The most underrated feature in Oracle APEX?
🫥Hidden items.
(used well → they make your apps smarter and faster)
But most new devs either skip them or misuse them.
So here’s when and why to use hidden items in APEX:
1. Pass values between pages
↳ Example: Store a session user ID or key value
↳ Keeps URL clean + avoids tampering
2. Preserve database context
↳ e.g. Save a foreign key or flag before submission
↳ Used in DML and validation processes
3. Drive conditional logic
↳ Want a region to appear based on user role?
↳ Set a hidden item and reference it in conditions
4. Store default or calculated values
↳ Calculated on page load or from PL/SQL
↳ Works quietly behind the scenes
5. Control dynamic actions
↳ Hidden items can trigger actions without UI clutter
↳ Keeps the page logic clean and maintainable
These are invisible → but essential.
Think of hidden items as your app’s internal memory.
Use them right → and your app feels 10x smarter.
Question for the APEX pros:
What’s the cleverest way you’ve used a hidden item?