2 New Features
Oracle APEX release 23.2 includes a number of new features. These new features are not present in APEX release 23.1 and earlier releases.
- Application Working Copies
- New Workflow Feature
- New Combobox Item
- New Image Upload Item
- New QR Code Item
- Custom Map Backgrounds
- Faceted Search Enhancements
- More Attributes for Template Components
- Improved Shared Component Subscriptions
- Quick SQL Updates
- Improvements to REST Source Infrastructure
- REST Source Catalogs from OpenAPI Documents
- OData Connector as a Native REST Source Type
- Support for Fusion Apps Extensions
- Approvals Component Enhancements
- Action Tasks
- Simplified Create Application Wizard
- Simplified Application Export
- Simplified Application Import
- Improvements to Background Page Processing
- Populate List Item Subentries with List Reference
- Translate Default Reports
- Ubiquitous Search
- New Instance Parameters for APEX_INSTANCE_ADMIN
- EMP/DEPT Dataset Support in Arabic and Italian
- Store Static Resources in Oracle Cloud Object Storage
- Utility Apps Available in Gallery
- JavaScript API Updates
- JavaScript Library Upgrades
2.1 Application Working Copies
With the introduction of this new feature, you can now create a copy of your application (Working Copy), make changes in the copy, and merge those changes back into your application (Main). APEX produces a visual diff of the changes between your working copy and main application.
Tip:
When multiple developers use separate working copies to fix or enhance the same application in parallel, follow these tips to proactively avoid component or page conflicts:- Agree on distinct page number ranges for new pages.
- Decide on new component names and communicate them to teammates.
- Lock a page in the main application before changing it in your working copy.
Parent topic: New Features
2.2 New Workflow Feature
- a visual Workflow Designer to create and author workflows
- a Workflow Console for monitoring and administration of workflows
- the new Workflow Runtime Engine for executing workflows
Parent topic: New Features
2.3 New Combobox Item
- users selecting a single value or multiple values
- display of multiple values as chips
- automatic tag creation
- identification of manually-entered items not in the LOV dataset
- Template Directives
- Icons
- Groups
- multi-column search and display
- free-entry text
- multi-selection
Parent topic: New Features
2.4 New Image Upload Item
The new Image Upload item makes it easy to crop, resize, and upload images to your application using on-device processing. You can also configure whether to use the main camera or the selfie camera for mobile devices.
Parent topic: New Features
2.5 New QR Code Item
The new QR Code item lets you easily embed scannable QR codes that contain text, URL, phone, email, SMS, or location data. You can also use the associated QR code API to embed QR codes in reports, emails, or other parts of your application.
Parent topic: New Features
2.6 Custom Map Backgrounds
You can now add custom map backgrounds under Shared Components, Other Components.
APEX supports Raster, Vector, and OGC WMS tile layers. You must provide a map background name and a URL to fetch the background. Optionally, you can provide HTTP headers, an API Key value, Min and Max Zoom, and a Map Attribution message.
You can use custom map backgrounds in map regions, display map, and geocoded address items. You can subscribe, refresh, and publish your map backgrounds just like any other shared component.
Parent topic: New Features
2.7 Faceted Search Enhancements
You can now set the sort direction for distinct LOV-based facets.
Users can now choose the comparison operator for input-based facets in faceted search and smart filters. In addition to the existing comparison operators, APEX now supports not equals
, does not start with
, and does not contain
.
Parent topic: New Features
2.8 More Attributes for Template Components
Template Component plug-ins are no longer capped at 25 attributes. You can now create more complex template components because APEX no longer restricts you to only 25 attributes.
ATTRIBUTE_01...ATTRIBUTE_25
columns of APEX_APPLICATION_PAGE_REGIONS
and APEX_APPLICATION_PAGE_IR_COL
public views now return null. Instead, use the new ATTRIBUTES
column that stores a JSON object of all attribute values. Use the attribute's Static ID as the object key. Note that a table alias is always needed when using the JSON dot notation. For example:select r.attributes.COLOR
from apex_application_page_regions r
where r.application_id = 100
and r.page_id = 1
and r.static_id = 'user_badge';
For more information on template components, see About Template Component Type Plug-ins in Oracle APEX App Builder
User’s Guide.
Parent topic: New Features
2.9 Improved Shared Component Subscriptions
- Application Items
- Application Processes
- Application Computations
- Application Settings
- Build Options
- Application Access Control, Roles
- Email Templates
- Component Settings
- Report Layouts
- Text Messages
Highlights
- Subscribed Components are now read only: Subscribed Shared Components are read-only to prevent any unintended changes from the source component. This enforces consistency and enables a simple refresh and publish mechanism to roll out changes across components.
- Automatic Dependency Resolution: APEX can more gracefully handle dependencies between Shared Components by re-using existing components with the same name or by automatically copying over the dependent component.
- Subscription Status: There is a new Subscription Status column available across Shared Components reports that clearly identifies whether the component is up to date, or whether it needs to be refreshed from the subscription source.
- Bulk Refresh and Deletion: Easily view subscribed Shared Components that are out of sync and refresh them. If the source component is deleted, APEX automatically clears any remaining subscriptions to keep applications clean and ensure that no stray components are left behind.
Parent topic: New Features
2.10 Quick SQL Updates
Create, maintain, and review application data models with minimal typing, lightning-fast SQL generation, and a built-in entity relationship diagram.
Use the Entity Relationship Diagram to visualize your data model's tables, columns, datatypes, and relationships in the new Diagram tab. The generated SQL script and entity relationship diagram refresh instantly whenever you pause your typing.
Quick SQL now relies on a minimum ORDS version of 23.3.0.
Parent topic: New Features
2.11 Improvements to REST Source Infrastructure
There are now multiple improvements for REST Data Sources, including support of data types for REST Source parameters, validation for regular expressions, and smaller enhancements for the programming interface for REST Source Plug-Ins.
You can now delete a column from the data profile columns APEX finds during discovery. Use the new Response Body tab to view information about the response body structure APEX finds.
Parent topic: New Features
2.12 REST Source Catalogs from OpenAPI Documents
APEX can now generate a REST Source Catalog from OpenAPI documents. For more information, see Creating a REST Source Catalog from OpenAPI in Oracle APEX App Builder User’s Guide.
Parent topic: New Features
2.13 OData Connector as a Native REST Source Type
The OData protocol is used by SAP, Microsoft, and other software providers as the protocol for their REST APIs. APEX can now provide connectivity to OData REST APIs out of the box. Support is currently limited to read only (Reports, Charts, etc.). Support for DML (Forms, Editable IG) is planned for a future release.
For more information on the OData specification, see OASIS Open Data Protocol.
Parent topic: New Features
2.14 Support for Fusion Apps Extensions
You can now create REST data sources to query, insert, update, and delete data from Fusion Apps REST APIs. After defining your REST Data Sources, use them with any APEX regions to build custom experiences for Fusion Applications data. They take full advantage of APEX features like REST synchronization to improve performance and local post-processing to join remote data to local tables and further filter it using the power of SQL.
Oracle Cloud Apps REST Data Sources handle all read and write operations, leveraging data pruning, filtering, ordering, and bulk operations automatically. You can evolve APEX apps in tandem with in-progress customizations in a Fusion Apps sandbox. You can also build cascading select lists and query by example pages using filter parameters, and easily show users Fusion Apps validation errors.
Parent topic: New Features
2.15 Approvals Component Enhancements
Editing Task Definition Parameters
Task parameters can now be set as Updatable in the task definition. This allows the owner or business administrator for the task to modify the value of specific parameters before task approval.
New Business Administrator Actions
The business administrator for a task can now remove potential owners. They can also cancel tasks.
New Substitution Strings
The text message sent in Add Comment, Request Information, and Submit Information task actions is now available as a substitution string: APEX$TASK_TEXT
.
Unified Task List Enhancements
Users can now claim unassigned tasks directly from the task list. To get this new behavior in your application, regenerate any existing Unified Task List pages.
Parent topic: New Features
2.16 Action Tasks
Building on the task framework introduced in the Approvals Component, Action Tasks are tasks that do not require approval. Use action tasks for scenarios where users need to add data to a form, upload a file, verify information, or do other work to complete the task. You can add an action task as a step in an APEX workflow.
APEX can assign action tasks to any user, including the task initiator. Action tasks show up in the Unified Task List alongside approval tasks. When you create an action task definition, APEX also generates a boilerplate task detail page that you can easily customize for your specific application.
Parent topic: New Features
2.17 Simplified Create Application Wizard
When creating a new application, you now have the option to enter an app name and click Create Application to immediately create the application without going through the Create Application Wizard. The simplified Create Application Wizard generates a new application with a single page and default settings.
The list of additional create options now has a new look and new options to use the full Create App Wizard or Quick SQL.
Parent topic: New Features
2.18 Simplified Application Export
Exporting applications, pages, and components is now centralized and standardized, making exports more user-friendly. When you export, APEX now only displays the essential, customizable export content, providing a more intuitive experience.
Parent topic: New Features
2.19 Simplified Application Import
The import wizard is streamlined and simplified to make importing easier than ever. Install apps with or without supporting objects, pages, and components in just a few steps.
Parent topic: New Features
2.20 Improvements to Background Page Processing
- a new Context Value to allow better control for serialization of multiple process instances
- improved error handling
- the ability to submit a background execution as part of the main transaction
Parent topic: New Features
2.21 Populate List Item Subentries with List Reference
Child items of a static list item can now be populated by referencing a list, with the ability to nest lists up to 10 levels. The referenced list can be static or dynamic. Use the List Utilization report to easily identify list and sublist relations.
Sublist references are fully integrated with the copy and subscribe functionality, meaning a sublist is automatically copied to the target application when the referencing list is copied. Sublist references are fully supported by application export and import.
Parent topic: New Features
2.22 Translate Default Reports
Parent topic: New Features
2.23 Ubiquitous Search
With Oracle Database 23ai Ubiquitous Database Search, you can use the DBMS_SEARCH
PL/SQL package for indexing of multiple schema objects in a single index. APEX supports Ubiquitous Search indexes by providing a new search type in the Search Configuration wizard: Oracle Ubiquitous Search.
Parent topic: New Features
2.24 New Instance Parameters for APEX_INSTANCE_ADMIN
APEX_INSTANCE_ADMIN
:
RESTRICT_APPS_HEADER
that identifies the HTTP request header and restricts access to a specific list of applications based on a list in the headerDISABLE_APPS_LOGIN
disables login to APEX apps when set toY
. You can disable login to specific apps by using a comma-separated list of app IDs.
DISABLE_APPS_LOGIN
by going to Internal Administration, Manage Instance, Security.
Parent topic: New Features
2.25 EMP/DEPT Dataset Support in Arabic and Italian
The EMP/DEPT
dataset is now available in Arabic and Italian.
To install the datasets, go to SQL Workshop, Utilities, and then click Sample Datasets. For more information on sample datasets, see Accessing Sample Datasets in Oracle APEX SQL Workshop Guide.
Parent topic: New Features
2.26 Store Static Resources in Oracle Cloud Object Storage
Static application files, including images, CSS, and JavaScript files, can now be stored in Oracle Cloud Object Storage. For more information on using OCI for static application file storage, see Managing Static Application Files in Oracle APEX App Builder User’s Guide.
Parent topic: New Features
2.27 Utility Apps Available in Gallery
Utility apps are ready-to-use apps that simplify common APEX application development tasks. If available, the Utility App category shows in the App Gallery. For more on the App Gallery, see Using the App Gallery in Oracle APEX App Builder User’s Guide.
Parent topic: New Features
2.28 JavaScript API Updates
New and Changed APIs
apex.util.escapeHTML
: whenpValue
isNULL
, an empty string is returned.- Removed option
lovValuesOptimization
fromfacetsRegion listControl
andselectListControl
types because it was not useful and is no longer used. mapRegion
optiontileLayer
has a number of new properties.model.allowDelete
has a change in behavior for tree shape models: all the child nodes must also allow delete.model.walkTree pVisitor
parameterpostNode
callback allows for post-order traversal.facetsRegion
interface describes Flexible Operators for facet type Input Field.
Fixed or Improved Examples
The Index Introduction text is improved.
apex.pwa.getPushSubscription
model.child
model.childCount
model.clearChanges
model.fetchAll
model.setValue
Improved API Descriptions
grid
andtableModelView
widget optionhideSinglePage
interactiveGrid
widget type definitiontoolbarData
propertiesmodel.clearChanges
model.getRecord
model.getTotalRecords
model.setData
model.setValue pValue
parametermodel.walkTree
Parent topic: New Features
2.29 JavaScript Library Upgrades
- Backbone.js 1.4.1
- DOMPurify 3.0.5
- FullCalendar 6.1.8
- jQuery Migrate 3.4.1
- lodash 4.17.21
- Marked.js 5.1.2
- Oracle JET 15.0.7
- Oracle Rich Text Library (ORTL) 1.0.2 (APEX 23.2.9 and later)
- Terser 5.19.2
- TinyMCE 6.7.1
Parent topic: New Features