What's New in Oracle APEX 24.2

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APEX Builds on Gen AI

APEX 24.2 unlocks new capabilities for AI-powered apps and new power in the APEX AI Assistant. Developers can declaratively configure retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) data for AI calls, create custom data models using natural language, leverage a new Dynamic Action, and enjoy a better Builder experience including improved Generative AI configuration screens.

Provide RAG Data for AI Calls

Enhance AI Assistant responses by sending additional context data, which can come from SQL queries, function bodies returning CLOBs, or static values. These RAG sources are re-evaluated with every user prompt, ensuring the AI provides relevant, up-to-date information.

  • AI Configuration

    A new AI Configuration Shared Component encapsulates a system prompt, welcome message, and any number of RAG Sources. Use it in both the "Show AI Assistant" and "Generate Text with AI" Dynamic Actions, as well as in the APEX_AI PL/SQL APIs.

  • Conditional RAG Sources

    Conditionalize RAG sources using server-side conditions like "User Prompt Contains" or "All User Prompts Contain," along with one or more keywords. For more advanced conditional logic, reference bind variables APEX$AI_LAST_USER_PROMPT or APEX$AI_ALL_USER_PROMPTS in your SQL or PL/SQL code, enabling dynamic responses based on custom criteria.

AI-Assisted Development

  • Declarative Calls to AI Services

    Combine AI Configurations with the new "Generate Text with AI" Dynamic Action to help perform predefined actions such as creating content, summaries, and translations. Calling the action immediately returns a response, giving you full control over the desired user experience.

  • Create Custom Data Models

    Use natural language to design custom schemas in SQL Workshop. APEX AI Assistant helps generate Oracle SQL or Quick SQL scripts for creating tables, triggers, constraints, and more.

  • Vector Search Support

    Empower end-users to find the most relevant results with semantic similarity searching. A new Search Configuration type simplifies adding Oracle Database 23ai vector search to your applications. Specify details like index usage, distance metrics, and maximum vector distance, then watch users smile as they find what they're looking for more quickly than ever.

  • Improvements to AI Configuration Screens

    Test Generative AI connections during creation to check they work correctly, and review the Data Dictionary Cache as needed from SQL Workshop Utilities and Workspace Utilities pages to refresh database objects that participate in APEX AI Assistant conversations.

New and Updated Components

JSON Data Sources

Work directly with JSON data in your APEX applications with the new JSON Sources Shared Component. Create JSON Sources from a table with JSON columns, or in Oracle Database 23ai using Duality Views, JSON Collection Tables, and JSON Collection Views.

  • Auto-Generated Data Profiles

    Oracle APEX generates a Data Profile for a JSON Source, which automatically turns JSON data into rows and columns and supports nested JSON structures.

  • JSON Column-Based Components

    Create APEX page components such as reports, charts, and forms directly on JSON data sources, and access JSON Sources to build out Shared Components, including Automations, LOVs, Search Configurations, and Report Queries.

  • Supports DML

    Easily save Forms and Grids based on JSON sources using automatic DML handling. APEX updates the JSON document automatically using JSON_TRANSFORM.

Template Component Enhancements

Template Component plug-in types have been improved to support grouping, a declarative way to order report results, and an enhanced API for better control over Template Component regions.

  • Declarative Order By

    Declaratively set the Order By clause for Template Component report regions using the new Order By property group available in Page Designer.

  • Grouping Support

    Easily configure grouping for Template Components directly in Page Designer. Designate a column to be used for grouping, set the region Order By to match the grouping column, and enter a group title, and APEX handles the rest.

  • JavaScript and APEX_EXEC APIs

    Developers get new support for control breaks in the JavaScript API and plug-in developers can use control breaks with enhancements to the APEX_EXEC package.

Workflow Enhancements

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  • Callable Workflows

    Reuse common Workflows and organize complex processes into more manageable unites with the new "Invoke Workflow" activity. Call one Workflow from another and give Workflows input and output parameters.

  • Copy from Other Apps

    You can now copy a Workflow definition from one application to another to simplify the development of similar processes.

  • Resume Workflow at Any Activity

    Workflow administrators can now easily handle unexpected scenarios or accidental human error by resuming a suspended Workflow at any activity in the process. Read the blog post about resuming Workflows.

  • Modernized Human Task and Workflow Pages

    The Create Page wizard now generates human task and workflow pages with a simplified layout using Template Components, menus, and modal dialogs. This harmonizes their look and feel and promotes easier customization and maintenance.

  • Additional Improvements

    View Workflow utilization in Task Definitions, Email Templates, and REST Data Sources with the updates to utilization reports, and pass CLOB values to Workflow variables and parameters.

REST Source Enhancements

  • Flexible Remote Servers

    Configure remote servers with more flexibility using the new SET_REMOTE_SERVER API to dynamically derive the base URL of a Remote Server object, and invoke completely dynamic endpoints with APEX based on the current app, tenant, or environment settings.

  • Token-Based Pagination

    Simple HTTP REST Data Sources now support token-based pagination to simplify the user experience for presenting data from APIs that use this approach.

  • Streamlined Shared Components Region

    Manage REST Data Sources, Duality Views, and JSON Sources from a simplified Data Sources section, while Data Load Definitions and REST Synchronizations have moved to more sensible locations on the page.

  • Additional Sort Capabilities

    Sort results of REST Data Sources of the ORDS type using the added support for "Order By NULL" clauses.

Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications

  • Automate Fusion Applications Integration

    Kickstart your next Fusion Applications project with the new "Fusion Integration" option in the Create Application wizard. The new app is ready-to-use and extend with single sign-on (SSO) and identity propagation setup, a testable REST data source, and an appropriate remote server and web credential defined.

  • Expanded Support for Fusion REST APIs

    Create APEX applications that read and write Fusion Applications data using any Fusion REST APIs, including the newest ones with /api/boss in their URL. Discover all supported operations and data profile automatically, and get optimized runtime performance in any APEX region by delegating filtering and sorting to the Fusion REST API and by requesting and sending only necessary attributes.

Developer Experience

Application Object Dependencies

The new visual object dependency reporting feature builds on the database dependency API that was introduced as part of the 24.1 release. Developers can now easily scan applications and view reports on references to database objects within a workspace, making managing object dependencies so much simpler.

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  • Streamlined User Experience

    Scan a full application or an individual page and visualize all references to database objects like tables, views, and packages, and their individual components such as columns, procedures, and functions. Review code blocks that reference selected database objects, search and filter report results, and jump directly to the source of each reference using easy linking from dependency reports to component properties.

  • Comprehensive Dependency Detection

    Dependency detection is not only limited to database objects. View errors in application code blocks or incorrect object references, and identify system dependencies that developers may also be responsible for. Limitations from the initial 24.1 object dependency feature have also been lifted, making it possible to detect references in REST Source queries, Data Profile SQL expressions, and report columns based on a SQL expression.

  • API Updates

    The APEX_APP_OBJECT_DEPENDENCY API has been updated to fix bugs, improve performance, and support the extension of dependency detection.

Improvements to Text Messages in Builder

  • Shortened Substitution Syntax

    Use shortened substitution syntax to reference Text Messages and enjoy a simplified, easier development process.

  • Single Application Multi-Language

    Translate a single application into multiple languages without the need for shadow apps. Define text in an application as Text Messages, translate messages to required languages, and switch languages while staying within the same application. Supports declarative Text Message substitution and directional text based on session language.

General Builder Enhancements

  • Export and Import Pages Across Workspaces

    Move pages seamlessly between different APEX environments by exporting one or more pages from one workspace, then importing them into an application in another workspace.

  • Builder Extensions

    Instance administrators can set up workspaces which automatically subscribe to Extension Menu entries, removing the need to manually subscribe to applications that are intended to always be available.

  • Simpler List Edit Experience

    The Edit List page in application Shared Components has been updated to display List details in a more user-friendly manner. View List Entry data in a simplified Interactive Report, and use the separate Grid Edit page to bulk edit List Entries.

  • Page Designer Enhancements

    Extend HTML title and breadcrumb with page and app information. Declaratively make modal dialog pages resizable with a new page attribute to switch the resizable setting on or off.

User Experience

Universal Theme Updates

  • Country Flags in Font APEX 2.4

    The latest release of Font APEX introduces over 250 new, full-color flag icons to Universal Theme that represent countries across the globe.

  • Content Row Grouping

    The Content Row region type has been updated to support the new Grouping feature of Template Components, which includes support for both a title and an icon in group headings.

  • Multiple Avatars

    The ability to create regions of multiple Avatars is now supported, with new configuration options for spacing and stacking Avatars.

  • New Utility Classes

    A number of new utility classes for Typography, Shadows, Flex Order, Padding, and Margin give developers further control over the style and layout of their applications.

  • Password Visibility

    A new password visibility toggle for Password items lets users view or hide an entered password.

  • Performance

    Universal Theme is now stored in a centrally located theme repository, ensuring that APEX applications contain only the information relevant to an individual app. This approach improves performance, shrinks the size of the application export file, and streamlines CI/CD operations.

  • Additional Theme Updates

    The latest Universal Theme updates include improved support for dynamic toolbars in mobile browsers, and miscellaneous updates to Redwood Light improves the overall Universal Theme experience.

Accessibility

  • Read-Only Elements

    Read-only elements within the APEX Builder have been updated to support accessible rendering, building on the read-only item support introduced in the 24.1 release.

  • Builder Heading Improvements

    Heading levels across pages in the APEX Builder have been updated to fix a number of hierarchy problems that impact accessibility.

  • ARIA Live Regions

    ARIA live regions within APEX have been modularized to be more accessible and consistently handle live messages which notify screen reader users of important page updates.

OpenTelemetry Support

Leverage the features of OpenTelemetry in APEX applications, and achieve industry standards for instrumenting and collecting client-side telemetry data.

  • UX Analysis

    Perform a deeper analysis on UX performance using OpenTelemetry to collect client-side UX data such as resource fetch timings, AJAX and XHR requests, and user interactions.

  • Declarative Telemetry Configuration

    Easily set up Client Logging Service (CLS) end points and Token Relay URLs directly from Workspace Utilities in the App Builder, then configure OpenTelemetry settings for an individual application.

Additional Updates and Enhancements

  • Excel Support for Document Generator

    The Document Generator Integration service has been improved to support Excel templates as Report Layouts. Print from DOCX to DOCX, XLSX to PDF, or XLSX to XLSX.

  • Outdated App Translation Information

    When running a translated version of an application, developers will be notified if the translated version is not up-to-date with the primary language.

  • Select Many Improvements

    The Select Many page item has been updated to include a count button when displaying selected values as a comma-separated list. The new button shows the current number of selected values, and when pressed, it opens a dropdown that displays only selected values.

  • Unlimited Attributes for Item Plug-Ins

    Building on the removal of attribute limits for Template Components and Regions in the 23.2 and 24.1 releases, Item Plug-ins now utilize the updated infrastructure by default, allowing developers to configure an unlimited number of attributes for items.

  • Declarative Pagination Control

    Developers now have control over the behavior of pagination when using the Refresh Dynamic Action on an Interactive Report. While the default behavior of resetting pagination still exists, developers can configure their Interactive Report to maintain the current pagination and position of scrollbars after refresh.

  • Faceted Search Enhancements

    The Faceted Search region has been enhanced to improve handling the creation and display of Facets. Quickly create new Facets for existing regions with the new synchronize functionality, and make many facets available without overwhelming the end-user with the new option to display Facets in a dialog.

  • Substitution String for MAIN_APP_ID

    When application logic depends on the application ID, developers can use a new substitution string MAIN_APP_ID to reliably reference the main application ID, even when running in a working copy.

  • Search Page Improvements

    Search Pages created from Search Configurations have been improved to provide a better UI experience. The generated Search Input Field includes a default search icon, clears on ESC input, and displays a placeholder. Standard default messages have been added for the Search Results region to avoid an empty results region before any search has happened.

  • Modernized Popup LOV

    Brings Popup LOV search attributes up-to-date to be consistent with new LOV components such as Select One and Many, and Combobox. Get richer search capabilities using Match Type and Case Sensitive attributes.

  • Map Region Labels

    Map regions have been enhanced to provide full support for right-to-left text rendering. This fixes an outstanding bug regarding displaying RTL labels in Map regions.

  • Content-Security-Policy

    This release expands the support for a content-security-policy without unsafe inline styles, script tags, and JavaScript pseudo URLs across the APEX platform.

  • PL/SQL API Updates

    Updates to the APEX PL/SQL APIs bring new and improved functionality to developers. A brand new package, APEX_SHARED_COMPONENTS provides new APIs for working with Shared Components. The APEX_LANG package has been enhanced to include new GET_MESSAGE function and updated UPDATE_MESSAGE and CREATE_MESSAGE procedures. A new parameter has been added to the GET_URL function in APEX_PAGE to handle absolute URLs. Use the new GET_ID function in APEX_REGION to return an ID for a named region. And programmatically change the scope of a Web Credential with the SET_SCOPE procedure in APEX_CREDENTIAL.

  • JavaScript Library Upgrades

    We've updated several JavaScript libraries to newer releases, including Oracle JET 17.0.2, FullCalendar 6.1.15, Monaco Editor 0.51.0, MarkedJS 14.1.2, DOMPurify 3.1.6, Terser 5.31.3, Cropper.js 1.6.2, Turndown 7.2.0, Font APEX 2.4, Oracle Rich Text Library 2.0, jQuery Migrate 3.5.2, and MapLibre 4.6.0.

APEX 24.2 also delivers on 20+ community submitted ideas!

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