Oracle APEX, Citizen Development & Governance

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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't enough developers on the market. This created the impression that low-code platforms are only something for citizen developers. As we talked with many low-code vendors out there (of which 160 are listed on https://lowcode.hyand.com today), I can definitely say that most of them primarily address low-code developers, but that doesn't mean that these can't be used by citizen developers as well.

Oracle APEX for citizen developers?

There are about 45,000(!) applications created already by business departments internally at Oracle, so it is proven that APEX can be used by citizen developers. However, outside Oracle, APEX is more used by low-code developers and little known to the citizen developer. Citizen developers are still mostly using MS Excel and/or MS Access with some VBA-code and/or macros to get the job done. However, as the IT department is unaware of these solutions, problems arise over time as the solution expands. If introduced properly within the organization, Oracle APEX can help out here. Besides the usual advantages like being scalable and secure, it is metadata-driven. Here is where IT-governance comes into play. For example, a simple SQL statement can give the IT department insight in which applications were build and how its usage is. If an application, build by the business department, has on average more than 5 end users a day, the IT department could proactively get in contact with the citizen developer for coaching. Oracle APEX therefore also helps bridging the gap between IT and business departments.

In short: no matter if you are a low-code developer or citizen developer, Oracle APEX embraces both!


ps. Should you wonder what the heck I am talking about, here is your starting point to get into app development with APEX: https://nielsdebr.blogspot.com/2022/10/up-to-speed-with-apex.html

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