Oracle Apex 18.1 is here!

Oracle announced the much awaited Oracle Apex 18.1 today. Oracle Application Express is a free development tool by Oracle. It allows developers to create web-based applications quickly by using a web browser on an Oracle database.

With Oracle Apex 18.1, Oracle provides easy integration of data from the REST services with data taken from the SQL queries within an Oracle database to build scalable applications. The new release also includes high-quality features for creating applications without the need of coding.

Let’s have a look at some of the major features and improvements in Oracle Apex 18.1.

Key features and updates

Application features

High-level application features such as access control, email reporting, feedback, activity reporting, dynamic user interface selection, etc, can be added to your app.

An application can also be created with “cards” report interface, a timeline report as well as a dashboard.

REST enabled SQL support

Apex 18.1 allows you to build charts, calendars, reports, and trees. You can also invoke certain processes against Oracle REST Data Services (ORDS) -provided REST Enabled SQL Services.

There is no need for a database link to include data from other remote database objects within your APEX application. REST Enabled SQL gets it all done for you.

Web Source Modules

Different REST endpoints can be used to declaratively access data such as ordinary REST data feeds, REST services from Oracle REST data services as well as Oracle Cloud Applications REST services.

It provides the ability to influence REST data sources results using industry standard SQL.

REST Workshop

Updates have been made to the REST workshop. Apart from helping with creating REST services against Oracle database objects, the new REST workshop comes with an added ability to generate Swagger documentation against REST definitions with just a button click.

Application Builder Improvements

Oracle Apex 18.1 allows developers to create components quickly as wizards are now streamlined with fewer steps and smarter defaults.

Usability enhancements have been made to Page Designer. This includes advanced color palette and graphics on page elements as well as to Sticky Filter which improves developers’ productivity.

Social Authentication

Oracle APEX 18.1 comes with a native authentication scheme and social sign-in. It is possible for developers to create applications in APEX using authentication methods such as Oracle Identity Cloud Service, Facebook, Google, generic OAuth2 and generic OpenID Connect without coding.

Charts

Oracle JET 4.2 engine is a new feature to the APEX 18.1. It consists of updated charts as well as APIs. It also comes with different types of charts such as Box-Plot, Gantt, and Pyramid. These provide support for multi-series sparse data sets.

Mobile UI

New component types namely ListView, Reflow Report and Column Toggle have been introduced which can be used for creating Mobile Applications.

Improvements have been made to the APEX Universal Theme. These are mobile-focused enhancements which means that page headers and footers in mobiles will be displayed consistently on mobile devices. Also, floating item label templates help in optimizing the presented information on a mobile screen.