Database Reference
In-Depth Information
CHAPTER 1
An Introduction to APEX 4.2
Welcome to the wonderful world of Oracle Application Express (APEX). You're about
to learn how to use a tool that will revolutionize the way you think about and approach
writing web-based Oracle systems. It certainly has done so for the authors.
Prior to the advent of APEX, developing fully interactive web-based systems for data
that resided within an Oracle database almost always meant learning a new and often
complex language like Java, .NET, or PHP and then figuring out how to integrate your
chosen language seamlessly with that data. Often this also meant trying to incorporate
business rules that were already coded in the form of PL/SQL program units.
In such situations, it could take months or even years just to become proficient
enough with your chosen language to begin to write a functional system. If you're like
many developers, you become frustrated with the fact that you've spent an inordinate
amount of time to do what seems like a relatively easy task.
Fear not! The days of long-winded and complex web development platforms may be
behind you.
What Is APEX?
APEX is a 100% browser-based rapid application development (RAD) tool that helps
you to create rich interactive Oracle-based web applications very quickly and with relat-
ively little programming effort.
There are many RAD development tools and platforms on the market. If you're deal-
ing with data that resides in an Oracle database, a number of things make APEX dis-
tinctive and thus more attractive as a development platform. First and foremost is the
fact that APEX is built on and uses as its core languages SQL and PL/SQL. This is a
