Update: This article was originally published in May 2022. However, it was updated several times with new details. The latest update was in January 2025 and contained information about the current timeframe for Oracle Forms support, our AI Forms to APEX Assistant and a Forms to APEX migration FAQ.

Technology is constantly evolving. A solution that was great just a few years ago can be irrelevant today, giving companies many reasons to “make the jump” to something more modern. This is even more true for software that is a few decades old – while many such solutions are often constantly improved, even after all these years, they still aren’t as optimal as a new technology, created with the needs of today in mind. 

The continued support is usually enough to keep things stable, but sometimes it’s better to rip the band-aid off and migrate to something new. One such case is the good old Oracle Forms which has a natural successor in the form of Oracle’s low-code platform – Oracle Application Express (APEX).

In this guide, I’ll explain how Oracle Forms migration to Oracle APEX can benefit your business, show you a real-life case study of such a migration, and our new tool that can help you estimate the migration project – 🤖 AI Forms to APEX Assistant. At the end of this article, there’s also a free 👉 Oracle Forms Migration Checklist waiting for you.

A little bit of history

Oracle Forms

Oracle Forms is a Rapid Application Development (RAD) tool that allows you to create data entry systems that use database objects (mostly information) from the Oracle Database. It uses the popular PL/SQL language. While originally Forms was a standalone product, currently it’s a component of Oracle Fusion Middleware.

The first version of Oracle Forms was known by a different name – Interactive Application Facility (IAF) – and saw the light of day in 1981 (along with the second iteration of the Oracle Database). IAF was later renamed to FastForms and then SQL*Forms, which is where the current name comes from (it came along with version 4.0). This technology’s first variant comprised only a compiler and a runtime interpreter, but it quickly grew and evolved.

The main reason Forms got popular is the relative simplicity and ease of use. Creating Oracle Forms applications is a very natural process – anyone with basic SQL and PL/SQL knowledge can handle it. The work of Oracle Forms developers usually comes down to modifying so-called triggers, which are event-handling functions used to generate specific effects (i.e., opening a form after a button is pressed, etc.). Because of this, many things can be done without or with minimal coding. You can also change the form layouts using object libraries. The software also integrates with other solutions and allows you to generate forms using tools such as:

• Oracle Designer – A comprehensive CASE (Computer-Aided Software Engineering) tool integrated with Oracle Forms Developer used for information system design and generation, particularly with Oracle databases, facilitating the design and rapid delivery of scalable, client/server systems. Oracle Designer reached its end of life in 2018 but it was pretty popular in the mid-1990s and mid-2000s.
• Headstart for Oracle Designer – An extension for Oracle Designer that includes templates, PL/SQL libraries, object libraries, and applications that adhere to Oracle’s Custom Development Methodology (CDM). These components work together to accelerate the performance of Oracle Designer, improve productivity, and ensure compliance with CDM standards for quality assurance.

The newest “big” version of Oracle Forms was delivered along with Fusion Middleware 14c and was released in December 2024. 

In the Oracle Forms Statement of Direction from a year ago, the company openly states it has no plans for completely dropping support for Oracle Forms. However, the level of the provided support is another matter. As of January 2025, according to the Oracle Lifetime Support Policy, Premier Support for Fusion Middleware 14c (14.1.x) (and, thus, the current version of Oracle Forms) will end in December 2029 (and Extended Support is next in line, ending in December 2032).

What’s more, Oracle Forms isn’t a future-proof technology. It won’t provide you with functionalities and features typical for current, cutting-edge web apps. It’s also hard to find people who can work with it effectively, since young developers concentrate on other solutions, for obvious reasons (see Matt Mulvaney’s article on hiring Oracle Forms experts).

All of the above means that if you want your Oracle Forms-based software to stay stable and useful, you should start thinking about moving to another, more up-to-date technology now.

Oracle APEX

In a way, Oracle Forms can be considered the great-great-grandfather of Oracle APEX. The basic idea behind these technologies is the same – easy creation of data-driven web applications, with a minimal amount of coding required. Oracle APEX takes this philosophy much further, however, and is a much more evolved and modern technology. Also, most Forms modules (if not all) have their APEX counterparts.

The history of Oracle APEX dates back to 1999 when it was known as Oracle HTML DB (there were also other names, such as Flows and Project Marvel). Over the years, many versions of this technology have been released, and a few groundbreaking features have been introduced – such as plug-ins, Interactive Grid, or REST and PWA support.

Just as with Forms, Oracle APEX uses the PL/SQL programming language. However, as an Oracle APEX developer, you can use the platform to create a simple data-driven application entirely – or almost entirely – through the use of specialized Wizards that allow you to connect various ready-made elements and make them work together. You can set up a basic business logic, create a layout and interface, and get things working without writing a single line of code. Of course, if you’re not afraid of the command line and have the necessary coding skills (or team up with someone skilled), you can still use them to deliver more complex and powerful solutions (this is the key difference between no-code and low-code solutions).

It’s also worth noting that APEX uses the same database that Forms does (Oracle DB), so it’s equally scalable, safe, and stable. You also retain access to important features, ML/AI modules, Spatial, and so on. The main difference is that, unlike Forms, APEX is a modern web technology based on the Oracle Cloud infrastructure. In other words, it works in the cloud.

There are no plans to abandon the development of Oracle APEX. It’s quite the opposite: APEX is becoming popular in the world of low-code development and, thus, is actively developed and supported by Oracle. Moreover, the company’s CEO, Larry Ellison, openly stated he considers APEX to be a strategic platform – Oracle will use it to create most of its new applications and move many of its existing apps to this technology. All of this means the platform keeps evolving and improving, which is great news for your company. The current version of Oracle APEX is 24.2, and it was released in January 2025.

Migration of Oracle Forms applications – 10 benefits of moving to APEX

Migrating your existing Forms system to Oracle APEX can be quite beneficial. Here are the biggest advantages associated with making that change:

1. You don’t need a Java Development Kit or Java Runtime Environment on your PC to run the apps created in Oracle APEX. It means easier access for the end-users (employees in your company or your clients).
2. The apps created in APEX can be run via a web browser on PCs, Macs, and mobile devices. Edge, Chrome, Firefox, and Safari are supported officially.
3. Application development also happens in a modern development environment in the web browser. Thus, there’s no need for you to install special tools such as JDeveloper, Forms Builder, and so on.
4. You have many more options when it comes to designing the interface of your applications, thanks to the various themes and styles that are included in Oracle APEX. Designing or changing the look is also easier and more intuitive.
5. APEX can be used for free if you’re already using Oracle DB (and, since we’re talking about migrating from DB-based Oracle Forms, you probably are). Also, all Oracle DB (Oracle Database) editions support some version of APEX, though exact compatibility depends on the specific iteration (for example, the APEX 22.1 requires Oracle DB 12.1, whereas the previous one worked with version 11).
6. Oracle APEX is cloud-compatible. You can even run a full database in the cloud (Oracle’s so-called Autonomous Database, or a non-autonomous solution such as AWS or Azure), which means you don’t need to manage and maintain the infrastructure on-premise. You also get all the great benefits of migrating to the cloud – automated backups, recovery, and patching.
7. As of version 24.1, Oracle APEX is an AI-ready platform. The solution provides an AI assistant that can help you generate, explain, optimize, and debug SQL queries (though you can also use it with HTML, CSS, PL/SQL, and JavaScript). Integrating AI capabilities into your apps is also very easy thanks to the new APEX_AI API, an abstraction layer for AI service configuration at the Workspace level, and a dedicated Dynamic Action for enabling AI-powered conversational experiences.
8. You don’t need Oracle WebLogic licenses to use APEX. You still need to deploy Oracle REST Data Services (ORDS) to the server to access APEX applications, but it doesn’t need to be done via the WebLogic Server. You can use free, open-source solutions such as Eclipse Jetty or Apache Tomcat (though Tomcat is the only solution supported officially). This helps lower licensing costs even further (and means greater flexibility for the developers).
9. As a true low-code platform, APEX is even easier to use than Forms, and it means that more non-technical people (so-called citizen developers) can take part in software development.
10. When you convert Oracle Forms system to an APEX one, you continue to use the same tech stack. That means your company doesn’t have to acquire new IT specialists or teach new things to existing employees, outside of a few APEX-related tricks. You can use existing assets – such as licenses, people, and business knowledge – to the fullest extent. This is incredibly important.

👉 Read more about citizen developers and other advantages of low-code development

Oracle Forms migration – Possible problems to be aware of

Is the Oracle Forms migration to Oracle APEX all sunshine and roses? Not necessarily. There are some drawbacks, or at the very least possible problems, that you need to be aware of if you’re considering making the move from Oracle Forms to APEX. 

One of the biggest issues you might encounter is the reluctance of long-time employees to adopt a new technical solution. The problem is directly connected to Forms’ age – some companies have been using apps based on Oracle Forms for many years. Their employees learned every button and field and got very accustomed to the way things are. It’s a certain kind of comfort that shouldn’t be neglected – remember that apps are built for people, not the other way around.

The best way around that issue is to show these employees that the new solution is nothing to be feared – it can be quite similar to what they know, but also makes their lives easier in several ways they haven’t thought of before. So, when you‘re looking for Oracle APEX developers, make sure that they not only know how to migrate from Forms to APEX but also have the soft skills necessary to present the new solution to non-tech-savvy people at your company. It can be easier if you find some “ambassadors for change” – people that you can consult the plans with, who can later explain them to others

There’s also a strong possibility that migration from Forms to APEX will be pretty complex. Sure, you’re still using the same tech stack, but you (or the software vendor you work with) might have to recreate many parts of the system from scratch and try to fit them into the infrastructure. Depending on your particular circumstances, this can take quite a bit of time and money.

Forms-APEX migration – how did we do it at Pretius?

Why did I decide to write an article on Oracle Forms migration to APEX? Because we already did a few projects like that, our clients saw the benefits, and so we decided to spread the word. Here’s a real-life case study of one of these projects.

Pretius was tasked with migrating the IT infrastructure of VAN cargo – a European TSL (transport-shipping-logistics) company that specializes in overland transport. Their existing technology stack was quite old and didn’t meet the business needs anymore, especially in light of the plans to utilize a complex freight management system with powerful AI-enabled capabilities.

We started with a classic migration, but during the project, it turned out it wouldn’t be enough in this case. We’ve had to rewrite several parts of the system in APEX from start to end, and fit them into the company’s infrastructure. The more we worked, the more elements had to be replaced in this way. And the result was worth it. The client received a future-proof, cloud-based system that can be used on pretty much any device connected to the Internet. It also costs much less in terms of licenses and general operating expenses.

There was also another problem – some of the company’s employees got very used to how things were and weren’t too keen to see changes implemented. This is why we’ve worked with the client closely to make sure that the new, APEX-based solution won’t be too drastic of a change. We’ve taken the time to train some of those employees in the Agile methodology, and the use of Oracle APEX – so that they are independent and able to maintain their solution without our help.

The new e-VAN system was a success. According to Adam Kasperowicz, the CIO at VAN group, “it has become an innovative tool and work environment” that allowed the company to use “the potential of the latest trends and technological solutions: web & mobile development, responsiveness, integrations, low-code, and cloud computing”. It is now used by over 600 employees of VAN and the collaboration between Pretius and VAN group continues.

📘 Want to read more about this project? Read our comprehensive case study of the Freight management system for VAN group. You can also find a publication about it on Oracle’s official blog

Pretius AI Forms to APEX Assistant

Oracle Forms to APEX migration projects can be complex and daunting, but there are ways to streamline them to a degree. We’ve created an AI-powered Forms to APEX Assistant that serves this precise role. Here’s what it can do for you:

1. It helps you estimate the time your migration project will take – the calculation is based on the provided FMB or XML files and uses the power of AI and the expertise of Pretius developers. 
2. It allows you to kickstart the actual migration process – during the initial analysis, the tool flags potential issues you might encounter. It also uses object report lists for AI-based code conversion, which is an immense help for these kinds of migration projects.
3. It provides AI assistance to the developers throughout the project – the assistant also provides various AI-generated insights and ready-made code snippets to speed up the whole migration process.

For more information on the Pretius AI Forms to APEX Assistant, check out the video we’ve published on our YouTube channel.

But that’s not all! To dispel any potential security concerns, we’ve also prepared an Oracle Forms XML Randomizer you can use to anonymize all the sensitive data before you send it to us. To use it, you have to convert your FMB files into XMLs, and then you feed these XMLs to the Randomizer we provide (or we can do it for you). It’s important to note that while scrambling the data won’t affect the migration time estimates, it limits us to statistical evaluation – a full AI-driven analysis won’t be possible with such data.

We’ve already used the AI Forms to APEX Assistant a number of times, and it proved to be very accurate (around 90% accuracy!) and helpful. For example, during a project for one of our clients from the banking industry, the company executives were worried about how long the migration may take. We used AI Forms to APEX Assitant to dissuade their concerns. They were very impressed with the transparency this tool offered. After a few months, when it became obvious that the accuracy of the estimates was also remarkable – the executives decided to increase the budget for this Forms to APEX migration project.

🤖 Do you want to benefit from AI Forms to APEX Assistant? Let us know using the contact form below and we’ll organize free consultations to help you estimate your migration project.

Popular questions regarding the Forms to APEX migration

If you’re interested in an Oracle Forms to APEX migration, we have a couple of useful gifts for you. The first thing we’ve prepared for you is an FAQ that contains answers to questions we often hear during meetings with clients. It should help you understand both the migration process and our AI-powered assistant a bit better.

Can we use AI Forms to APEX Assistant if we have a very old version of Forms?

Yes, it will work fine. The code migration requires the Object Report List, which is readily available in Forms 6i (see picture) and has been available since Forms 2.5.

For the AI features, you first need to convert your Forms files to XML using the Forms2XML Conversion Tool. This tool was introduced in Oracle9i Oracle Developer Suite. Therefore you first need to install any version of Forms 9i or higher to be able to use Forms2XML. To be clear, only Forms Builder is required. You do not need to go through a full application upgrade process.

Does AI Forms to APEX Assistant migrate the Forms automatically?

The Assistant guides the developer through the process, providing:

• AI analysis of the Form looking for troublesome areas
• Automatic code conversion of the Forms’ PL/SQL to a DB package
• AI utility modules, e.g., creating driving SQL from regions and POST-QUERY triggers

Following these guidelines, the developer is in a much stronger position to effectively migrate forms than without them.

Is it possible to migrate Oracle Forms-based applications automatically?

No, and no such solution exists. The automated process is hampered by several reasons:

• A Forms Program Unit is a combination of conditions, authentications, processes & validations. APEX requires these to be split out into clearly defined logical areas
• A Forms Program Unit contains Forms-specific PL/SQL, for example the SYNCHRONIZE command. These have no APEX equivalents
• Applications rebuilt in APEX will inherently look and function differently, requiring manual adjustment

However, the developers can use AI Forms to APEX Assistant to speed up the conversion of the above-mentioned conditions, commands, interfaces, etc. – making the whole process semi-automated.

Why is your solution different?

Our solution guides the developer through the migration process providing AI insights and AI code assistance. The automatic code conversion gives the developer an enormous head start in the redevelopment process and has proven to reduce the redevelopment time of each form.

How long would the migration take?

It depends on your particular circumstances. However, through a combination of statistical, AI and human analysis based on past projects, we will provide you with an accurate estimate.

Can you estimate the costs of such a migration?

Whilst the tool itself does not provide indicative costings, Pretius provides competitive rates for our talented team to perform the redevelopment work.

Oracle APEX release 24.2 requires an Oracle Database release 19c or later. APEX runs on all database editions (EE, SE & Free), including single instance, RAC and Cloud offerings. Should your Oracle Forms DB require upgrading, Pretius can provide upgrade services. DB upgrade costs may need to be factored into the overall cost.

On the other hand, using APEX itself is free for any company that is already using Oracle DB which means that you get rid of license costs.

Is it migration or modernization?

We often get asked to perform a one-to-one UI conversion of the Forms to APEX in the belief this is quicker to perform. This is a false belief, as it’s much faster for APEX developers to utilize the modern, responsive design of the Universal Theme using native APEX components. Getting APEX to mimic the nuances of Oracle Forms is time-consuming and tedious – and the outcomes are inferior.

In addition, Oracle Forms users take advantage of keyboard control, with the function keys F1-F12 being utilized. This does not typically translate to web applications. 

Finally, the designs of a legacy application were fine 20 years ago, however, there are many more web components that can be utilized within the APEX framework. Therefore this may be the ideal opportunity for a fresh makeover. The results will be spectacular.

When should I migrate to APEX? When to choose another solution?

Oracle has prepared a questionnaire to help you decide.

A Forms to APEX migration fits well because:

• The DB can be totally reused, including all server-side code
• PL/SQL is at the heart of both applications
• Forms developers can be reskilled in APEX following Learning Paths

When deciding on an alternative to APEX, do consider:

• The existing skillset of the development team
• The investment already made in the DB
• Long-term technology strategy of your organization
• Integration requirements with other systems and technologies
• Performance and scalability needs of the application
• Budget constraints and total cost of ownership
• Desired level of vendor independence

Does the Assistant work with complex Forms?

Yes. A common situation in a Forms migration project is that the forms vary in complexity. Some are simple, but many will be complex. The latter require more attention, and typically, so-called automatic solutions can’t handle them. The Pretius AI Forms to APEX Assistant can work with any form, regardless of its complexity. The developer working with the Assistant can navigate through both simple and sophisticated forms that utilize complex libraries, PLLs, subclassing, JAVA Beans, etc.

I hope that the answers above have cleared up most of your doubts. But that’s not all – we have also prepared Oracle Forms to Oracle APEX Migration Checklist. It’s a tool that we have created for our clients at Pretius to better understand their needs and speed up the process of creating offers. Now, we provide you with the complete document for free. You can use it to prepare for the Oracle Forms to APEX migration – answering the questions on this checklist will help you spot any bottlenecks, etc. And if, after filling out the survey, you feel that you might benefit from working with an experienced low-code development vendor – well, we’re here for you. 😉

Conclusion

Moving from the good old Oracle Forms to Oracle APEX can be very advantageous. The benefits can be seen in several areas – from lower costs to easier development – and should be noticeable for companies in many industries and fields. What’s more, from a technical standpoint, migration is fairly easy, as both solutions were developed by the same company. The fact that APEX can be used for free doesn’t hurt either. 

This doesn’t mean that it’s an easy choice, however. If you want some guidance in this area or are simply looking for a team capable of handling big-scale migration projects, drop us a line at hello@pretius.com or use the contact form below. We have a lot of experience with Forms and APEX and we should be able to help you out. We’ll get back to you in 48 hours.

Oracle Forms Migration FAQ

What is Oracle Forms?

Oracle Forms is a Rapid Application Development platform – it allows you to quickly create simple forms-based apps that use the Oracle Database.

Is Oracle Forms obsolete?

Fusion Middleware (which Oracle Forms is a part of) retains its Premier Support status and will continue to do so until the end of 2029. However, it’s fair to say that it’s an old technology that’s losing relevance.

What is the latest version of Oracle Forms?

The latest version of Oracle Forms (or Oracle Forms and Reports, to be precise) is 14.1.2.0.0, released in December 2024.

Does Oracle Forms require WebLogic?

Yes. Oracle Forms 14c requires you to use WebLogic Server 14c.

What is Oracle Forms used for?

Oracle Forms is a technology you can use to develop and deploy Forms applications, usually based on data stored in an Oracle Database. These applications can also be integrated with other frameworks and solutions.

Is APEX part of the Oracle Database?

Yes, if you have an Oracle Database license you can use APEX at no additional cost.