Update using checkboxes

Question

I have a new web page where the user wants to be able to check off lines on a very extensive list to reconcile them with a customer's report. I'm using a report like this:
select DATE_INDEX, EQUIP_ID
       , DESCRIP, WT, HAUL_BY, FLAG
    from (
    select c.DATE_INDEX as DATE_SORT
         , j.JOB_START_TIME as TIME_SORT
         , to_char(c.DATE_INDEX,'Mon DD') as DATE_INDEX
         , to_char(c.EQUIP_ID) as EQUIP_ID
         , to_char(c.EMP_ID) as EMP_ID
         , to_char(j.JOB_START_TIME,'HH:MI AM') as JOB_START_TIME
         , to_char(j.JOB_END_TIME,'HH:MI AM') as JOB_END_TIME
         , 'Load at '||s.SHORT_NM||', Unload at '||f.FACTORY_NM as DESCRIP
         , to_char(NVL(j.MAN_SPOT_WT,0),'999G990D00') as WT
         , apex_item.display_and_save(48,'TS') as HAUL_BY
         , apex_item.display_and_save(49,j.LOAD_JOB_ID) as JOB_ID
         , apex_item.checkbox(50,j.RECONCILE_FLAG,null,null) as FLAG
      from TC c, TC_LOAD_JOBS j, LOAD_RATES r, FACTORIES f, STATIONS s
     where c.TC_ID = j.TC_ID and j.LOAD_RATE_ID = r.LOAD_RATE_ID
       and j.FACTORY_ID = f.FACTORY_ID
       and FN_STN_KEY(j.FACTORY_ID, j.STATION_ID) = s.KEY_ID
       and r.ROPA_FLAG = 1
       and DECODE(:P961_TYPE,99,j.RECONCILE_FLAG,:P961_TYPE) = j.RECONCILE_FLAG
       and c.VEH_LOC in (select ORG_ID from ORG_ENTITIES
           where MNG_ORG_ID = :P961_ORG_ID)
       and c.DATE_INDEX BETWEEN to_date(:P961_FROM_DT,'MM/DD/YYYY')
           and to_date(:P961_TO_DT,'MM/DD/YYYY')
    union all
    select c.DATE_INDEX as DATE_SORT
         , NULL as TIME_SORT
         , to_char(c.DATE_INDEX,'Mon DD') as DATE_INDEX
         , c.UNIT_ID as EQUIP_ID
         , '-IND-' as EMP_ID
         , NULL as JOB_START_TIME
         , NULL as JOB_END_TIME
         , 'Load at '||s.SHORT_NM||', Unload at '||f.FACTORY_NM as DESCRIP
         , to_char(NVL(j.ACT_SPOT_WEIGHT,NVL(j.AVG_SPOT_WEIGHT,0)),'999G990D00') as WT
         , apex_item.display_and_save(48,'OTHR') as HAUL_BY
         , apex_item.display_and_save(49, j.JOB_ID) as JOB_ID
         , apex_item.checkbox(50,j.RECONCILE_FLAG,null,null) as FLAG
      from TC_3RDPARTY c, TC_3RDPARTY_JOBS j, LOAD_RATES r, FACTORIES f, STATIONS s
     where c.TC_ID = j.TC_ID and j.LOAD_RATE_ID = r.LOAD_RATE_ID
       and j.FACTORY_ID = f.FACTORY_ID
       and FN_STN_KEY(j.FACTORY_ID, j.STATION) = s.KEY_ID
       and r.ROPA_FLAG = 1
       and DECODE(:P961_TYPE,99,j.RECONCILE_FLAG,:P961_TYPE) = j.RECONCILE_FLAG
       and c.VEH_LOC in (select ORG_ID from ORG_ENTITIES
           where MNG_ORG_ID = :P961_ORG_ID)
       and c.DATE_INDEX BETWEEN to_date(:P961_FROM_DT,'MM/DD/YYYY')
           and to_date(:P961_TO_DT,'MM/DD/YYYY')
  ) where rownum <= 500
order by DATE_SORT, TIME_SORTbecause obviously the only field I want them changing is the RECONCILE_FLAG field.
I know that checkboxes are dicey in that they either exist (when checked) or don't exist, so using them in loops is somewhat problematic. I'm trying to use something like this:
declare
begin
    for i in 1..apex_application.g_f49.count loop
      IF apex_application.g_f48(i) = 'TS' THEN
        update TC_LOAD_JOBS
           set RECONCILE_FLAG = NVL(apex_application.g_f50(i),0)
         where LOAD_JOB_ID = apex_application.g_f49(i);
      ELSIF apex_application.g_f48(i) = 'OTHR' THEN
        update TC_3RDPARTY_JOBS
           set RECONCILE_FLAG = NVL(apex_application.g_f50(i),0)
         where JOB_ID = apex_application.g_f49(i);
      END IF;
    end loop;
end;to allow the update.
Can someone spot check and tell me if this is going to work or if I'm going to have to incorporate another loop inside the main loop to handle the checkbox?

Answer 1

I don't think that's going to fly. The size of the checkbox array reflects the volume of items checked on the page, thus if your report contains 20 rows but only 5 of them are checked (at random intervals, say), your loop is going to fall over at the value i=6, because apex_application.g_f50(6) won't exist. The method I've used before is to assign the value of the checkbox to a key value (depending on your data model but in this case, probably j.TC_ID) and my query will use that method to update.
Alternatively, if you were able to generate and utilize the row number for your dataset (i.e. store the row number as the checkbox value, instead of), you iterate through a loop of the checkbox array, in a sort of "tail wagging the dog" manner. In other words, the checkbox value would provide index value for the array of the ID that uniquely identifies your tuple. like so:
for i in 1..apex_application.g_f50.count loop
update TC_LOAD_JOBS
           set RECONCILE_FLAG =  <whatever your checked value is>     
      where LOAD_JOB_ID = apex_application.g_f49(apex_application.g_f50(i));
end loop;