AI Assistants Enhance Oracle APEX for Streamlined Low-Code Enterprise App Development

Oracle’s low-code development platform is now enhanced with artificial intelligence to accelerate the creation of enterprise applications through natural language processing. Key features include the APEX AI Assistant, which allows developers to generate valid SQL statements, thereby eliminating routine coding tasks. Additionally, the Create App Assistant generates application blueprints, enabling developers to concentrate on functionality rather than underlying code. Furthermore, Oracle has integrated conversational AI dialogs that allow end-users to interact with applications, enriching the in-app experience.

These AI assistants are currently available within Oracle APEX.

“As a developer who writes SQL every day, I understand the challenges of recalling table names, column names, and infrequently used syntax,” says Mike Hichwa, Oracle’s Senior Vice President for Software Development. “An AI assistant that identifies column names, manages JOINS, and generates complex syntax is a true game changer.”

The APEX AI Assistant facilitates the creation of SQL statements through natural language prompts, builds applications using a conversational interface for SQL, server-side JavaScript, and PL/SQL, and provides contextual assistance for syntax checks and debugging.

Oracle APEX, introduced in 2019 and developed by Hichwa, is a fully supported, no-cost feature of the Oracle Database. It aims to minimize coding requirements for new applications. Hichwa notes that since its launch, many customers have developed feature-rich APEX applications, supporting thousands of users with small development teams. Many started using APEX for internal line-of-business applications.

Oracle claims that the platform has empowered developers to build and deploy enterprise applications "20 times faster with 100 times less code," resulting in over 21 million applications created by more than 850,000 developers globally. Oracle APEX is utilized across various industries, including financial services, healthcare, transportation, and education, facilitating diverse applications like clinical trials and equipment leasing management.

Hichwa emphasizes, “The primary reason customers consistently choose Oracle APEX is its agility; it allows them to build applications in weeks, not months, compared to traditional coding methods. This approach significantly reduces technical debt, enabling companies to modernize or create new applications without the burden of managing vulnerabilities or bugs in their code.”

He adds, “With APEX, the focus shifts to capturing the application's intent—what you want to achieve, not how—which is now aided by AI. Oracle APEX manages the implementation details, allowing developers to unleash their creativity. As we enhance Oracle APEX, every application built on it improves as well.”