Oracle Application Express (APEX) Reviews

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 have several projects with 200 to 300 users. 

It is used by developers, building applications for people who want to track things in spreadsheets.

The most valuable part of this solution is the database design features. We are able to create tables and prototypes for people during design meetings.

The use of the platform seems straightforward.

It's easy to use.

I like the way that it automatically goes into the spreadsheets and the users can deal with it.

There is not a lot of Wiki help or in Google, but there is some.

I have been working with Oracle Application Express (APEX) for a year.

We are still on version 5.1. We are trying to upgrade and move to the cloud.

It seems pretty stable.

This is an area of concern, as we are not sure. We have not explored its scalability.

We have the source code in the database and also produce the forms at the same time.

I don't believe that it is a problem. In most of our use cases, we are either going to have small amounts of people and small amounts of data. 

We have many different teams using it in different areas. For example, we have a big glassware ordering team that uses it, a national management team that uses it to schedule groups and managing programs or agricultural programs. There are nine or ten different teams.

I was not a part of the installation, but it is straightforward when deploying the updates.

We have a team of three or four developers and one admin to maintain this solution.

There is a trial version available that can be used free of charge.

I would suggest trying it for free on the web to see how well it works. You start with the free version, which is version 5.,1 and it's really good. Once you download it and implement it, you have the newest version.

I would rate this solution a nine out of ten.

We use the solution to build and customize applications for our clients. We use it internally and for external clients.

The solution can build functionalities in a very short time. It is web-based. The tool contains a set of reports for managing databases. We have integrated the product with SAP and MySQL databases. The integration is productive.

The grid reports contain a lot of bugs. The dynamic reports must contain drill-down features. It will be easy to use the reports with such features. Microsoft, SAP, and QlikView provide such functionalities.

I have been using the solution for ten years.

The tool is very stable. I rate the product’s stability a ten out of ten. We had a problem with the database that interrupted our work, but Oracle Application Express did not face any issues. We were concerned that the application would crash, but it didn’t happen. The tool is quite reliable.

I rate the product’s scalability a ten out of ten. All the new versions maintain the tool's compatibility and have all the functionalities present in the previous version. We have ten customers. Our customers are small, medium, and enterprise-level businesses.

The support is very good. The team provides quick responses and resolves our issues.

Positive

It is very easy to install the tool. I rate the ease of setup a ten out of ten. The product can be deployed on Oracle’s cloud and on-premises. The deployment can be done within eight hours. To deploy the tool, we install the database object, forms, and reports. The deployment can be long or short, depending on the number of objects. We cannot install the tool without an Oracle Database license.

If the product is installed on the cloud, the support is included in the license we pay. I rate the pricing an eight out of ten. The tool is free with the Oracle Database license. We cannot use it without the Oracle Database license.

I am an integrator. People who want to use the tool must use structured programming. The code must be structured and disciplined. I recommend the tool to others. 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 the product for customizing applications for our organization. We use it for legal affairs, customized reporting, and KPIs.

The product is easy to use. It accelerates development, and it is powerful. The report gives all the insights we need within a few steps.

The product must improve the transaction features. It is difficult to integrate the solution into other databases. It is a data-driven tool. It can only be deployed on Oracle Database.

I have been using the solution for five years.

The tool is very stable. We have been using some applications for five years without any serious issues. The tool is stable even as the data grows.

The tool is scalable. We have around 40 users in the organization. Sometimes, the number of users might reach 60, depending on the modules.

The community is very helpful. We do not raise many tickets to Oracle because the community solves most issues.

The initial setup is very straightforward.

The deployment took us one to two hours. If you already have Oracle installed, it will save you time. We have to run some files related to the product and store them in Oracle Database. Then, we can deploy and configure it with the application setup. We can use open-source platforms like Apache Tomcat or GlassFish. We need a solution architect and two developers for deployment and maintenance.

The product is completely free of cost. We have to pay for Oracle Database. Some people use Oracle Database Express Edition, which is free. They run the transactions through APIs.

The solution is directly connected with Oracle Database. Without Oracle Database, we can't develop it. I fully recommend the solution to users who have Oracle Database. We can use the solution for free if we have access to Oracle Database. It also covers some enterprise features. Overall, I rate the product a nine out of ten.

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.

Oracle Application Express (APEX) is being used in customer companies. My company is a consultant for the solution.

What's most valuable in Oracle Application Express (APEX) is its secure coding functionality, and the solution also has good features.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

The initial setup for Oracle Application Express (APEX) was very straightforward. I didn't find any problems with setting it up.

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.

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.