BUG?: Paginate Doesn't Work with Page Item with Source as Database Column

Question

CREATE TABLE T_PARENT
  ID NUMBER NOT NULL
, STAFFID VARCHAR2(20)
, CONSTRAINT PARENT_PK PRIMARY KEY
    ID
  ENABLE
insert into T_parent values (1, '77258317');
commit;
create table T_child as
select
  rownum id
, '77258317' staffid
, dbms_random.string('U', 5) aa
, dbms_random.string('U', 15) ab
, dbms_random.string('U', 3) ac
from dual
connect by level <= 100;
/Form page for T_PARENT.
Classic report:
select id, aa, ab, ac
from t_child
where staffid = :Px_STAFFIDTry and paginate = no data found.
However, if you first submit the page, then paginate, it works as expected.
Reproduced:
http://apex.oracle.com/pls/apex/f?p=54920:57:106342795192226::::P57_ID:1
If I for e.g. use an item with static assignment, it works fine.
Cheers,
Trent
Edited by: trent on Apr 19, 2013 11:59 AM
Also, it works fine when you reference the PK column.

Answer 1

Just like with the paginate, the problem may also happens when you change the sort column or direction by clicking on the header.
If the item in the WHERE clause was being set fromt he URL this wouldn't be an issue because it would be saved on the Persisten Session state.
Regarding session state, there are two kinds Temporary or in memory and Persistent. When the page is rendering the item values are only on the Temporary session state. This is why the report renders correctly on page load.
The item value won't go to Persistent session state until the page is submitted. Item values also go to Persistent session when they are passed in the URL, or explicitly set with a computation, etc..
The Session state Dialog can only show the Persisten session state which is saved in DB tables. It's unable to show you the values during page render. For that you need other mechanisms like debug messages.
I think that when you set page item as SQL query and Only when current value session state is null the value must be saved to Persistent session state. If you can examine the value with the Session Dialog then that would confirm that.
Hope this helps.
Thanks
-Jorge