Low-Code Development

Oracle APEX 24.2 is out! Here are some of the major features in APEX 24.2 that I think are a great productivity booster for APEX developers. JSON Sources With storing JSON in a CLOB or BLOB column, you get some flexibility in your data model. Before 24.2, you couldn't let your APEX chart, form or report interact with the JSON structure without custom coding. With 24.2, this is now possible using JSON Sources. There is no need anymore to deal with JSON yourself using SQL, just let APEX do the heavy lifting. For those of you using 23ai of the Oracle Database, it works even with JSON Collection Tables and Duality Views! APEX Workflow enhancements Major features here include the possibility to call a workflow from with another workflow. This will let you re-use smaller workflow definitions. Also, a workflow administrator can now resume a workflow at any given activity in case of an unforeseen situation. Great must have features! For those of you that need to be BPMN-compliant, you migh...

Flows for APEX 24.1 is now available for download at  https://flowsforapex.org . Minimum requirements for installation are Oracle DB 19c+ and Oracle APEX 22.1+. For a quick start, I suggest to install it in a free workspace on  https://apex.oracle.com  (will take only a few minutes to install). Be aware that only the English language is installed by default. For other language versions, please go to Shared Components > Application Translations > Publish Translated Applications. Here you can select and publish the required languages. The Community Edition of Flows for APEX 24.1 has some great new features for you to check out: New User Tasktyp "Simple Form" New App "Simple Process Starter" Updated Sample App "Expense Claims" Support for storing JSON in a process variable Coloring of BPMN elements If you are new to BPMN 2.0, I recommend looking at the preinstalled tutorials in the Flows for APEX app. For those of you seeking even more features, we now ...

In the last years, I spoke with many in the IT industry about low-code and there seem to be several misperceptions around Oracle APEX, so I thought it is time to address these in this blog post. Here we go: 1. "APEX is only for Oracle customers" Existing Oracle Database customers can install APEX right-away without paying anything extra, have the infrastructure and licensing already set up, have the personnel to manage it all and store their data already in the Oracle Database. So, yes, APEX is very attractive for existing Oracle Database customers. Does that mean it is limited to this scenario? No. There are multiple reasons why you should start using APEX, although your company has no track record with Oracle: - Your data can reside outside the Oracle database. No matter if you are using PostgreSQL, MS SQL Server, SAP, Hubspot, MS Dynamics, Spotify, etc.: you can integrate it all without programming a single line of code! APEX is doing a great job and can handle even comple...

Starting with APEX 24.1, there are some great features in the product that leverage AI. These features are already covered really good in APEX Office Hours, so I recommend watching the replay in case you missed it:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F5Tu7xQuXE What I felt was missing, is a packaged app to get you started. Together with my valued colleague Bach, we created a demo app that you can import ie. in your free workspace on apex.oracle.com. You just have to set the API key for the AI provider you are using and you can start playing around. Have fun! Download demo app "APEX 24.1 & AI for end users" .

There are different kind of developers out there. Here is my definition of these groups: High-code developers Programmers mainly working for example in Visual Studio Code writing C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, PL/SQL, etc. Low-code developers Fullstack developers working in the IT department that like to work with a low-code platform to create applications faster by configuring components and designing simple statements. In small projects, they also act as high-coders to get the final approx. 10% of functionality in place that isn't possible to configure (ie. complex business logic). Citizen developers Employees working in the business department (hr, sales, controlling, etc.) that have deep knowledge about their business processes and are eager to implement corresponding apps themselves. Most low-code projects are done by professional app developers in the IT department. On the other hand, Gartner and Forrester are claiming that we need to embrace citizen developers as there aren'...

Flows for APEX 23.1 is now available for download at  https://flowsforapex.org . Minimum requirements for installation are Oracle DB 19c+ and Oracle APEX 20.2+. For a quick start, I suggest to install it in a free workspace on  https://apex.oracle.com . Check out the new features: REST API UserTask Assignment Map Lanes to Roles (Basic) Messaging Support Modernized Modeler Additional languages: Italian, Korean, traditional Chinese and simplified Chinese The Flows for APEX team demonstrated key features of 23.1 in the APEX Office Hours session of 3-AUG. For those of you that missed that session, you can watch a replay at https://apex.oracle.com/officehours soon. We have also updated the sample app "Expense Claims" that ships with the software distribution to reflect most of the new features in 23.1. If you are new to BPMN 2.0, I recommend looking at the preinstalled tutorials in the Flows for APEX app. Ready to start building your first process-oriented app based on Flows for ...