You can execute adpatch by logging in as the applications OS user and sourcing the appropriate environment file.
#su - applmgr
$cd PRODAPPL
$. ./APPSORA.env
$adpatch

By default adpatch does not take any clause, but there are some clauses that you could use with adpatch

Running a patch in test mode (apply=ny. The default is apply=y)
You can use the apply clause with adpatch to specify weather to run the patch in TEST mode or not, when you run the patch in test mode it does not do any changes but runs generates a log file with all the actions it would have performed.

Pre-install Mode (preinstall=ny. The default is preinstall=n )

This would be done normally during an upgrade or consolidated update. When a patch is applied in a preinstall mode the all the AD utilities are updated before the upgrade or update.

autoconfig (options=autoconfig noautoconfig. The default is autoconfig)
You can use this option when you do not wish to run autocinfig at the time of patching. This can be useful when applying a large number of patches when they are not merged.

Checkfile (options=nocheckfile checkfile. The default is checkfile)
you can use this option when you tell adpatch to check for already executed SQL

Compile Database (options=nocompiledb compiledb. The default is compiledb)
By defaulty autopatch compiles the invalid objects after the patch application, in case you wish not to do so you can specify options=nocompiledb

Compile JSP (options=nocompilejsp compilejsp. The default is compilejsp)
By defaulty autopatch compiles the java server pages (jsp) after the patch application, in case you wish not to do so you can specify options=nocompilejsp

Copy Portion (options=nocopyportion . The default is copyportion)
If you wish adpatch not to execute the commands present in the copy driver portion of the patch you can use the options=nocopyportion.

Database Portion (options=nodatabaseportion. The default is databaseportion)
If you wish adpatch not to execute the commands present in the database driver portion of the patch you can use the options=nodatabaseportion.

Generate Portion (options=nogenerateportion. The default is generateportion)
If you wish adpatch not to execute the commands present in the generate driver portion of the patch you can use the options=nogenerateportion

Maintenance Mode (options=hotpatch)
If you wish to apply a patch regardless of the system being in maintenance mode you can use options=hotpatch.

Integrity Check
If you wish to check the integrity of the patch you can use the options=integrity. Since metalink patches are pre checked for their integrity it is generally not required to do an explicit check and the default value is nointegrity.

Maintain MRC
You can use the maintainmrc option to specify weather you wish adpatch to execute the Maintain MRC schema as a part of the patch application or not. By default maintain MRC is done for standard patches and is disbaled for tarnslation and documentation patches.
$adpatch options=nomaintainmrc

Pre requisite Patch Check
If you wish adpatch not to check for pre requisite patches before application of the main patch you can use options=noprereq.By default pre requsite checking is enabled.

Validate Schemas
If you wish adpatch to explicitly validate all the registed schems by making a connection you can use options=validate. By default this validation is not performed.
$adpatch options=validate

Java Classes
If you wish adpatch not to copy new java classes from the patch you can use options=nojcopy.By default java classes are copied.
$adpatch options=nojcopy

Force Copy
By default adpatch copies the files without check the version of the existing files already present on the system.If you do not wish the newer version of the file to be replaced by the older version contained in the patch use options=noforcecopy.
$adpatch options=noforcecopy

Relinking
If you wish adpatch not do perform relinking you can use options=nolink.
$adpatch options=nolink

Generate Forms
If you wish adpatch not to generate the forms files you can specify options=nogenform.
$adpatch options=nogenform

Generate Reports
If you wish adpatch not to generate the report files you can specify options=nogenrep.
$adpatch options=nogenrep

You could specify multiple options at the command line using the , delimiter.
$adpatch options=hotpatch