If you are looking to migrate from Oracle Forms & Reports you have probably read a myriad of articles that have anointed APEX as the chosen alternative.

The argument is as follows: APEX is modern, light & fast and best of all, if you already have Oracle Forms then you have APEX since it’s a feature of Oracle Database. 

Oracle itself is positioning APEX as “the clear platform of choice for easily transitioning Oracle Forms applications to modern web apps”. It has deployed its sales teams and amplified the Forms to APEX narrative so much that we are hearing from long time Forms clients worried that they will need to switch to an entirely new technology. 

If your objective is to move away from Oracle Forms, RENAPS officially recommends, without a shadow of a doubt,  to migrate to Java instead of Apex.  

Top 10 reasons to convert Forms to Java vs. Apex

1. Time: They are very different technologies. Oracle Forms comes with many more Items, Properties and Built ins and Triggers that offer many more possibilities than APEX. For this reason alone it would be Impossible to convert 1 to 1 to APEX without requiring significant rethinking and redesign.
 

Difficulty in Migrating from APEX to Other Technologies: Once an organization has migrated to APEX, moving to a different technology like Java becomes significantly more challenging. APEX's proprietary nature and its close integration with Oracle-specific features mean that applications developed in APEX are less portable. Rewriting APEX applications to a more open, standard language like Java would require substantial effort, time, and resources, essentially rebuilding the application from scratch. This is a critical consideration for organizations planning for long-term flexibility and growth.

2. Hightened risk: Who says redesign says risk. Redesigning legacy applications will inevitably lead to bugs which will require time to fix and retest.  (** see migration risk, complexity and timeline comparison)

 

3. Long-Term Strategic Flexibility: Java’s open nature and widespread industry adoption ensure that migrating to Java is a strategic move that opens doors to a wide range of technologies and platforms. This flexibility is crucial for organizations looking to stay agile and adaptable in a rapidly evolving technology landscape. In contrast, a move to APEX may limit future strategic options and adaptability.

4. Vendor Lock-in with APEX and Java Independence: A crucial consideration is the vendor lock-in associated with Oracle APEX. Since APEX is proprietary to Oracle and tightly integrated with the Oracle database, organizations become heavily dependent on Oracle's technology stack and roadmap. This dependency can lead to challenges in adapting to new technologies, negotiating licensing terms, and maintaining flexibility in IT strategy. Migrating to Java, which is open and widely supported, reduces the risk of vendor lock-in, providing more control over technology choices and costs.

5. Fit: Oracle APEX is a modern, light, fast development environment for creating web applications. To use a construction metaphor, a sleek, lightweight shovel is great to plant in a garden but not to dig a foundation. You could do it, but that’s not what it was designed for. Most Forms based applications are critical business applications powering Government, Manufacturing & Insurance technology. APEX was conceived for simple web applications. 

6. Technical Architecture and Flexibility: Java offers a robust, object-oriented programming environment that allows for greater flexibility and scalability. It is platform-independent, which means Java applications can run on any system that supports a Java Virtual Machine (JVM). This universality is a significant advantage over APEX, which is tightly coupled with the Oracle database environment, limiting its flexibility and scalability.

7. Ecosystem and Community Support: Java has a vast and active community, offering a wealth of libraries, frameworks, and tools. This ecosystem significantly reduces development time and effort, providing ready-to-use solutions for common problems. In contrast, APEX, while supported by Oracle, has a smaller community and fewer resources, which can limit innovation and problem-solving capabilities.

8. Vendor Lock-in with APEX: A crucial consideration is the vendor lock-in associated with Oracle APEX. Since APEX is proprietary to Oracle and tightly integrated with the Oracle database, organizations become heavily dependent on Oracle's technology stack and roadmap. This dependency can lead to challenges in adapting to new technologies, negotiating licensing terms, and maintaining flexibility in IT strategy. Migrating to Java, which is open and widely supported, reduces the risk of vendor lock-in, providing more control over technology choices and costs.

9. Integration and Interoperability: Java’s ability to integrate with a multitude of other systems and technologies is a significant advantage. It allows organizations to leverage their existing technology investments and easily adopt new technologies. The proprietary nature of APEX, on the other hand, can create challenges in integrating with non-Oracle systems, potentially leading to additional costs and complexities.

10. Advanced Security Features: Java has robust security features and a well-established security management framework, which is essential for critical business applications, especially in sectors like government, manufacturing, and insurance. APEX, while secure, may not offer the same level of detailed security control as Java.

 

While APEX may offer certain benefits for specific use cases within the Oracle ecosystem, the considerations of vendor lock-in, difficulty in migrating away from APEX, and the long-term strategic flexibility heavily favor choosing Java, especially for organizations aiming for independence, interoperability, and future-proofing their technology infrastructure.

ORMIT™-Java and ORMIT™-OpenJava our proprietary tools has automated the entire migration process from Forms to Java effectively eliminating risks associated with a migration. It is the only fully automated tool on the market. Java let's you maintain your database structure and business logic as well as application modes & look and feel. It is a gradual and secure migration allowing you to switch back to Forms on the same database anytime. You have the option to modernize it as well.

The end goal of a technology migration is to ensure continued support, to be more nimble and free from certain licensing costs and to switch to a popular widespread technology. You can achieve all of this by migrating from Forms to Java. If you opt to switch from Forms to APEX you risk embarking on a perilous journey from which you may never reach your destination.

Are you considering a migration from Oracle Apex to Java? Click here.