Oracle Application Express (APEX) Reviews

I would call them small supporting applications, so we use them when we need a web UI for certain users to show data from our environment, mainly in operations.

One of the most valuable features is the ability to build very fast data-driven UIs. Also, those UIs are web-based and don't require any deployment on the user side. We try to avoid complex add-ons or additions, so we stick to the standard features that APEX provides. We also use it for some workflows and to present data out of services or databases.

I think version control can be improved, meaning the ability to track what has changed from the previous version of the application and to see it in standard tools like the code repository. I know in the last versions they were working on it, but I haven't seen it yet. 

The product deployment could be easier. 

In the past, I've thought about dockerization, or the ability to deliver the application as a docker container, and establish the production environment in a job. 

What I would love to see is more integration. I would like to see easier integration into active directory authentication. Also, maybe integration of JavaScript frameworks would resolve some issues.

We have been using APEX for at least eight to ten years.

The solution is highly stable and we have had no issues with it. On a scale of one to five, where one is highly stable and five is not, I would rate it as a one. 

The scalability could be improved. It depends on the use cases. We will never use this solution for a productive environment with 500 to 1000 users because this would be a bit difficult in my opinion. I would say that the scalability for small applications is good, but the scalability for big applications is bad.

About 100 to 150 people are currently using the solution at my company.
We are continuously building small applications, but we don't plan to use this solution to make big applications. It's very use case driven. When we get a use case that is not big and it's easy to create a web-based application, then we use this solution. So we may extend our use of the solution, but we do not plan to migrate anything directly to it.

On a scale of one to five, where one is easy and five is complicated, I would rate the initial setup as a four.

We always lose a lot of time with our outsourcing partner because we don't host the service on our own. This takes some time, so to create the concept for us between the different environments and to do implement it, I would say it takes a minimum of five days.

When you have a licensed database in an Oracle environment, APEX is free.

I would tell those considering this tool that if you have an Oracle environment, it's worth taking a look at. If you don't have an Oracle environment in place, it's the wrong tool. Also, I would tell them to stick to the standard functionalities of APEX and not try to extend it with custom code. We learned that if you stick to the standards the application gives you, it's easy to maintain and it's easy to transfer from one developer to another. If you start to create custom code in hidden areas, it's very hard for the next developer to find the code.

I would rate this solution as an eight out of ten.

I use Oracle APEX to build forms and pages for end users to easily manage customer complaints and perform quick fixes. By providing a user-friendly interface with proper validation, we empower end users to address issues themselves, reducing the need for backend database intervention. APEX has been a highly efficient tool for facilitating user transactions and resolving customer complaints swiftly.

One standout feature of Oracle APEX is its seamless integration with backend procedures, allowing for quick updates without changing the front-end interface. Additionally, dynamic actions streamline user interactions, enabling complex behaviors like button interactions and API calls with ease. These features drastically improve development efficiency by simplifying backend-to-frontend changes and providing extensive customization options through dynamic actions.

One area for improvement in Oracle APEX is its workflow orchestration capabilities. While it excels in forms and reports, handling complex workflows with waiting states and asynchronous responses needs enhancement. Simplifying workflow management to align with modern architecture standards, like in Fusion, would make APEX more robust and user-friendly.

I have been using Oracle APEX for two years.

Comparing Oracle Form Builder to Oracle APEX, the major advantage of APEX is its ease of layout customization and built-in features, making it more user-friendly than Form Builder. In APEX, layout adjustments are simple with pre-built options and HTML functions, while Form Builder requires meticulous coding and often relies on custom PLL files for advanced customization. Additionally, APEX allows seamless execution of PLC code from the backend, unlike Form Builder, where syntax differences complicate the process. Overall, APEX offers a more streamlined and efficient development experience compared to Form Builder.

Setting up Oracle APEX is straightforward and usually requires just a one-time installation. It is often included for free with Oracle Database versions starting from 11c. Despite its availability, many users may not be aware of it. APEX serves as both a development and reporting tool, addressing users' dynamic and regular data needs efficiently. With APEX, we can quickly develop custom reports or interactive grids within minutes, automating processes and saving significant time in development cycles, typically taking just two to three months from requirement gathering to deployment.

I use Oracle APEX for rapid prototyping and deployment. It is the most efficient tool I have used, significantly reducing development time compared to older platforms. With its low-code interface and abundance of features like dynamic actions, APEX simplifies development, especially for those familiar with traditional forms. Its web-based nature and minimal need for customization further enhance its usability. Overall, APEX streamlines the development process and enables quick deployment of applications with minimal coding effort.

The integration capabilities of Oracle APEX are impressive. We have leveraged backend database connections via DB links to interact with multiple databases seamlessly. This allows us to consolidate data from different sources and generate comprehensive reports within a single APEX application. While we haven't fully explored all integration possibilities, APEX supports various functions like JSON files, web services, and REST APIs, offering potential for future integrations, such as with customer compliance systems. 

Overall, I would rate Oracle APEX as an eight out of ten.

In the public sector, our clients are primarily using Oracle APEX to update their old systems. We have been working on government projects for over a decade, and many of our clients are moving from outdated tools like Oracle Forms and ADA Oracle to Oracle APEX. This shift lets them benefit from APEX's user-friendly, low-code approach, speeding up app development, and keeping them in line with modern web standards, resulting in better efficiency and user experiences.

The most valuable feature of Oracle APEX is its comprehensive set of features for creating user-friendly and visually appealing applications. This includes local development, remote templates, and graphic capabilities. Additionally, the platform offers tools like smart sheets, search wizards, and easy application creation from various file formats, making it highly adaptable. It also excels in configuring workloads and notifications, implementing reports, and allowing seamless attachment handling. The availability of plugins further enhances its value, making it a go-to choice for application development and use.

In terms of improvement, there should be a greater focus on AI and machine learning tools in Oracle APEX. While the platform is evolving, making these tools more accessible and user-friendly is crucial due to the rapid growth of AI and ML. Providing more pre-built packages and simplifying their usage would facilitate the platform's adoption in AI applications and machine learning, ensuring it stays relevant in these rapidly advancing fields.

I have been using Oracle APEX for three years.

I would rate the stability of the solution as a ten out of ten.

It is a very scalable solution. I would rate the scalability as a nine out of ten. Most of my clients are medium-sized businesses.

I would rate the technical support as a ten out of ten.

Positive

Deployment in Oracle APEX is a smooth and straightforward process, and we haven't had any issues with it. Even when creating different environment clones, we can easily migrate applications without complications. Deployment is quite efficient, and it typically takes less than an hour, often around half an hour, thanks to the support of a dedicated DBA and the use of the WebLogic application server. For deployment, after completing application development, we export the application files, including standard features. Then, these files are sent to the Logical Manager, who is the application server administrator. They handle the deployment on the WebLogic server.

I find the pricing of Oracle APEX to be very reasonable because it is free when you already have a license for Oracle database. This cost-effectiveness is a significant advantage.

My advice for those interested in using Oracle APEX is to start promptly, as there is a learning curve, particularly if you are less familiar with CSS and JavaScript. In the initial stages, you may encounter limitations when creating more complex interfaces and feature-rich applications, which may require additional effort in terms of CSS and workload. However, for straightforward applications, Oracle APEX is user-friendly and easy to use. Overall, I would rate it as a ten out of ten.

Oracle APEX provides a fast web page for any application or dashboard, enabling users to create ad hoc reports.

The valuable features are charts, reports, and search engines.

The solution's layout could be improved for report generation to allow more configuration.

I have been using Oracle APEX for 15 years.

I rate the solution’s stability a ten out of ten.

The solution’s scalability is not high. 50-60 online users are using this solution.

I rate the solution’s scalability an eight out of ten.

The technical support is very good.

Positive

The initial setup is neither easy nor hard. I rate it three or four out of ten.

We must set up more than five tools to run the Oracle APEX application, including the database, assets, API publisher, Application Express, web logies, and several tools.

The deployment depends on the project and can be handled by one person. It takes less than one month for a single project or another month for other projects.

The deployment process is the same as for other applications. It typically involves analysis, implementation, coding, database package development, design, and front-end development.

The solution is cheap. It's a free solution.

I rate the solution's pricing a six or seven out of ten.

Oracle APEX is a good solution to create web applications quickly and easily, with many options.

Overall, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.

It's a low-code platform where you can go for any customization or dashboard. You can use the solution to create any application, and then we can connect with the real-time API.

You can customize the solution to create a console where only business users can access and download files if they want to extract the data.

The migration process is difficult in Oracle Application Express. It would be helpful if the solution provided more video tutorials and upfront problem-solving documentation in the future.

I have been using Oracle Application Express (APEX) for one and a half years.

Oracle Application Express is a stable solution.

Our clients for Oracle Application Express are small-scale businesses.

The solution is moderately priced, where it is neither cheap nor expensive. The solution's pricing depends on how it is going to be utilized. Almost 5GB to 20GB of database would be free. Anything more than that needs to be procured, and then it'll be charged monthly. Users have to pay extra to own the license and for its maintenance.

The solution's low-code approach is very good. It improves our productivity and adds a different layer to the existing products, which gives visibility to the customer. It's easy to configure Oracle Application Express.

Maintaining the solution is not very difficult. It will be difficult if you want to change the existing framework and don't know the functionality properly. Only a technical person who has already worked with the platform can upgrade the solution.

Overall, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.

My organization's primary use case for Oracle Application Express (APEX) is application development, as it's an Oracle builder software so that you can develop applications on it for the Oracle database.

The application developed on Oracle Application Express (APEX) is used for patient registrations, clinical documentation, and electronic medical records. It's also used for insurance purposes, billing claims, and coding. The finance team also uses the application that's on Oracle Application Express (APEX) for reporting, and the marketing team uses it for the CRM that's been developed by my organization. The nursing and doctor teams also have modules on Oracle Application Express (APEX), so in terms of use cases, it's used by different departments of my organization.

What I like best about Oracle Application Express (APEX) is that it doesn't require hard coding for reporting and building applications. It's a GUI-based application builder that even end-users with little development and language knowledge can develop applications on Oracle Application Express (APEX). The software is also very user-friendly, which I find valuable.

An area for improvement in Oracle Application Express (APEX) is the slow reporting because pulling the report for two months, one year, three years, etc., is very slow. It takes more than thirty minutes to download the report.

There's also room for improvement in integrating Oracle Application Express (APEX) with other vendors, such as open-source solutions through API integration. I believe Oracle is working on this feature, or the issue could be because my organization is using an older version of Oracle Application Express (APEX).

The Oracle database also has to be improved because it's still lacking in some packages, triggers, and indexes.

Process or workflow automation is a feature I'd like to see in the next version of Oracle Application Express (APEX). My organization has a lot of processes because the patient has to click a button to trigger a consultation with the doctor, so if the process is automated, that will make Oracle Application Express (APEX) better for my organization.

I've been using Oracle Application Express (APEX) for eight years, but I'm not a developer. I'm just a front-end support person.

Oracle Application Express (APEX) isn't a reliable solution, at least the current version used in my organization. You must monitor it every day or every two days because it can be down anytime. My organization has a daily backup for it and even sets up emergency servers because the server has downtime for thirty minutes to one hour, or randomly, once or twice a month.

Oracle Application Express (APEX) can't seem to handle the user requests sent to the server, so the server was upgraded, but this could be because it's an old version, and if my organization upgrades to the new version of Oracle Application Express (APEX), maybe it'll sort out the stability issue.

Oracle Application Express (APEX) isn't a scalable solution because my team had to check a workaround to be able to scale it. For example, if the database reaches 80% or if it has a lot of users in one day, there's no scalability option for those instances.

I haven't tried contacting the technical support for Oracle Application Express (APEX) because a different team contacts Oracle support.

Oracle Application Express (APEX) is very easy to deploy. I deployed it on my new branch, and it only took me five to six hours to complete the deployment.

I implemented Oracle Application Express (APEX) for a new branch, so the implementation was in-house.

To my understanding, my organization is using the free version of Oracle Application Express (APEX), but I'm unsure because I haven't checked the pricing or licensing cost for it.

My organization was new to the business when it decided to use Oracle Application Express (APEX). Management realized there was a better solution that was also Oracle-based, without the issues encountered by Oracle Application Express (APEX). Hence, there's a plan to switch to the other Oracle solution next year in the first quarter.

I work in the healthcare sector, and the EMR system I'm using is developed on Oracle Application Express (APEX). My organization also uses Microsoft 365, but just the basic version for exchange purposes.

I'm a user of Oracle Application Express (APEX). I'm using a very old version of Oracle Application Express (APEX), version 4.2.

I'd advise anyone looking into using Oracle Application Express (APEX) to try the new version of the solution rather than the old version because the new version is good. Oracle has updated the forms and reports in the latest version and integrated many APIs for open-source solutions. The new version of Oracle Application Express (APEX) is more advanced than the older version because it now has SQL server compatibility, so I recommend it.

My rating for Oracle Application Express (APEX) is six out of ten, particularly for the current version used in my organization, as it has a lot of issues, but as I've said, it's an old version that needs to be updated to the latest one.

My organization is an Oracle customer.

We use Apex for the development of publications, specifically in the context of a payroll system. Presently, we are using Apex version 20, but there is an update available to version 31.2. The migration was not a one-to-one transfer, as leveraging Apex effectively requires a shift in programming approach to create an optimal user interface. Adapting to Apex involves relinquishing old programming habits, but the platform offers extensive capabilities that, once mastered, facilitate a user-friendly experience.

In our experience with Apex, we find that minimizing reliance on HTML and JavaScript is preferable, especially considering our background as seasoned programmers adept in PL/SQL. Incorporating HTML and JavaScript can pose challenges due to potential compatibility issues when updates are made to JavaScript. We also make use of JASPER report integration for generating reports, a practice integral to our reporting procedures.    

Apex has effectively incorporated new market trends into its features. The platform's user-friendly nature is notable, guiding developers through the development process. While advanced customization of the user interface with HTML and CSS is possible, the out-of-the-box options often suffice, providing 80-90% of the required functionality. The IDE is commendable, yet an enhancement in the Page Designer to allow a real-time preview of layout changes would be beneficial. Currently, running the page is necessary to visualize layout adjustments, but an immediate preview during the design phase would be a valuable improvement.

We have been using Oracle Application Express (APEX) since 2011.

It is easy to install and I would rate the installment process 8 out of 10, a piece of cake.

The installment process for our system can be intricate, especially considering ODBC connections to the Oracle database. This involves optimizing for sharing and accommodating multiple users, ensuring efficient session management. Unlike a user-friendly click-and-install approach, our Linux-based installation demands a command-line understanding, necessitating familiarity with Linux commands. We opt for Linux over Windows Server, prioritizing cost-effectiveness with platforms like Oracle Lenovo or CentOS.Initially, we provided hosting on our cloud but encountered challenges with clients reluctant to pay for hosting services. Factors such as unreliable internet and frequent electricity outages in Venezuela further contributed to this preference for on-premise deployment.

Apex is not priced separately; instead, it is associated with the Oracle database. A free option for Oracle database and Apex can be downloaded and installed on this complimentary database version. This aligns with our current approach.

I would rate it 9 out of 10. 

We're using version 18. This solution is deployed on a private cloud.

We're using APEX to create web pages that display data from our database.

It helps us create web pages quickly. If we create web pages manually, we need to create a web service, which requires more time and more resources from Amazon. With APEX, we can easily configure and set up web pages.

When we connect to web pages, APEX creates dedicated sessions in the databases. It would be easier if we could control the shared sessions. For example, if 10 people connect to 10 web pages, APEX will create 10 sessions for two databases. If we share the sessions, we can easily control the sessions and save resources.

I have used APEX for one year.

The stability is okay because if the database works, APEX will work.

I would rate the stability as nine out of ten.

To scale APEX, you need to scale the databases. They're directly related.

I would rate the scalability as six out of ten.

Setup isn't difficult, but you need to prepare and read the documentation. For example, the setup will be different in Amazon. 

Deployment depends on the architecture. It's easy to export configurations from APEX. You only need to make simple changes when importing configurations. 

If you want to update versions of APEX, it's difficult because you need to redesign your own web pages. For example, the new version of APEX can't use old designs, so you need to check different web page designs before updating APEX. It's one of the points of difficulty in APEX. 

You also need an APEX specialist for deployment because not many people use it.

Oracle has official documentation that shows how to do setup, so it isn't difficult.

I would rate this solution as seven out of ten.