Oracle updates free Web development tool

By Mark Brunelli, News Editor 26 Mar 2007 | SearchOracle.com

Oracle news and trends Digg This!     StumbleUpon     Del.icio.us

Oracle Application Express 3.0, which first debuted as HTML DB in 2004, offers charting and reporting enhancements and new features designed to let users build more dynamic Web applications, said Mike Hichwa, Oracle's vice president of software development.

New features of Application Express 3.0 include .pdf printing, Flash Chart integration, Microsoft Access Migration support, drag-and-drop item creation and layout capabilities, and better Web services support, Hichwa said.

More on Oracle Application Express: Read about Oracle's last Application Express update

The .pdf printing feature lets users export report sections to .pdf files as well as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and HTML. With Flash Chart integration, users can build interactive charts directly into Web applications. The drag-and-drop layout feature lets users quickly re-order items, change select attributes and add or delete terms.

In addition, the software's new Microsoft Access Application Migration Workshop feature lets users turn Microsoft Access-based applications into Application Express applications, according to Oracle.

C2 Consulting, a Los-Angeles-based Oracle partner that specializes mainly in helping companies get more out of Oracle products, uses Application Express to build and deploy applications for its customers.

C2 president Anton Nielsen says the tool is also good for testing out ideas for applications because it lets users quickly come up with working prototypes for testing environments that can later be tweaked or refined. Nielsen says the system also provides a very simple-to-use interface.

"One thing that a lot of folks like about it is that it's easy to get up and running," Nielsen said. "Oracle in the past has had some issues with that regard [but] in this case Oracle Applications Express just comes right up."

Nielsen said that he'd like future releases of Oracle Application Express to offer integrated support for AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML).

"AJAX just gives you the ability to have a little bit richer [user interface], and to refresh regions on the screen without refreshing the whole screen," Nielsen said.

The new version of Oracle Application Express is available for download from the Oracle Technology Network. Oracle integrates the tool with all releases of Oracle Database 10g and Oracle9i Database Release 2 at no additional cost.

Tags: Oracle XML,  Oracle stored procedures,  Oracle and SQL,  Using Oracle PL/SQL,  Oracle Java and J2EE,  VIEW ALL TAGS

Digg This!     StumbleUpon     Del.icio.us

RELATED CONTENT Oracle XML Oracle XML DB generates power for electrical agency Oracle updates Microsoft developer tools Oracle's content management software plan takes shape Top five data management buzzwords Oracle open sources TopLink at EclipseCon Oracle or SQL Server for developing social networking site? What is SOA? Calling Web service from Oracle vs. .Net Introduction to BPEL Using PL/SQL to access a Web service Oracle stored procedures Stored procedure to autotransfer data between Oracle servers Insufficient privileges error when creating stored procedure ORA-01422 error when procedure returns more than one row Calling procedure inside another procedure in anonymous block Can I make a second connection to Oracle without losing the first? How to create an index using a procedure in Oracle Oracle updates Microsoft developer tools Procedure compiles but does not execute Tool in Oracle 10g to keep track of execution of queries ORA-04082: NEW or OLD references not allowed in table level triggers Oracle and SQL Can I specify Oracle column order in my database table? Review: Oracle's 11g R2 database has some good and bad SELECT statement syntax and examples Oracle PL/SQL tutorial PL/SQL datatypes in Oracle PL/SQL functions and triggers in Oracle Stored procedures in PL/SQL Do I need a license for SQL Developer Data Modeler in Oracle? Using the SQL GROUP BY clause for counting combinations How to use an SQL CASE expression Oracle and SQL Research

RELATED GLOSSARY TERMS Terms from Whatis.com − the technology online dictionary DSML  (SearchOracle.com)

RELATED RESOURCES 2020software.com, trial software downloads for accounting software, ERP software, CRM software and business software systems Search Bitpipe.com for the latest white papers and business webcasts Whatis.com, the online computer dictionary