Oracle Forms applications often provide an out-of-date client/server user experience, may have poor usability and accessibility issues, have difficulties working with various browsers, and are not mobile friendly. Finally, it is often difficult and cost prohibitive to hire skilled Oracle Forms developers.
For net new requirements or major functional upgrades, it may be best to consider your alternatives. As Oracle APEX and Oracle Forms are both SQL and PL/SQL based, and provide declarative development environments, it is easy for developers to transition from Oracle Forms to Oracle APEX.
Convert legacy Oracle Forms and ADF apps that are no longer meeting requirements to APEX
Modern, Beautiful, Responsive, Web-based Apps
The Universal Theme within APEX produces modern apps with the ability to declaratively define different theme styles and easily utilize template options to develop apps your end users will love to use.
Cohesive Design Patterns
APEX makes it easy to develop intuitive, accessible apps similar to other popular Web apps. End Users should be able to navigate around and use all the functionality within an APEX app without needing training, which also makes it ideal for customer or partner facing apps.
Rapid Application Development
Given APEX is metadata-based then it is very quick and easy to maintain or enhance the page definitions as needed. If you need to fully extend a page you can utilize SQL, PL/SQL, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.
Run on *any* Web Browser
Running an APEX app is 100% browser based, and requires no client software. The apps are fully-responsive, making them mobile-ready by default, which means they can run in your browser on any device.
Oracle forms to APEX
Although Oracle Forms and APEX share code and data model in terms of PLSQL and RDBMS, they share neither structure nor architecture. This often turns out to be one of the knockout challenges in a Form and Report application with 100+ Forms. Building an APEX application reflecting 100+ forms often results in highly complex applications for maintenance and
poor performance, when run. The unique SoftBASE MasterApp addresses this and is a central building block in SoftBASE Forms to APEX migration projects.
The SoftBASE MasterApp adds modularity and security to APEX. Applications are grouped into logical modules, meaning you can build a small application, where each application solves a specific part or function of the end-user application. Authentication and Authorization for all apps are maintained centrally for all applications. Hereby APEX is augmented to fit collaboration and complex App-development – also Forms migration. The Forms to APEX migration is done in proven predefined steps and can be offered, after a POC, project as a fixed price project. The steps include:
Grouping of forms
Module definition
GUI generation
Code transition, divided into functional, validation, query and transactional into DB packages
Navigation definition
Testing
SoftBASE MasterApp comes with built-in features, easy to use, and set up for users, like wizards, shortcuts, and quick navigation. Oracle reports will be migrated as well. Most reports can be migrated directly to APEX Reports but some formatted reports may need extras. SoftBASE uses the tool PLPDF for formatted Oracle reports migration.
ADF to APEX
We migrate ADF applications to APEX. The rich Oracle Faces components, that provide the UI are moved to APEX pages and provide a responsive user experience (UX) on any device. The business layer is moved to the database. Afterward, you are left with a maintainable application, accessible both from thick PC clients as well as mobile devices.
Other applications
If you have other old applications or systems we are more than happy to look at them. We cannot guarantee that we can migrate any kind of application but with our 25 years of migration experience the chances are fairly high.
Upgrades
Sometimes it is difficult to handle a project like an upgrade of user interface, database, etc. Where do you start? What skills are necessary? Why interrupt your daily business with "just another interim" project. Run it through our Migration Factory smoothly and easily and get the result delivered at your doorstep.
We are experts in different kinds of upgrades to the latest supported release. We have over the years developed a truly unique method to upgrade older versions of applications to an up-to-date version. We perform upgrades as pure upgrades or value upgrades. Our upgrades are done through our Migration Factory, done Remotely and to a fixed price and time.
Lately, we have had deliveries of integrations, upgrades, and modernizations from our Migration Factory without any on-site consulting (Covid-19) – all handled via a shared development resource setup. This setup acts as an extension of the customer’s development environment. The simultaneous access to the code – combined with Web-meetings – provides agility and efficiency.
Database Upgrades
We perform different database upgrades from earlier none DB's to the latest DB version. This will make it easy for you to maintain the database moving forward. We also move databases to the Cloud based databases, both PaaS and Database Instances in the Cloud.
Organizations, even with professional DBA's do not do database upgrades on a daily basis. We do. This gives us the routine and expertise to secure a safe path for your organization in the upgrade process.
Oracle Forms Pure Upgrade
The Pure-upgrade from one version to the latest version 12.2.1.4 is automated and keeps the original source code without any extensions to the User Interface. The system owner will benefit from a supported stack, for further development, less or no client administration, as no client installation or configuration is needed for the Forms Standalone Launcher, faster Software, and less network impact. Users will benefit from automated scaling of the client according to the screen resolution, on Windows clients. More parameters for coloring and a generally smoother GU
Oracle Forms Value upgrade
With value upgrade, your forms application - as a part of the upgrade process - will be improved in UI (User Interface), UX (User experience), productivity components, and integration components. As with pure upgrade, the original source code is kept, without changes. All Value upgrade components are built using Native Forms Components. This secures that your application remains compatible with announced future releases and upgrades from Oracle. All Reports will be upgraded automatically and tested.
Other upgrades
We also perform a number of other upgrades of databases and applications. One example could be from an older APEX version to the latest version. Contact us for further information on how we can help you upgrade your application.