25Jan

Power Ranking Oracle APEX 5.2 New Features – January

By: Monty Latiolais On: January 25, 2018 In: APEX Developer Solutions Comments: 3

Oracle APEX 5.2  may be considered a minor release, but it promises major functionality enhancements.  Which of these will move the needle?

Each month, we’ll power rank the rumored enhancements ahead of Oracle APEX 5.2’s GA release. We’ll take the pulse of the APEX community, monitoring comments, talking to you all and gauging the interest, enthusiasm and expected impact of each of these enhancements. If you’re looking forward to a particular feature, make sure to tweet or blog about it. It just may affect the rankings!

Let’s get started on Oracle APEX 5.2

Editor’s note: Power Rankings are based on a preponderance of social media.  If you have an issue with these Oracle APEX 5.2 rankings, or have a question or comment for Monty Latiolais, send him an e-mail or contact him via Twitter.

        1. 16

          Advisor Improvements

          • New Accessibility checks to check your apps for common accessibility issues
          • New Performance check for inclusion of compatibility JavaScript
        1. 15

          Item Type Improvements

          • New ‘Text with Autocomplete’ item type using Oracle JET
        2. 14

          List View Region

          • The List View region from the deprecated mobile UI is support on desktop UI. See the known issues for current limitations.
        3. 13

          Tree Region Enhancements

          • The Advanced: JavaScript Initialization Code attribute is supported. Although the attribute was added in 5.1 it did not do anything. So it is as if it is a new attribute in Oracle APEX 5.2. This plus the jsdoc makes it much easier to customize the Tree region.
          • Something that will be needed now that jsTree is removed.
          • Added Default Icon attribute. Allow Icon Type to be empty (without forcing a-Icon).
          • Improved Page Designer help text for all attributes.
          • Support Dynamic Action Event Selection Change [Tree].
          • Advanced Config option (nodeSelector) to support checkbox selection.
          • Tree region now supports the apex.region API.
          • Copy selection to clipboard
        4. 12

          Additional JET Charts

          • Gantt – based on Oracle JET Gantt
          • Box Plot ( aka Box & Whisker )
          • Pyramid
          • Sample Charts app – revised with new examples
        5. 11

          Text message substitutions

          • For a given text message MY_MESSAGE, you can now use and v(‘APP_TEXT$MY_MESSAGE’) to retrieve the message text.
          • Use APP_TEXT$MY_MESSAGE$XX to return the translation text for language XX (examples for XX are DE, FR, …)
          • Same syntax is supported on the client via the apex.util.applyTemplate API
        6. 10

          APEX Spotlight Search

          • Provides quick navigation and unified search experience across APEX
          • Activate by clicking search button from header, or using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + ‘
          • You can navigate to most screens within APEX builder
          • Quickly jump across applications and pages
          • Also works in Page Designer – can focus on page components
        7. 9

          Oracle JET and jQuery Library Upgrades

          • JET 4.1.0
          • jQuery 3.1.1
          • jQuery UI 1.12.0
          • jsTree 3rd party library is removed because it is incompatible with new versions. Tree regions will be converted to use the APEX treeView widget.
          • FullCalendar 3.3.1
        8. 8

          New Authentication

          • OAuth2 authentication for APEX Applications and the APEX Development Environment
        9. 7

          JavaScript API Documentation

          • Preview of JavaScript API documentation
        10. 6

          Developer Toolbar Improvements

          • When there is a JavaScript error on the page an indicator is added to the dev toolbar
          • New feature to see page performance timing. Menu Page Info > Show Page Timing. Show/Hide Layout Columns moved to Page Info menu.
        11. 5

          REST Enabled SQL Support

          • Create and maintain references to REST Enabled SQL instances (Oracle REST Data Services) in Shared Components
          • Use a REST Enabled SQL Service and therefore a remote Oracle database as the data source for Classic Reports, Interactive Reports, Oracle JET Charts or CSS Calendar
          • Execute PL/SQL page processes on a remote Oracle database
          • Use the APEX_EXEC PL/SQL package to execute SQL Queries or PL/SQL blocks on a remote database, from within your custom PL/SQL code.
        12. 4

          Interactive Grid Enhancements

          • Copy Down support and range selection; see new Actions > Selection sub menu (Fill and Clear)
          • Copy to Clipboard (for row or cell range selections)
          • Expose additional events to Dynamic Actions
        13. 3

          Page Designer Improvements

          • Property Editor
            • Updated UI to improve usability
            • Removed show common / show all, and collapse all / expand all functionality
            • When a property has focus, the group becomes highlighted
            • Improved ‘Go to group’ functionality
          • Sticky Filters
            • Filters can now be pinned so you can filter on something and click across to other components maintaining the filter
        14. 2

          REST Service Consumption

          • Create and maintain references to REST services (Web Source Modules) within Shared Components
          • Leverage Oracle REST Data Services features like server-side filtering or pagination to fetch only required data from the REST service
          • Use Simple HTTP for generic REST services, JSON or XML data feeds
          • Have Application Express automatically discover and maintain the Data Profile; no manual SQL or PL/SQL coding is required for JSON or XML parsing
          • Use Web Sources as the data source for Classic Reports, Interactive Reports, Oracle JET Charts or the CSS Calendar
          • Use the APEX_EXEC PL/SQL package in order to invoke REST services from within custom PL/SQL code in Plug-Ins or page processes.
        15. 1

          New Create App Wizard

          • New and improved user experience for creating applications
          • Simpler wizards for creating pages
          • Add common frameworks or “features” to applications such as activity reporting, access control, theme selection and more
          • Customize user interface options such as Theme Style, application icon and page icons
          • Leverage existing applications or UI defaults to default labels and form display types

“A blueprint is an application definition in JSON format. Oracle APEX 5.2’s new blueprint wizard allows you to quickly create an application with any number of standard page types and many additional features, including Access Control, Feedback, Email Framework, and Activity Reporting. Once generated, a blueprint can be modified (either manually by editing the JSON or graphically by loading it back in to the wizard) and reused to easily and quickly create additional, fully supported applications. Using a blueprint is the fastest and most low code way to build an Oracle APEX Application.”

— Jackie McIlroy at Insum Solutions

 

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3 Comments:

    • Naveen
    • March 14, 2018
    • Reply

    Very useful information.. Thanks Jackie for sharing !!

    • Simsek M.
    • March 15, 2018
    • Reply

    Thanks for the great overview. Looking forward for 5.2 (or do they already call it 18.1?) :).

      • Monty Latiolais
      • March 15, 2018
      • Reply

      You are correct! The March Ranking will reflect that.

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