APEX podcast by LewisC

This morning I listened to a great podcast about APEX.

Lewis Cunningham interviewed David Peak, Application Express Product Manager from Oracle and Peter Martin, working for a company in the EMEA automotive industry and APEX user.

I took some notes... here they are:

What are the key features of APEX?

• Developing Secure applications is easy with APEX
• Declarative way of programming (using wizards)
  
• Built in Reporting, Forms, Charts, Pdf reports
• Possibility of using Webservices
• Upload spreadcheat
• Free
  

Why should we use APEX?

• Extreme Rapid Application Development (RAD)
• Completely web-based
• Very good tool to have immediate result, excellent in proto-typing
• You can start building apps in APEX next to the customer and agree on the layout (user sees what he gets), then start with the back-end.
  
• You only need a webbrowser to develop in APEX
  
• APEX development environment is built by itself, it's also completely meta-data driven and based on PLSQL
• Start with a design model and use the full potential of the Oracle database
• Free with the database (if you've an Oracle license)
• Free with XE, screens of XE are made with APEX (the APEX version of XE is different as the "normal/full" one)
  

How to compare developing in APEX with Ruby on Rails?

• Benefit by using APEX:
• Framework within Oracle database
• Integrated with the database (security, enterprise functionality, ...)
• Don't need to focus on connection pooling or typical java environment complexity
• Prototyping - RAD environment
• Completely Free

How is APEX used in your environment, Peter?

• About the company he's working for and how they use APEX
  
• EMEA, automotive industry
  
• Terrabyte database
• > 100 million records
• They use Discoverer but also want to go to APEX (internally)
• Integration with SSO, Forms
• Developing in APEX - the sky is the limit
• Reuse of their SQL/PLSQL skills without getting to know the java framework
  

What are the challenges when developing with APEX?

• Because it's so easy to develop
• Use a plan/proces to make a GOOD application
• Use the APEX framework as good (best) as possible
• Go to some Apex Evangelists trainings to learn how to best use APEX (joke, they didn't say that) ;-)
  

What is new in APEX 3.0 or are the highlights of this new version?

• Integration with BI Publisher
• Use of Flash Charts
• Webservice capabilities: talk to Oracle BPEL for ex.
• Navigation, improvement of UI
• Access migration workshop: from Access mdb file -> take export and migrate directly into Oracle
  
• -> SQL Developer: tables
• -> APEX: forms, reports
  

What are other strong points of (developing with) APEX?

• Strong user community and community feeling
• Forums are a great source of information, the APEX forum is the most used forum on OTN!!
• Also some good Blogs:
  
• Scott Spendolini
• Patrick Wolf
• Dimitri Gielis (hey I got mentioned!! thanks guys!)
  
• John Scott
• Integrating with Spatial, OLAP, E-business Suite
• 9 existing Packaged applications, new ones are in the pipe
• Designed to show how we do things
• Show a working solution
  

What about the future and the integration of APEX with SOA?

• APEX is not competing with J2EE
• APEX has also Webservices and can integrate with BPEL, SSO etc.
  
• APEX can be the glue between all your applications or an extension to an existing app
  
• When you have a lot of complex middle tier logic, Oracle provides J2EE for this
• Use the best tool for your team (if you've a lot of Java programmers, you can go for Java/SOA, in all other cases APEX is a possibility)
  

To conclude my notes, I found it an interesting podcast! Thanks Lewis...

I believe APEX is getting more popular!
Tom Kyte (and me too) says sometimes: "Every single day I learn something new"
If I change that a bit: "Every single day a new person gets to know APEX"