Application Express 3.1.2 Released

This afternoon we released Application Express 3.1.2. As for every patch set for Application Express, we released this in the form of a patch set on MetaLink (Patch Number 7313609) as well as a full release which can be downloaded from OTN. Thus:

1. If you have Application Express 3.1 or 3.1.1 installed, you'll want to download the APEX 3.1.2 patch set and apply it.
2. If you have Application Express 3.0 or earlier installed (all the way back to HTML DB 1.5), you'll want to download and install the entire APEX 3.1.2 release from OTN.
3. If you don't have Application Express installed, you'll want to download and install the entire APEX 3.1.2 release.

Application Express 3.1.2 is inclusive of the modifications made for Application Express 3.1.1 as well as some new bug fixes. It also includes corrections for a couple of regressions (unfortunately) introduced in the APEX 3.1.1 patch set as well as the issues introduced in APEX 3.1.1 with the labels and 2D Flash charts. Lastly, we took Billy V's comments to heart and revised the patch set installation instructions (although I'm sure we'll get further opinions).

The Application Express 3.1.2 patch set was applied to http://apex.oracle.com on Wednesday, 27-AUG-2008.

Oracle Application Express and Oracle MetaLink

When customers have questions about the scalability of Oracle Application Express or Oracle’s commitment to Application Express, the use of Application Express in Oracle MetaLink is often cited by other customers.

Recently, an e-mail from the Oracle MetaLink team went out to MetaLink users, inviting them to try out the new Oracle MetaLink and get their feedback. The new MetaLink is not written with Oracle Application Express, prompting some customers to write an e-mail to me and ask me what’s going on. There was also a recent discussion on one of the ODTUG mailing lists about this very topic. Here are some statements which will undoubtedly be inferred from this change:

1. Oracle is no longer committed to Oracle Application Express
2. Oracle Application Express couldn’t handled the scalability needs of Oracle MetaLink

Let me say that both of these statements are false.

Oracle acquired many companies and products over the past few years. Included in these acquisitions was software to help manage the customer relationship. This really became a business decision of either continuing to maintain and extend custom-written software in Oracle Application Express and PL/SQL, or use the off-the-shelf software that Oracle sells. As Tom Kyte often references the “Buy versus Build” decision, this one was even simpler – “Buy versus Own”.

That’s the decision in a nutshell. Anything else inferred from this change would be factually incorrect.