How Do I Override UI Defaults

 Introduction

In Oracle APEX, UI Defaults provide a powerful way to standardize how forms and reports are generated across your applications. However, there are times when you need to override these defaults to meet specific business requirements or design preferences. Whether it’s changing the item type of a field, adjusting formatting, or applying different validations for a particular page, Oracle APEX gives you full control to customize UI elements beyond the defaults. This flexibility ensures that while consistency is maintained application-wide, exceptions can be handled with ease when needed.

In Oracle APEX, UI Defaults serve as a time-saving and consistency-enforcing feature, but they are not final. You can override UI Defaults at any point during the development process to customize the behavior, layout, and formatting of individual form items or report columns. These overrides are especially useful when you need an exception to the default behavior configured at the table or column level.

To override UI Defaults, begin by navigating to the Page Designer for the page where the default has been applied. Select the region (such as a form or report) and then click on the item or column that was generated using UI Defaults. APEX allows you to manually modify any of the properties that were inherited. For example, if a column was set to display as a Text Field by default, you can change it to a Select List, Date Picker, or any other supported item type. Likewise, formatting masks, label settings, alignment, default values, and validations can all be adjusted directly in the item's or column’s property editor.

For forms:

1. Open the page in Page Designer.

2. Select the form region.

3. Click on the item you want to customize.

4. In the property pane, override the default by changing the “Item Type,” “Label,” “Default Value,” or any other setting.

5. Save and run the page to test the changes.

For reports:

1. Open the page in Page Designer.

2. Select the report region (Classic or Interactive Report).

3. Click on the report column you want to update.

4. Change display type, alignment, formatting mask, or visibility.

5. Save and run the page.

If you are working with Interactive Reports or Grids, you can also override settings such as column sorting, filter behavior, or formatting through the column attributes.

Although UI Defaults apply automatically, developers can override them when necessary.

To override UI Defaults:

1. Edit the Form or Report

2. Go to the Attributes section

3. Modify the settings as needed

4. Save the changes

This flexibility allows developers to customize individual items while still benefiting from globally defined UI Defaults.

Exporting and Importing UI Defaults

UI Defaults can be exported and imported between APEX environments, making it easy to maintain consistency across multiple applications.

Export UI Defaults

1. Go to SQL Workshop > Utilities > Data Dictionary Reports

2. Select Export UI Defaults

3. Download the generated SQL file

Import UI Defaults

1. Go to the target APEX environment

2. Run the exported SQL file in SQL Commands

3. UI Defaults will be applied automatically

This is useful when deploying applications across development, testing, and production environments.

Best Practices for Using UI Defaults

• Set UI Defaults before creating pages to save time

• Use consistent format masks for date, number, and currency fields

• Configure validation rules at the database and UI level

• Regularly review UI Defaults to align with application requirements

• Use meaningful labels and tooltips to improve user experience

Keep in mind, overrides only apply to the specific component or page where you change them. They do not affect other components that use the same table or column unless you apply similar changes manually.

By overriding UI Defaults, developers gain the flexibility to adjust and refine the user interface to suit special use cases while still benefiting from the consistency and efficiency of default settings. This approach provides a balance between rapid development and tailored user experience.

Conclusion

Overriding UI Defaults in Oracle APEX allows developers to fine-tune the user interface to fit unique cases without compromising the overall design consistency. By understanding when and how to apply these overrides, you can enhance user experience, address special requirements, and maintain high-quality standards throughout your application. The ability to adapt UI elements per page or item ensures that APEX remains a flexible, developer-friendly platform for building modern web applications.