Idea Summary

The current implementation of APEX_DATA_EXPORT.EXPORT defines the parameters p_page_header and p_page_footer as VARCHAR2, with a limit of 4000 characters. This size is often insufficient when embedding base64-encoded images and styled HTML, even with optimized content.

The proposal is to change these parameters to CLOB to allow more robust customization in Interactive Report native exports.

Use Case

When exporting Interactive Reports with a custom HTML header (such as a base64 company logo and styled text), it is easy to exceed the 4000-character limit — especially when following best practices for branding and accessibility. This limitation causes export failures and forces developers to strip out desired content or avoid using native export altogether.

Removing this limitation would empower APEX developers to deliver better-designed reports without unnecessary workarounds.

Preferred Solution (Optional)

Update the API signature of APEX_DATA_EXPORT.EXPORT so that p_page_header and p_page_footer accept CLOB values instead of VARCHAR2. This change would be fully backward-compatible and remove a barrier to customization.