I tried to be a good Apex Community Citizen and put this in the Tips and Tricks Studio, but it hasn't been updated since HTMLDB 2.0 and I couldn't select Apex 3.0, so I'm putting it out here for now.

I'm sure I'm not the first to figure this out, but I thought maybe it would help some newbies. Also, if someone can think of a more efficient way to do this (probably through AJAX), I'm all ears.

1. Enter help text for your items (Page Items)
2. In the Utilities Page, go to Apex Views and query APEX Application Page Items to get the ITEM_ID of each Page Item with help text.
3. On page 0, create hidden items for each of the Page Items with help text. The source of these items will be SQL Query, and the query is:

select ITEM_HELP_TEXT
from APEX_APPLICATION_PAGE_ITEMS
where APPLICATION_ID = <your app id> and PAGE_ID = <your page id> and ITEM_ID = <your Page Item id>

Be sure to set the Source to "Only when Item is null..." to prevent running the same query over and over when the page is rendered.

4. Back on your page, set your pre-element text to "<span title="&P0_ITEM_HELP.">", using the appropriate item name from page 0, and set the post-element text to "</span>."

Now run the page and when your mouse hovers over the item, the Item Help Text will appear as a tooltip.

Thanks, and you're welcome!

I did notice though, that in IE the tooltip doesn't show up for select lists.

Hello,

Also, if someone can think of a more efficient way to do this (probably through AJAX), I'm all ears.

Where I live that's what we call a challenge

So
one OnDemand Process ,
one Label Template,
one Javascript function
and a bit of HTML ("Shoot, a feller could have a pretty good time in Vegas with all that stuff!")

and ........ http://apex.oracle.com/pls/otn/f?p=11933:121 there you go.

Though even I admit it's not the first time I've seen this we played around with it a bit for the Application Builder for version 2.0 (thanks to Kris Rice) but with the new views it makes it a bit easier

Enjoy,
Carl

Kathryn and Carl,

Very nice tip and implementation.

I haven't played around with this yet, only read the thread so far and took a quick look at Carl's example, but since Kathryn's original post uses a SQL query, it also seems like this could be easily modified to select the comment from SYS.DBA_COL_COMMENTS, so people like me that put in verbose comments in the tables (or views) can use those, cutting down on trying to keep all the "text" about a field in sync.

Bill Ferguson

I am experiencing problems implementing this "Trick" within my application. I have verified that I have copied all of the code correctly into the appropriate locations. I hard-coded my Application ID, Page ID and Item ID into the Application Process which I named AJAX_ITEM_HELP as instructed. When I run my application and mouse-over, I get an error on the page popup indicating a missing object (Code 0). I did make one change to the OnDemand Process (AJAX_ITEM_HELP). I changed APEX_APPLICATION_PAGE_ITEMS to HTMLDB_APPLICATION_PAGE_ITEMS since I am running HTMLDB build 2.0.0.00.49. Does anyone know of any other compatability issues/changes which I should make? Thanks.

Ed

Hello,

since I am running HTMLDB build 2.0.0.00.49. Does anyone know of any other compatability issues/changes which I should make?

This is example is using some of the APEX 3.0 views. It's going to be much tougher to do this in the older versions. I know it can be done but I don't even have pre 3.0 version available to me anymore.

Sorry,
Carl

After further research, I was able to verify that the APEX_APPLICATION_PAGE_ITEMS is a view available for versions 2.2 and later. For those of us who are required to remain on version 2.0 I have been able to find most of the information I need in SYS.WWV_FLOW_STEP_ITEMS and SYS.WWV_FLOW_STEP_ITEM_HELP. I am in the process of creating a view to emulate the APEX_APPLICATION_PAGE_ITEMS.

My question is two part. First, can someone provide a DESCRIBE of the view APEX_APPLICATION_PAGE_ITEMS. Actually, the SQL would be more informative, but I will settle for a describe.

Second, there is a join issue between WWV_FLOW_STEP_ITEMS and WWV_FLOW_STEP_ITEM_HELP. I can join on FLOW_ID (APPLICATION_ID), but I am unable to join on the specific PAGE_ID. Can anyone provide assistance determining what additional joins might be necessary to accomplish this.

Assistance is greatly appreciated. Thanks
Ed

Hello,

Yeah your missing something that is in 3.0 (used to be in my htmldb_remix.js but has been removed because well now it's in 3.0). Anyway add this into your page header or static js file.

/* 

this adds better aysnc functionality 

to the htmldb_Get object 

pVar is the function that you want to call when the xmlhttp state changes

in the function specified by pVar the xmlhttp object can be referenced by the variable p

*/

htmldb_Get.prototype.GetAsync = function(pVar){

   try{

      p = new XMLHttpRequest();

    }catch(e){

      p = new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP");

    }

    try {

    	var startTime = new Date();

			p.open("POST", this.base, true);

			if(p) {

					p.onreadystatechange = pVar;

					p.setRequestHeader('Content-Type','application/x-www-form-urlencoded');

					p.send(this.queryString == null ? this.params : this.queryString );

					return p;

	  	} 

		}catch(e){

      return false;

    }

 }

Carl