part of the
Earth's matrix moments before it was destroyed, and so he is likely to have part of the
question buried in his brain. Trillian is also human but had left Earth six months
previously with Zaphod Beeblebrox, President of the Galaxy. The protagonists escape,
setting course for "The Restaurant at the End of the Universe". The mice, in Arthur's
absence, create a phony question since it is too troublesome for them to wait 10 million
years again just to cash in on a lucrative deal.
A Brief History
of
APEX Themes
Brief History of APEX Themes
Brief History of APEX Themes
Theme 25
Legacy Themes
“1.6.4 Themes 1–26 and Theme 50 Deprecated
The Universal Theme (Theme 42) and the Mobile Theme (Theme 51) are the
standard themes in Oracle Application Express release 5.1. Older themes are
considered legacy and are deprecated. Applications using these themes
should be migrated to the Universal Theme.”
Universal Theme will be upgraded with future versions
of APEX when Subscription to Master Theme is kept!
“There’s no point in acting surprised about it.
All the planning charts and demolition orders
have been on display at your local planning
department in Alpha Centauri for 50 of your
Earth years, so you’ve had plenty of time to
lodge any formal complaint and it’s far too late
to start making a fuss about it now. … What do
you mean you’ve never been to Alpha Centauri?
Oh, for heaven’s sake, mankind, it’s only four
light years away, you know. I’m sorry, but if you
can’t be bothered to take an interest in local
affairs, that’s your own lookout. Energize the
demolition beams.”
“The Answer to the Great
Question... Of Life, the
Universe and Everything...
Is... Forty-two”
said Deep Thought, with
infinite majesty and calm.
Shakeeb Rahman
42: Universal Theme
• introduced with APEX version 5
• responsive, versatile, and customizable
• 42 Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything
• lots of (new) available components
• Themeroller, Themestyles, Template Options
• designed uniquely for Application Express 5
• makes it easy for developers to build beautiful, modern
applications for any purpose
http://apex.oracle.com/ut
Components
APEX 5 Feature Quiz
APEX 5 UT
Template Options
Themeroller
Theme Styles
Inline Dialog
Modal Page
Cards
Font APEX
42?
“Exactly!" said Deep Thought.
"So once you do know what the question
actually is, you'll know what the answer
means.”
Choices for
Universal Theme
Customization
UT Customization
• Themeroller
– Colors
– Border Radius
Region, Button, Form Item
– Side Column Width
– Custom CSS
Themeroller?
Mostly Harmless!
impact of Universal Theme on APEX application UI’s …
UT/Customization?
Why Customization?
• Different User Experience
• Audience
• Purpose
• Branding
• Increase Customer Conversions
• …
Other Customization Options
• Modifying UT (break subscription)
• CSS overwrite UT
• Develop a Theme from
Scratch
• Get and convert a ready-made
HTML Theme
Oracle APEX Developers are
(usually) not Web Designers
remember:
Custom APEX Theme Examples
done from scratch
• SB Admin 2 for OrclApex,
Sergei & Richard Martens
The Bootstrap Brothers!
• Material APEX, Vincent Morneau
The Material Man?
SB Admin 2 for OrclApex
http://bootstrap-apex.com
Material APEX
https://github.com/vincentmorneau/material-apex
BYO Custom APEX UI
• High Costs
• High maintenance
• Losing UT Upgrades
Custom Themes
“1.6.4 Themes 1–26 and Theme 50 Deprecated
The Universal Theme (Theme 42) and the Mobile Theme (Theme 51) are the
standard themes in Oracle Application Express release 5.1. Older themes are
considered legacy and are deprecated. Applications using these themes
should be migrated to the Universal Theme.”
Universal Theme will be upgraded with future versions
of APEX when Subscription to Master Theme is kept!
Ideal Custom Theme
• Supporting Function of Application
• Cost Effective
• Offers same or similar declarative
components/features as UT
• Doesn’t Change, but Extend Universal Theme
Available Frameworks
Bootstrap
B
o most used front end web development framework in the world
o includes CSS, HTML and JavaScript components
o responsive web design support
o extensive documentation
o developed by Twitter
‐ out-of-the-box file size of 276kB due to excessive number of rarely used styles
‐ excessive number of HTML classes and DOM elements can be messy and
confusing
UT vs BT CSS Grid
Integratability UT & BT
• CSS is applied to isolated components
• only a handful of converted/custom templates
• minor CSS overwrite for visual consistency
• keep all functional complex UT components
that make developing in APEX rapid!
Determing Visual Elements
Title
Breadcrumbs/Breadcrumbs
Components to adapt
• Structure (Templates)
 Header, Navigation Footer -> Page Template
 Region, Dialogs, Buttons -> Region Templates
• Font -> CSS
• Buttons -> Templates/CSS
• Form Elements -> CSS
• Individual extra Components -> Templates, Plugins
Bootstrap Themes
• off-the-shelf Bootstrap (Admin) Themes
• consistent UI design -> UX
• complete (components, page examples, …)
• customizable/adaptable
• free vs licensed
• where to find
– themeforest.net
– wrapbootstrap.com
– websites & newsletters: speckyboy, smashing magazine,
webdesigner magazine, …
B
DEMO
Bootstrapify UT: Steps
1. Page Template
2. Navigation Template
3. Breadcrumbs Template
4. Region Template
5. Buttons
6. Form Elements
7. Some (CSS) Fixes
Bootstrapification/Page Template
1. copy UT Standard page template
2. add JS and CSS file references check JS for library overload
3. change page HTML definition
4. adapt Layout (Grid) definition container DIV
Bootstrapification/Navigation Template
1. copy current navigation list template
2. change HTML definition
3. switch application default property to new
template
Bootstrapification/Breadcrumb Template
1. copy/add breadcrumb templates
2. switch application default property to new
template
Bootstrapification/Region Template
1. CSS overwrite UT Region Template CSS
Bootstrapification/Button Templates
1. copy all 3 UT button template variants
2. change HTML definition
3. add btn-type template options
Bootstrapification/Form Elements
1. apply CSS
– add classes to UT elements
– overwrite UT CSS
Bootstrapification/Finetuning
Bootstrapified
Some minor problems
• Template Option & Template Option Groups
(cannot add custom groups)
• Conflicting JS libraries
• CSS can be complex
Conclusion
• UT is the standard
• Customization is possible
• Extending UT is cost effective
• Some CSS/HTML/JS skills needed
Q&A
www.rokit.nl
www.themes4apex.com
www.apexsmartpivot.com
blog.rokit.nl
@crokitta @themes4apex @apexsmartpivot
www.linkedin.com/in/rokit

Hitchhiker's guide to the Universal Theme

  • 2.
    Hitchhiker's guide to theUniversal Theme Christian Rokitta
  • 3.
    1993 today 1996 1999 200920152010 2011 2014 Oracle Database Version 6 Hoechst AG Clinical Research Frankfurt, Germany Custom Development Utrecht, Netherlands <HTML> Oracle Consultant/Product Development Manager Utrecht, Netherlands mod_plsql Oracle Web Toolkit JavaScript(); HTML DB APEX Speaker Oracle Database & Application Express Consultant Utrecht, Netherlands {CSS} proud member of APEX UI Customization Reporting Plug-in Christian Rokitta
  • 4.
    The Hitchhiker's Guideto the Galaxy a trilogy in five parts In The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (published in 1979), the characters visit the legendary planet Magrathea, home to the now-collapsed planet-building industry, and meet Slartibartfast, a planetary coastline designer who was responsible for the fjords of Norway. Through archival recordings, he relates the story of a race of hyper-intelligent pan-dimensional beings who built a computer named Deep Thought to calculate the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything. When the answer was revealed to be 42, Deep Thought explained that the answer was incomprehensible because the beings didn't know what they were asking. It went on to predict that another computer, more powerful than itself would be made and designed by it to calculate the question for the answer. (Later on, referencing this, Adams would create the 42 Puzzle, a puzzle which could be approached in multiple ways, all yielding the answer 42.) The computer, often mistaken for a planet (because of its size and use of biological components), was the Earth, and was destroyed by Vogons to make way for a hyper spatial express route five minutes before the conclusion of its 10-million-year program. Two members of the race of hyper-intelligent pan-dimensional beings who commissioned the Earth in the first place disguise themselves as Trillian's mice, and want to dissect Arthur's brain to help reconstruct the question, since he was part of the Earth's matrix moments before it was destroyed, and so he is likely to have part of the question buried in his brain. Trillian is also human but had left Earth six months previously with Zaphod Beeblebrox, President of the Galaxy. The protagonists escape, setting course for "The Restaurant at the End of the Universe". The mice, in Arthur's absence, create a phony question since it is too troublesome for them to wait 10 million years again just to cash in on a lucrative deal.
  • 6.
  • 7.
    Brief History ofAPEX Themes
  • 8.
    Brief History ofAPEX Themes Theme 25
  • 9.
    Legacy Themes “1.6.4 Themes1–26 and Theme 50 Deprecated The Universal Theme (Theme 42) and the Mobile Theme (Theme 51) are the standard themes in Oracle Application Express release 5.1. Older themes are considered legacy and are deprecated. Applications using these themes should be migrated to the Universal Theme.” Universal Theme will be upgraded with future versions of APEX when Subscription to Master Theme is kept!
  • 10.
    “There’s no pointin acting surprised about it. All the planning charts and demolition orders have been on display at your local planning department in Alpha Centauri for 50 of your Earth years, so you’ve had plenty of time to lodge any formal complaint and it’s far too late to start making a fuss about it now. … What do you mean you’ve never been to Alpha Centauri? Oh, for heaven’s sake, mankind, it’s only four light years away, you know. I’m sorry, but if you can’t be bothered to take an interest in local affairs, that’s your own lookout. Energize the demolition beams.”
  • 11.
    “The Answer tothe Great Question... Of Life, the Universe and Everything... Is... Forty-two” said Deep Thought, with infinite majesty and calm. Shakeeb Rahman
  • 12.
    42: Universal Theme •introduced with APEX version 5 • responsive, versatile, and customizable • 42 Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything • lots of (new) available components • Themeroller, Themestyles, Template Options • designed uniquely for Application Express 5 • makes it easy for developers to build beautiful, modern applications for any purpose
  • 15.
  • 16.
  • 17.
    APEX 5 FeatureQuiz APEX 5 UT Template Options Themeroller Theme Styles Inline Dialog Modal Page Cards Font APEX
  • 18.
    42? “Exactly!" said DeepThought. "So once you do know what the question actually is, you'll know what the answer means.”
  • 19.
  • 20.
    UT Customization • Themeroller –Colors – Border Radius Region, Button, Form Item – Side Column Width – Custom CSS
  • 21.
  • 22.
    impact of UniversalTheme on APEX application UI’s …
  • 23.
  • 24.
    Why Customization? • DifferentUser Experience • Audience • Purpose • Branding • Increase Customer Conversions • …
  • 25.
    Other Customization Options •Modifying UT (break subscription) • CSS overwrite UT • Develop a Theme from Scratch • Get and convert a ready-made HTML Theme
  • 26.
    Oracle APEX Developersare (usually) not Web Designers remember:
  • 27.
    Custom APEX ThemeExamples done from scratch • SB Admin 2 for OrclApex, Sergei & Richard Martens The Bootstrap Brothers! • Material APEX, Vincent Morneau The Material Man?
  • 28.
    SB Admin 2for OrclApex http://bootstrap-apex.com
  • 29.
  • 30.
    BYO Custom APEXUI • High Costs • High maintenance • Losing UT Upgrades
  • 31.
    Custom Themes “1.6.4 Themes1–26 and Theme 50 Deprecated The Universal Theme (Theme 42) and the Mobile Theme (Theme 51) are the standard themes in Oracle Application Express release 5.1. Older themes are considered legacy and are deprecated. Applications using these themes should be migrated to the Universal Theme.” Universal Theme will be upgraded with future versions of APEX when Subscription to Master Theme is kept!
  • 32.
    Ideal Custom Theme •Supporting Function of Application • Cost Effective • Offers same or similar declarative components/features as UT • Doesn’t Change, but Extend Universal Theme
  • 33.
  • 34.
    Bootstrap B o most usedfront end web development framework in the world o includes CSS, HTML and JavaScript components o responsive web design support o extensive documentation o developed by Twitter ‐ out-of-the-box file size of 276kB due to excessive number of rarely used styles ‐ excessive number of HTML classes and DOM elements can be messy and confusing
  • 35.
    UT vs BTCSS Grid
  • 36.
    Integratability UT &BT • CSS is applied to isolated components • only a handful of converted/custom templates • minor CSS overwrite for visual consistency • keep all functional complex UT components that make developing in APEX rapid!
  • 37.
  • 38.
    Components to adapt •Structure (Templates)  Header, Navigation Footer -> Page Template  Region, Dialogs, Buttons -> Region Templates • Font -> CSS • Buttons -> Templates/CSS • Form Elements -> CSS • Individual extra Components -> Templates, Plugins
  • 39.
    Bootstrap Themes • off-the-shelfBootstrap (Admin) Themes • consistent UI design -> UX • complete (components, page examples, …) • customizable/adaptable • free vs licensed • where to find – themeforest.net – wrapbootstrap.com – websites & newsletters: speckyboy, smashing magazine, webdesigner magazine, … B
  • 40.
  • 46.
    Bootstrapify UT: Steps 1.Page Template 2. Navigation Template 3. Breadcrumbs Template 4. Region Template 5. Buttons 6. Form Elements 7. Some (CSS) Fixes
  • 47.
    Bootstrapification/Page Template 1. copyUT Standard page template 2. add JS and CSS file references check JS for library overload 3. change page HTML definition 4. adapt Layout (Grid) definition container DIV
  • 48.
    Bootstrapification/Navigation Template 1. copycurrent navigation list template 2. change HTML definition 3. switch application default property to new template
  • 49.
    Bootstrapification/Breadcrumb Template 1. copy/addbreadcrumb templates 2. switch application default property to new template
  • 50.
    Bootstrapification/Region Template 1. CSSoverwrite UT Region Template CSS
  • 51.
    Bootstrapification/Button Templates 1. copyall 3 UT button template variants 2. change HTML definition 3. add btn-type template options
  • 52.
    Bootstrapification/Form Elements 1. applyCSS – add classes to UT elements – overwrite UT CSS
  • 53.
  • 54.
  • 55.
    Some minor problems •Template Option & Template Option Groups (cannot add custom groups) • Conflicting JS libraries • CSS can be complex
  • 56.
    Conclusion • UT isthe standard • Customization is possible • Extending UT is cost effective • Some CSS/HTML/JS skills needed
  • 57.