What is our primary use case?
Oracle Application Express (APEX) is being used in customer companies. My company is a consultant for the solution.
What is most valuable?
What's most valuable in Oracle Application Express (APEX) is its secure coding functionality, and the solution also has good features.
What needs improvement?
I've experienced some difficulties when using Oracle Application Express (APEX), particularly when I'm designing forms. For example, when I design a form, I add buttons and controls, but I'm unable to visualize how it'll look unless I run it. You want to design and do things your way, but if you don't have much experience, then you'll find that designing in Oracle Application Express (APEX) is a little complicated. This won't be a problem with anyone more experienced, though.
If I wanted to create my design, for example, a different table format or some background images, it becomes a problem, and this is an area for improvement in Oracle Application Express (APEX). Designing should be easier, even for less experienced users.
An additional feature I'd like to see in Oracle Application Express (APEX) is more plugins, particularly a repository that contains a lot of plugins, so you can go to that repository and download whichever you like and use it or add it to your project. Right now, I create my plugins, so it would be helpful if Oracle Application Express (APEX) has a repository of plugins people can use, download from anywhere in the world, and integrate into projects.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've worked with Oracle Application Express (APEX) for the new project for the last three months. I work in DevOps, and my team is currently going through the new release, version 21.1, and focusing on the new BPM and also a lot of other upgrades.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Oracle Application Express (APEX) is stable, but twice I faced JavaScript errors when I used the sample application. JavaScript normally works, but when I do a lot of exhaustive usage of the grid, controls, and sorting, the solution hangs or becomes stuck. It won't do anything unless you refresh the page, so I have to refresh the entire page, then restart it. I have to reset Oracle Application Express (APEX).
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Oracle Application Express (APEX) is scalable and you can grow it, but its UI gets a little bit complicated. The solution is comparable to Visual Studio and Eclipse, where you don't need to install anything because you can just use it on a browser, but if you're into enterprise-level applications or higher-level applications, you have to look at the bigger picture, and this means that if Oracle Application Express (APEX) has a studio or proper ID'ing, it can go huge potentially.
How are customer service and support?
I didn't contact technical support that much because, in the last three months, my team handled issues on its own. Right now, there's no need for technical support for Oracle Application Express (APEX), but soon, my team might need to contact support.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup for Oracle Application Express (APEX) was very straightforward. I didn't find any problems with setting it up.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I worked on other .NET-focused solutions as well as JAVA-focused solutions, and I'd recommend Oracle Application Express (APEX) for small-scale projects. It's okay for the enterprise level or if you want to develop big applications, but it could be very difficult, though I didn't explore the solution much, I feel that for big applications or enterprise applications, it could be a little challenging.
Oracle Application Express (APEX) can be suitable for enterprise-level applications, but that would require a lot of work and a lot of effort to develop and maintain the applications. The solution has some cool features, but some features could be a bit complicated. The debugging is cool because you just click on the page and directly edit a component on it.
What other advice do I have?
I'm not a partner of Oracle Application Express (APEX). I work in a company that uses Oracle products.
As Oracle Application Express (APEX) seems to be a good solution, I'd rate it seven out of ten. It has some issues that, if fixed, would make it better.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.