Databases Reference
In-Depth Information
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oracle provides very good documentation on the installation process for both the database and apeX, so it isn't
covered in detail here. however, if you're planning to install apeX on an environment in your organization, you should
coordinate with the database administrator responsible for that instance to ensure that no mishaps occur.
Note
Web Browser
The APEX documentation states that to view or develop APEX applications, you must have a web browser that
supports cookies, JavaScript, HTML 4.0, and CSS 1.0. However, although you can deploy to any browser that support
these things, the list of supported browsers is fairly narrow. Currently, the following browsers are supported: Internet
Explorer 7+, Firefox 14+, Apple's Safari 5.0+, and Google Chrome 21+.
Without getting into a religious debate about which web browser is the best on the market, but the authors'
preference for development is either Firefox or Chrome due to the number of developer tools and add-ons that can
help you with APEX development. Note that because of the difference in the way each browser interprets HTML and
JavaScript, you must test your application in
any and all
web browsers that your target audience might use.
SQL Developer
As mentioned before, all the exercises and scripts in the topic can be loaded and run directly within the APEX
interface. However, if you have chosen to install or have access to a local instance of the Oracle database, a SQL IDE
will definitely make your life easier.
SQL Developer is a free SQL and PL/SQL IDE provided by Oracle. You can download SQL Developer from the
Using SQL Developer, you can browse database objects, edit row data, develop and test stored PL/SQL program
units, code and test SQL statements, and interactively debug PL/SQL code. SQL Developer also has many direct
integration points with APEX that make reporting in, monitoring, and maintaining APEX instances and applications
easier. This topic doesn't cover those, but it's definitely worth your time to look into this tool.
Summary
Oracle Application Express has come a long way from its simple beginnings, and the APEX community is poised at the
beginning of a new cycle of growth. APEX 4.2 provides so much possibility and promise that it's hard not to be excited
about what the future holds. With that spirit, you're ready to begin your journey to discover how APEX can make
development easier and more fun.
