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Oracle has officially released APEX 24.2, and while much of the promotional focus is on new AI capabilities, for us, the real value in this update comes from improvements that enhance usability, data handling, and workflow automation. At Traust, our developers are more excited about features that streamline development, improve performance, and provide greater flexibility for enterprise applications. Let’s take a closer look at the enhancements in APEX 24.2 that will have the biggest impact on real-world application development.

Enhanced JSON Data Handling: Streamlining External Data Integration

One of the most practical improvements in APEX 24.2 is its expanded support for working with JSON data. This is a major win for developers who frequently integrate APEX applications with external APIs, NoSQL databases, or other JSON-based data sources.

  • JSON Sources Shared Component: APEX now includes a declarative way to work with JSON data sources. Developers can define a JSON data source once and reuse it across reports, charts, forms, and automation processes. This reduces redundancy and makes maintaining integrations much simpler.
  • Auto-Generated Data Profiles: When working with JSON data, APEX can automatically create a structured data profile that flattens JSON objects into relational data structures. This means less time writing custom parsing logic and more time focusing on application functionality.
  • Declarative JSON Forms and Reports: Reports, charts, and interactive grids can now be directly based on JSON sources, making it easier to work with non-relational data without complex transformations.
  • DML Support for JSON: APEX 24.2 introduces declarative Data Manipulation Language (DML) handling for JSON data, using JSON_TRANSFORM to update JSON documents efficiently. This eliminates the need for complex PL/SQL workarounds when modifying JSON data.

Why This Matters

Many modern applications rely on integrating data from multiple sources, including REST APIs and cloud services that provide JSON responses. With these enhancements, APEX developers can work more efficiently with JSON-based data, reducing development time and improving maintainability.

Workflow Enhancements: More Power and Flexibility in Process Automation

For enterprise applications, robust workflow automation is crucial. APEX 24.2 makes significant strides in this area with improvements that provide more flexibility and control over automated business processes.

  • Nested Workflows: Developers can now invoke workflows from other workflows, making it easier to modularize and reuse workflow logic across applications.
  • Callable Workflows: Workflows can be set up to be triggered externally, allowing seamless integration with external systems and processes.
  • Workflow Resumption: One of the most practical improvements is the ability to suspend and resume workflows at arbitrary points. This means administrators can pause processes for review or debugging and restart them from specific steps without starting over.

Why This Matters

Enterprise applications often require complex approval processes and multi-step automation. These enhancements make it easier to manage and refine workflows over time, improving operational efficiency and reducing the risk of workflow failures disrupting business operations.

UI and UX Improvements: Making APEX More User-Friendly

APEX has long been known for its ability to rapidly develop web applications with a polished UI, and the latest version introduces several refinements that improve both developer experience and end-user usability.

  • Template Components: A true game-changer for frontend developers, Template Components allow for the creation of custom, reusable UI elements with defined slots for database content. This significantly simplifies the process of designing truly custom applications while maintaining consistency and efficiency.
  • Resizable Modal Dialogs: Developers can now make modal dialogs resizable, providing greater flexibility in UI design and improving usability for applications with detailed forms or reports.
  • Universal Theme Updates: The latest Font APEX update includes over 250 new, full-color flag icons, making it easier to represent country-based data.
  • Improved Page Designer Navigation: The Page Designer now displays the current application and page name in the window title and breadcrumb, making it easier for developers to navigate complex projects.

Why This Matters

UI and UX improvements like these may not always grab headlines, but they address areas that many developers overlook despite their critical impact on application usability. They significantly improve the usability of APEX applications, making them feel more polished and professional.

API and Component Enhancements: More Developer Control

APEX 24.2 introduces several API and component improvements that give developers finer control over application behavior and customization.

  • APEX_LANG Package Enhancements: New functions for managing application messages make it easier to create multilingual applications.
  • Select Many Enhancements: The Select Many page item now includes a count button and an improved UI for handling large selections.
  • Declarative Pagination: Developers can now configure pagination behavior on report refreshes, ensuring a smoother user experience.

Why This Matters

These changes provide developers with more control and efficiency when building APEX applications. Whether it’s improving multilingual support, refining report behavior, or optimizing form inputs, these enhancements contribute to a better development experience and end-user experience.

AI Features: Oracle’s Focus, but Not the Biggest Game-Changer

Oracle has positioned APEX 24.2 as a major step forward in AI integration. New features like Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) data sources, AI-assisted data modeling, and declarative AI service calls allow developers to integrate AI-driven content generation, translations, and data modeling. However, while these capabilities are exciting, they are still early-stage implementations that require careful consideration in real-world enterprise applications.

Why This Matters (or Doesn’t)

For most APEX developers—especially those working on enterprise applications—the practical enhancements to workflows, UI, JSON handling, and APIs are far more impactful than the AI features Oracle is promoting. AI may be the headline feature, but the refinements that improve daily development workflows will deliver the most immediate value for both developers and businesses.

Final Thoughts

APEX 24.2 delivers meaningful improvements that will make a difference in how developers build and maintain applications. While Oracle’s marketing spotlights AI, in our opinion, the real value of this release lies in its workflow enhancements, JSON integration improvements, and UI refinements. For teams providing Oracle APEX development services in enterprise environments, these updates make the platform more powerful and developer-friendly than ever.

As we explore APEX 24.2 further, we’re eager to see how these features impact real-world projects. What enhancements are you most excited about? Let us know!