Oracle Forms was a popular solution back in the day,
and it still lingers in the tech stacks of many companies.
However, Oracle is slowly moving away from this technology – the end
of its Premier Support status is already in sight.
It’s a good time to consider an Oracle Forms migration – especially making
a move to APEX.
Oracle Forms was a popular solution back in the day, and it still lingers
in the tech stacks of many companies. However, Oracle is slowly moving away
from this technology – the end of its Premier Support status is already in
sight. It’s a good time to consider an Oracle Forms migration – especially
making a move to APEX.
Technology is constantly evolving. A solution that was great just a few
years ago can be irrelevant today, giving companies many reasons to “make
the jump” to something more modern. This is even more true for software
that is a few decades old – while many such solutions are often constantly
improved, even after all these years, they still are as optimal as a new
technology, created with the needs of today in mind.
The continued support is usually enough to keep things stable, but sometimes
it’s better to rip the band-aid off and migrate to something new. One of such
cases is the good old Oracle Forms which has a natural successor in the form
of Oracle’s low-code platform – Oracle Application Express (APEX).
In this guide, I’ll explain how Oracle Forms migration to Oracle APEX can
benefit your business, and also show you a real-life case study of such a
migration carried out by us at System Sea. At the end of this article, there’s
also a free 👉 Oracle Forms Migration Checklist waiting for you.
A little bit of history
Oracle Forms
Oracle Forms is a Rapid Application Development (RAD) tool that allows you to
create data entry systems that use database objects (mostly information) from
the Oracle Database. It uses the popular PL/SQL language. While originally
Forms was a standalone product, currently it’s a component of Oracle Fusion
Middleware.
The first version of Oracle Forms was known by a different name – Interactive
Application Facility (IAF) – and saw the light of day in 1981 (along with the
second iteration of the Oracle Database). IAF was later renamed to Fast Forms
and then SQL*Forms, which is where the current name comes from (it came along
with version 4.0). The very first variant of this technology was only
comprised of a compiler and a runtime interpreter, but it quickly grew and
evolved.
The main reason Forms got popular is the relative simplicity and ease of use.
Creating Oracle Forms applications is a very natural process – anyone with
basic SQL and PL/SQL knowledge can handle it. The work usually comes down to
modifying so-called triggers, which are event-handling functions used to
generate specific effects (i.e., opening a form after a button is pressed,
etc.). Because of this, many things can be done without or with minimal
coding. You can also change the form layouts using object libraries.
The newest “big” version of Oracle Forms was delivered along with Fusion
Middleware 12c and was released in October 2015. It’s commonly known as Oracle
Forms 12c, but it’s worth pointing out that it has received several updates
since its release – the current Forms version is 12.2.1.4.0 (dated September
2019).
In the Oracle Forms Statement of Direction from a year ago, the company openly
states it has no plans for completely dropping support for Oracle Forms.
However, the level of the provided support is another matter. As of January
2023, according to the Oracle Lifetime Support Policy, Premier Support for
Fusion Middleware 12c (and, thus, Oracle Forms 12c) will end in December 2025
(and Extended Support is next in line, ending in December 2027).
What’s more, Oracle Forms isn’t a future-proof technology. It won’t provide
you with functionalities and features typical for current, cutting-edge web
apps. It’s also hard to find people who can work with it effectively, since
young developers concentrate on other solutions, for obvious reasons.
All of the above means that if you want your Oracle Forms-based software to
stay stable and useful, you should start thinking about moving to another,
more up-to-date technology now.
Detailed information on support from Oracle’s official “Lifetime Support
Policy” for Oracle Fusion Middleware.
Oracle APEX
In a way, Oracle Forms can be considered the grand-grand-grandfather of Oracle
APEX. The basic idea behind these technologies is the same – easy creation of
data-driven web applications, with a minimal amount of coding required. Oracle
APEX takes this philosophy much further, however, and is a much more evolved
and modern technology. Also, most (if not all) Forms modules have their APEX
counterparts.
The history of Oracle APEX dates back to 1999 when it was known as Oracle HTML
DB (there were also other names, such as Flows and Project Marvel). Over the
years, many versions of this technology have been released, and a few
groundbreaking features have been introduced – such as plug-ins, Interactive
Grid, or REST and PWA support.
A summary of Oracle APEX’s history. Source: APEX 19.2 New Features
presentation on SlideShare.
Just as Forms, Oracle APEX uses the PL/SQL programming language. However, in
APEX a simple data-driven application can be created entirely – or almost
entirely – through the use of specialized Wizards that allow you to connect
various ready-made elements and make them work together. You can set a basic
business logic up, create a layout and interface, and get things working,
without writing a single line of code. Of course, if you’re not afraid of
the command line and have the necessary coding skills (or team up with
someone skilled), you can still use them to deliver more complex and
powerful solutions.
It’s also worth noting that APEX uses the same database that Forms does
(Oracle DB), so it’s equally scalable, safe, and stable. You also retain
access to important features, ML/AI modules, Spatial, and so on. The main
difference is that unlike Forms APEX works in the cloud.
There are no plans to abandon the development of Oracle APEX. It’s quite the
opposite: APEX is becoming popular in the world of low-code development and,
thus, is actively developed and supported by Oracle – which is great news
for your software. The current version of Oracle Application Express is 22.1
and it was released in May 2022.
Oracle Forms migration – 9
benefits of moving to APEX
Going from Oracle Forms to Oracle APEX can be quite beneficial. Here are the
biggest advantages associated with making that change:
-
You don’t need a Java Development Kit or Java Runtime Environment on
your PC to run the apps created in Oracle APEX. It means easier access
for the end-users (employees in your company or your clients).
-
Application development happens in the web browser. Thus, there’s no
need for you to install special development environments such as
JDeveloper, Forms Builder, and so on.
-
The apps created in APEX can be run via a web browser on PCs, Macs, and
mobile devices. Edge, Chrome, Firefox, and Safari are supported
officially.
-
You have many more options when it comes to designing the interface of
your applications, thanks to the various themes and styles that are
included in Oracle APEX. Designing or changing the look is also easier
and more intuitive.
-
APEX can be used for free if you’re already using Oracle DB (and, since
we’re talking about migrating from DB-based Oracle Forms, you probably
are). Also, all Oracle DB (Oracle Database) editions support some
version of APEX, though exact compatibility depends on the specific
iteration (for example, the newest APEX requires Oracle DB 12.1, whereas
the previous one worked with version 11).
-
Oracle APEX is cloud-compatible. You can even run a full database in the
cloud (Oracle’s so-called Autonomous Database, or a non-autonomous
solution such as AWS or Azure), which means you don’t need to manage and
maintain the infrastructure on-premise. You also get all the great
benefits of migrating to the cloud – automated backups, recovery, and
patching.
-
You don’t need Oracle WebLogic licenses to use APEX. You still need to
deploy Oracle REST Data Services (ORDS) to the server to access APEX
applications, but it doesn’t need to be done via the WebLogic Server.
You can use free, open-source solutions such as Eclipse Jetty or Apache
Tomcat (though Tomcat is the only solution supported officially). This
helps lower licensing costs even further (and means greater flexibility
for the developers).
-
As a true low-code platform, APEX is even easier to use than Forms, and
it means that more non-technical people (so-called citizen developers)
can take part in software development.
-
When you convert Oracle Forms system to an APEX one, you continue to use
the same tech stack. That means your company doesn’t have to acquire new
IT specialists or teach new things to existing employees, outside of a
few APEX-related tricks. You can use existing assets – such as licenses,
people, and business knowledge – to the fullest extent. This is
incredibly important.
👉 Read more about citizen developers and other advantages of low-code
development
Possible problems to be aware of
Is the Oracle Forms migration to Oracle APEX all sunshine and roses? Not
necessarily. There are some drawbacks, or at the very least possible
problems, that you need to be aware of if you’re considering making the
move from Oracle Forms to APEX.
One of the biggest issues you might encounter is the reluctance of
long-time employees to adopt a new technical solution. The problem is
directly connected to Forms’ age – some companies have been using apps
based on Oracle Forms for many years. Their employees learned every
button and field and got very accustomed to the way things are. It’s a
certain kind of comfort that shouldn’t be neglected – remember that apps
are built for people, not the other way around.
The best way around that issue is to show these employees that the new
solution is nothing to be feared. That it can be quite similar to what
they know, but also make their lives easier in several ways they haven’t
thought of before. So, when you‘re looking for Oracle APEX developers,
make sure that they not only know how to migrate from Forms to APEX but
also have the soft skills necessary to present the new solution to
non-tech-savvy people at your company. It can be easier if you find some
“ambassadors for change” – people that you can consult the plans with,
who can later explain them to others
There’s also a strong possibility that migration from Forms to APEX will
be pretty complex. Sure, you’re still using the same tech stack, but you
(or the software vendor you work with) might have to recreate many parts
of the system from scratch and try to fit them into the infrastructure.
Depending on your particular circumstances, this can take quite a bit of
time and money.
Forms-APEX migration – how did we do it at
System Sea?
With Oracle APEX, coding isn’t always required.
Why did I decide to write an article on Oracle Forms migration to APEX?
Because we already did a few projects like that, our clients saw the
benefits, and so we decided to spread the word. Here’s a real-life case
study of one of these projects.
System Sea was tasked with migrating the IT infrastructure of a
well-known European TSL (transport-shipping-logistics) company that
specializes in overland transport. Their existing technology stack was
quite old and didn’t meet the business needs anymore, especially in
light of the plans to utilize a complex freight management system with
powerful AI-enabled capabilities.
We started with a classic migration, but during the project, it turned
out it won’t be enough in this case. We’ve had to rewrite several parts
of the system in APEX from start to end, and fit them into the company’s
infrastructure. The more we worked, the more elements had to be replaced
in this way. And the result was worth it. The client received a
future-proof, cloud-based system that can be used on pretty much any
device connected to the Internet. It also costs much less in terms of
licenses and general operating expenses.
There was also another problem – some of the company’s employees got
very used to how things were and weren’t too keen to see changes
implemented. This is why we’ve worked with the client closely to make
sure that the new, APEX-based solution won’t be too drastic of a change.
We’ve taken the time to train some of those employees in the Agile
methodology, and the use of Oracle APEX – so that they are independent
and able to maintain their solution without our help.
Conclusion
Moving from the good old Oracle Forms to Oracle APEX can be very
advantageous.
The benefits can be seen in several areas – from lower costs to easier
development – and should be noticeable for companies in many industries
and fields.
What’s more, from a technical standpoint, migration is fairly easy, as
both solutions were developed by the same company. The fact that APEX
can be used for free doesn’t hurt either.
This doesn’t mean that it’s an easy choice, however. If you want some
guidance in this area or are simply looking for a team capable of
handling big-scale migration projects, drop us a line at
mailrizwan540@gmail.com or use the contact form below.
We have a lot of experience with Forms and APEX and we should be able to
help you out. We’ll get back to you in 48 hours.
And here’s a little gift that you deserve for reading this whole guide!
It’s the
Oracle Forms to Oracle APEX Migration Checklist
that we have prepared at System Sea Low-Code for our clients in order to
better understand their needs and speed up the process of creating
offers.
Now, we provide you with the complete document for free. You can use it
to get ready for the Oracle Forms to APEX migration – answering the
questions on this checklist will help you spot any bottlenecks, etc. And
if, after filling out the survey, you feel that you might benefit from
working with an experienced low-code development vendor – well, we’re
here for you. 😉
Oracle Forms Migration FAQ
What is Oracle Forms?
Oracle Forms is a Rapid Application Development
platform – it allows you to quickly create simple
forms-based apps that use the Oracle Database.
Is Oracle Forms obsolete?
Fusion Middleware
(which Oracle Forms is a part of) retains its Premier Support status and
will continue
to do so until the end of 2025. However, it’s
fair to say that it’s an old technology that’s losing relevance.
What is the latest version of Oracle Forms?
The latest version of Oracle Forms (or Oracle Forms and Reports, to
be precise) is 12.2.1.4.0, released
in September 2019.
Does Oracle Forms require WebLogic?
Yes. Oracle Forms 12c
requires you to use WebLogic Server 12c.
What is Oracle Forms used for?
Oracle Forms is a technology you can use to develop and deploy
Forms applications, usually based on data
stored in an Oracle Database. These
applications can also be integrated with other frameworks and solutions.
