HOW TO GET STARTED WITH ORACLE APEX?

ORACLE APEX PRIMER

Przemysław Staniszewskipstaniszewski@pretius.comhttps://twitter.com/pstaniszewski

AGENDA

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What is Oracle Apex?

Working with APEX

Sample use-cases

Architecture

Integration

Oracle Forms migration

WHAT IS ORACLE APEX?

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What is Oracle APEX?

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APplication EXpressRapid Application Development toolUses Oracle DB and PL/SQLFocused on the web - from development to usageIncluded in the Oracle DB license (even the free XE version so you can

try it out or even use for internal projects without extra cost)Available on premise and in the cloudCheck it out at http://apex.oracle.com

And now, a short story …

Design your database…

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Implement your business logic…

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Implement GUI (Graphical User Interface) …

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Implement GUI (Graphical User Interface) …

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APEX application architecture

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Application layer

Web interface

Business logic

Data

Solution

APEX

PL/SQL (API)

Tables / Views

APEX application architecture

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Solution

APEX

PL/SQL (API)

Tabele / Widoki

Calls

Fetches

SQL, PL/SQLHTML, Javascript

Why APEX?

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Fast and simple web app development

Ease of administration and configuration

Flagship Oracle product

Everything is in the database

Integrates well with other technologies (web services, db links, …)

WORKING WITH APEX

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How to become an APEX developer?

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Working environment:

Workstation with a web browser (just it!)

Basic skills required:

SQL

PL/SQL

Extra skills that will help along the way:

HTML, JavaScript, CSS

APEX API

Auxiliary knowledge like Web Services, SOAP, SPA

What do we get „out of the box”?

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Reports

Forms

Charts

Calendar

Templates

Validations

Dynamic Actions / AJAX

Computations

Responsive Web Design

Web Services

Email Services

Translation Services

Plug-Ins

Authentication

Authorization

Session State Management

Logging & Monitoring

Structure

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Applications

Global elements

Page elements

Pages

External elements

Types of applications

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Database apps

Built from scratch

Imported (scripts, Oracle Store, Cloud)

Migrated from MS Excel/MS Access/Oracle Forms

Websheet

Allows creating an app even by people who don’t know „how to sql”

WIKI-type app

Region types

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Report

Classic

Interactive

Web Service-backed

Forms

Charts

Others (e.g. basic HTML – like in any Content Mgmt. System)

Interactive reports

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Simple modification by end-users (calculated columns, aggregations, highlighting, charts)

Simple sharing of new / modified reports by end-users

Chart types

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HTML 5, JS* i Flash;

Various built-in chart types available:

Bar, pie, line, point, candlestick

Counters

Gantt’s chart

Maps

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SAMPLE USE-CASES

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Typical use-cases

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Data-driven appsAdvanced apps which present and

modify data

Reporting appsPresent data in a user-friendly

manner

Access replacementMigration of MS Access based apps

Excel sharingMigration of Excel-driven management to a web

application

Oracle Forms

EvolutionForms apps migration

ARCHITECTURE

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Architecture

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APEX is installed in the database

APEX internals are tables and PL/SQL

All application data and metadata are stored in the database

Architecture - communication

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http://sc:8080/apex/f?p=4550:1:277450158227801

Architecture - engine

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Generates and processes web pages

Each web query opens and closes a database connection

Database sessions are NOT dedicated per each web user

Manages the session

Provides

Authentication

Authorization

Forms and pages navigation and communication

Validation

Architecture – app structure

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Single database instance

Single APEX instance

Multiple users

Multiple, independent apps

Architecture - users

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APEX administrator

Workspace administrator

Developer

End users

Internal (APEX)

External (e.g. LDAP)

Security

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APEX is just as secure as the rest of the environment: database and operating system

APEX addresses common web attacks

SQL injection

XSS (cross-site scripting)

APEX has built-in session protection

APEX is able to use Oracle Fine Grained Access Control (VPD)

Security

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Authentication

LDAP (e.g. MS Active Directory)

Oracle SSO

SSO

APEX (internal)

Custom Database structure

Authorization

Schemes using custom PL/SQL

LDAP

Can be bound to single web element (button, region, navigation, form, etc.)

Performance and scalability

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UK’s Ministry of Education – teacher management app

2.000.000 page views / month

180.000 users

30.000 new registrations / month

2.000 moderators and administrators

24 months of uptime

0 APEX-related errors

APEX application maintenance

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Test Production

DEV

UAT PROD

SVN, GIT

UsersObjects

Files

Application

INTEGRATION

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Datasource integration

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Databases

Web service

Files

Other technologies integration

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JavaScript (jQuery, modernizer, AngularJS, etc.)

PL/SQL (PL_FPDF, PL_EXCEL)

Web Service

Java (e.g. Jasper, Coocon)

HTML 5

CSS (e.g. Bootstrap)

Flash

BI Publisher

JavaScript integration

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Frameworks: jQuery, jQuery UI, jQuery Mobile Modernizer, AngularJS

Plug-ins

Excel like reports

Charting: HighCharts

JS + CSS (Bootstrap) = Responsive Web Design

Web Service integration

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Accessing remote WS:

Reports, variables values, forms

SOAP

RESTful

Publishing

Reports created in APEX available through REST

Ease of creating using wizards and PL/SQL API

ORACLE FORMS MIGRATION

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Why migrate Forms to Apex?

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Web-enabling of database driven applications

Easy distribution (web based app, no need to install anything besides web browser)

Easy integration with other company web applications

Adding new channel of access for end-users – mobile

Finer access control

Modern web UI

Lowering your TCO (you don’t need Oracle Application Server anymore)

Easy Team Development

Built in tools for issue tracking, auditing and lots of other utilities that are available out of the box

Migration advantages

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Native HTML support

JavaScript and other standard web technologies

Easy UI customization

Better decomposition of common elements which can be used across multiple applications

Easily extensible environment through plugins

Migration – what NOT to expect?

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It is more of a conversion than migration!

We don’t emulate Oracle Forms, we convert them to a web app:

UI of forms and reports will look & feel different (better )

Specific functions will work differently

Navigation

App structure

Communication with the end-user, keyboard shortcuts, etc.

Migration / conversion will not be magical and automatic

It’s not simple (but none of the things worthwhile are)

Migration – what to expect?

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Regular company project – takes time & resources

Building web application which uses as much as possible of the „old” business logic

APEX vs Forms/Reports (v. 10, v. 11)

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Area Forms APEX

Architecture Metadata stored in „.fmx” files

Metadata stored in dbtables

Programming language PL/SQL on both client and server

PL/SQL on serverside

Database connection Fixed Dynamic

UI programming Java (client, browser) HTML, JS, CSS (browser)

Application modules Windows/Canvas/Block Pages/Regions

Client control Triggers JavaScript

Charts BI Beans HTML, JavaScript, Flash

How to carry out a conversion project?

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Oracle APEX Forms Converter

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Tool to manage the conversion process

Time & task management

Forms component overview

Automatic conversion of basic components

Pages, forms, reports (single, master-detail, editable)

Automatic conversion will not happen for

The whole application

Forms UI

Forms-specific components (Trigger, Program Unit, libraries itp.)

APEX – conversion project creation

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Creation of „Forms Migration” project in Migrations section

Upload of previously created XML and PLD files (those files will be created by Forms Converter tool)

Sample schedule of conversion project

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Process / Progress [%] 10 50 100

Application deployment

Validation, processes, etc.

Adding JS/AJAX

Additional forms

UI design

APEX app creation

Component selection

Forms sources conversion

Oracle Apex - summary

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Rapid development of web-

enabled database driven apps

Advanced web charting

and reporting

Mobile ready UI designEasy team-work & cooperation

Full control of data and

visualisation

Oracle Apex - summary

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Cons– Oracle standard

– Debugging (should be better in Apex 5.0)

Pros+ Web 2.0 out of the box

+ Scalability

+ Security

+ Rapid development and deployment

+ Low TCO

+ Technical & community support

+ Oracle standard

THANK YOU!

Przemysław Staniszewski

pstaniszewski@pretius.com

https://twitter.com/pstaniszewski

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