Review: Oracle Application Express 4.0 Cookbook

I decided to add a twist to my usual blogs - a book review, which I have not done before. I have been reading a book - Oracle Apex 4.0 Cookbook by Marcel van der Plas and Michel van Zoest and published by Packt, a UK based publisher. Michel is one of the first Apex Certified Experts in the world - a no small feat. It has been technically reviewed by a well known cast - Oracle ACE Director Dimitri Gielis, who also won Oracle Magazine's Apex Developer of the Year in '09; Maarten van Luijtelaar and Oracle ACE and frequent blogger Surachart Opun.

Why Apex

Back in the early 90's there was a product called SQL*Forms - for those who are old enough to remember that.  Up to verion 3.0, the source code, known as .INP file, was a text file. It was a breeze to generate a form to show data and even do some rudimentary editing. Since the source file was in text format, we used to open the file in vi editor instead of the required Forms Designer and add other fields and records. It was very convenient not just for non-SQL savvy users; but for us as well, to examine and easily fix incorrect data. It certainly beat writing long SQL statements. It was, in a way, one of the original Rapid Application Development environments for Oracle database.

Forms 4.0 changed the convenience factor a little - the source file was no longer text and hence not editable by vi. We had to open the form in the Designer. However, the value proposition of the Forms product as a rapid application development tool remained. It was still possible to create the perfect quick edit tool or a quick application for the non-SQL savvy user in a jiffy. In fact the added "true" graphical interface was a competition for the more popular GUI tools of those times.

Over the course of time, the product ceased to exist by itself. With the advent of the web environment, inclusion of Java and the three tier execution model, Forms assumed a more sophisticated avatar. Rather than being a standalone product, it had to have a crutch in the form of Application Server. While that undoubtedly added reliability, scalability and brought it to the realm of real web development, it took away the convenience of the rapid application development by the non-developers such as DBAs.

That was so until about fifteen years ago, when Oracle introduced WebDB, a database development tool. Later it morphed into a product called HTMLDB, which blossomed into Oracle Application Express. It not only brought web development to Oracle database, it afforded quick application development, and even development of applications by users - end-users; not DBAs or developers. This shifted the whole paradigm in favor of the users, enabling them to roll out apps without mush dependence on their more "skilled" colleagues.

The Book

Now back to this topic. Application Express (fondly called Apex) is pretty well documented and has been around for some time. It has matured as a product and seen its share of coverage in the IT circuits. There is no dearth of books, articles, blogs, code samples, etc. about Apex. So, with all that in place, how long will it take you to create your very first application (assuming you know reasonably about Oracle)?

You might be surprised to find that it will take a while. The manuals and normal books are usually geared towards imparting knowledge about a specific topic - Apex in this case. Quick start is not usually the objective. It's somewhat like the difference between all_rows and first_rows hints.

In addition, most books are designed to build up knowledge through a series of logical steps - starting with concepts. It's very important to understand the concepts to build a strong foundation. However, there will be days when you want to know just how to do a certain stuff. It's like checking a dictionary for the meaning of a word, rather than reading a book about improving vocabulary, or learning about its etymology. It could happen to anyone - beginner or a seasoned professional. I know; I thumb through my own book - RMAN Recipes whenever I am stuck with a task. A cook book format work well. This book is exactly that - a cookbook of recipes which you can quickly refer to instead of spending the time in looking where exactly that is covered.

Detailed Review

1. Apex is a GUI environment; so a book has to have a lot of screenshots to explain things properly. This book does not crimp on that aspect.
2. It has a very useful four section approach for each recipe.
* Getting Ready - the preparation
* How to Do It - the actual work
* How it Works - explanation of the work
* See Also - more information on the topic
3. It starts with how you can start with a simple form from the EMP table. It cleverly points out that 
4. It has recipes to manage several off the shelf utilities, e.g. Google Maps.In most applications today, maps are a choice du rigueur, not just that have a geo-spatial element in them.
5. It handles creating apps in different languages, which is very useful in many cases.
6. If you are already an expert in Apex, you understand how important it is to develop and distribute plug-ins. This book provides the easiest explanation of plug-ins and how to develop them.
7. Using APIs and Webservices is explained lucidly.
8. Finally, one of the thorniest topics - managing Apex environments - has been adequately covered in two chapters.

All in all, this is a solid book to keep for beginners and advanced users alike. I am sure you will like reading this book. I am definitely keeping it as one of my carry along books (I have the e-Book)





http://link.packtpub.com/yEotp8