Oracle APEX access

Question

Is Oracle Application Express suitable for Intranet client/server application? If so, what should I do to enable client access to application?

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Well, I am working as a PowerBuilder/Oracle developer, so I am familiar with client/server architecture. I have recently read an article about APEX so I would like to develop APEX variation of my PowerBuilder/Oracle app, which is pretty much HR app. It should not be Internet accessible app, just a couple of windows boxes in a small network. I have no problem with developing app in PL/SQL and SQL (will have to read and ask a lot, though). I would just like to know is APEX suitable for Intranet app - it should be as it is suitable for Internet app :) - and how should I enable client's browser to access an application since there would be nothing like http:/www.appdomain.com ? I know next to nothing about win networks :)

Answer 1

"since there would be nothing like http:/www.appdomain.com" Given you are familiar with client/server technology, I guess you know about TNSNAMES.ORA

Your Apex host would be defined in a similar manner to the way the database host is defined in tnsnames.ora If your tnsnames.ora says that your database is at 192.168.0.255, then your Apex host would have a similar (ugly) name. If it says it is defined as dbhost, then whoever in your organisation has mapped dbhost to a particular machine can do the same for your webserver. The only caveat is that sometimes you have a specific proxy defined in your browser and your apex webserver may need to be added as an exception.

Answer 2

APEX is NOT a client/server application development environment, hence the answer is clearly "no".

Apex is an n-tier web application architecture where n=3: Your browser, the Apex web application server, and the database. The app server in this case is a bit of a funny hybrid because it actually executes almost all the code in the database, not in the middle tier.

Client/server is where you deploy an application on the user side (as opposed to using the browswer as noted above) and you connect to a server (e.g. oracle db server). Very common back in the day was VB front end connecting to an Oracle backend. Not so much of that these days ;)

APEX is GREAT if you have an Oracle shop. If it is a small application, you can use "Oracle Database XE", the free version that comes bundled with APEX with limitations on CPU and storage.

I'm guessing you might be asking if the XE database version from Oracle is good/stable and ready for use in a client server application setting? IMHO, absolutely a great place to start, or stay with small, simple applications, but it it stuck where it is in terms of fixes to known problems, bugs, etc.. While these tend to be very very specific situations where the right combination of factors appears, you don't want to set expectations that license and support will be free to find out later on that you will have to go back to the full enterprise version of the database. Also not the best bargaining position to be in with Oracle sales people :)

Maybe you could phrase your question a bit differently?

Answer 3

Igor,

I'm coming really late to this party, but you didn't seem to get an answer you liked.

Apex is absolutely a great tool for developing a small in-house web application such as you're describing. It'll be miles easier than doing the same thing in PB (which I also use). If Oracle is already installed on your network then ask the DBAs to also install Apex, which is installed only within Oracle (no external stuff needed), which can be done fairly quickly. (I'm running Apex on my home PC on top of Oracle XE.) After the installation, the DBAs will have to tell you the URL for Apex.

After they've done that, walk yourself through the 2-day Developer Guide to get an idea of how Apex apps are developed, then try it out. It'll take a bit to get the hang of it, but once you do, it's really efficient. But if you understand the data and business logic for your application, you shouldn't take long. There are also a lot of sample applications out there you can install and then check out their source code for methods.

Once you get started, join Oracle Apex User Forum, which is a great community for developers helping eachother. You'll find me there regularly.

Good luck!

Stew

Answer 4

Application Express applications are accessed via a URL in a browser, with a URL something like:

http://www.mydomain.com/pls/mydad/f?p=MYAPP

A client/server application would have to launch a browser window and pass in the appropriate URL.