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Create an App from a Spreadsheet (Free & Fast with Oracle APEX)

· 5 min read

In this tutorial, you'll learn how to transform a basic spreadsheet into a beautiful analytical user interface using Oracle APEX — all without writing a single line of code.



🎯 What You'll Learn​


  1. How to import a spreadsheet into Oracle APEX
  2. Automatically generate an app with dashboards, reports, and search
  3. Explore and extend the app visually with no-code tools
  4. Compare with alternatives like PowerApps and AppSheet

🧰 Prerequisites​


  1. An Oracle APEX workspace (free-tier OK)
  2. Sample customer sales CSV (Download and use as sample data)

🔧 Step 1: Load Your Spreadsheet​


  1. Login to your Oracle APEX workspace
  2. Go to App Builder → Create a New App
  3. Choose "Create App from a File"
  4. Upload customer_sales_workbook.csv or drag & drop
  5. Set table name to: CUSTOMER_SALES_DATA
  6. Click Load Data and verify 427 rows were imported

💡 APEX supports CSV, XLSX, JSON, XML — or direct copy/paste!

🚀 Step 2: Generate the App​


After loading the spreadsheet:


  1. Click View Table
  2. In Object Browser → click More → Create App
  3. Enter App Name: CUSTOMER_SALES
  4. Upload a custom app icon (optional)
  5. Rename pages like:
    1. Customer Sales Report
    2. Customer Sales Search
  6. Enable Progressive Web App (PWA) support
  7. Click Create Application

🌐 Step 3: Run & Explore the App​


Click Run Application, login with your workspace credentials.


Then try:


  1. 📊 Dashboard: View charts from your spreadsheet data
  2. 🔍 Faceted Search: Interactively filter your high school data
  3. 📑 Interactive Report: Click Edit to see form-based views

🎨 The app uses Dark Mode (from APEX 24.2) by default

🧪 Bonus: What's Happening Behind the Scenes?​


  1. A new table CUSTOMER_SALES_DATA was created in Oracle DB
  2. APEX auto-generated reports, dashboards, forms, and filters
  3. You can enhance it further with REST APIs, plugins, and maps

✅ Pros & ❌ Cons of Using Oracle APEX on OCI​


  1. Very simple to generate a web interface
  2. Free tier is as good as free
  3. Supports external APIs (e.g., PostgreSQL)
  4. Integrates with Okta and other OAuth tools

🤖 How Does This Compare?​


FeatureOracle APEXPowerAppsAppSheetHoneycode
SQL/DB Integration✅ Native⚠️ Limited⚠️ Sheets❌
No-code UI Builder✅ Yes✅✅✅
Enterprise Ready✅ Yes✅⚠️❌
Cost Transparency✅ Clear⚠️✅✅

Below diagram shows the pictorial comparison


Radar chart comparing Oracle APEX with Azure Power Apps, GCP AppSheet, AWS Honeycode, and Mendix across five key criteria


Comparison Dimensions


This radar chart shows a visual comparison of Oracle APEX and other popular low-code platforms across the following categories:


  1. Web UI Builder: Ability to create modern user interfaces with little to no code.
  2. SQL Integration: Strength of database integration and native SQL support.
  3. Enterprise Ready: Capability to support large-scale, production-ready applications.
  4. Auth/Security: Built-in support for authentication, authorization, and access controls.
  5. Mobile Support: Native or responsive support for mobile form factors.

🧠 Key Takeaways​


  1. 🏆 Oracle APEX leads in SQL integration and enterprise readiness, thanks to its deep database roots and mature security architecture.
  2. ⚖️ Azure Power Apps offers solid enterprise and UI capabilities, but limited SQL depth.
  3. 📊 Google AppSheet is great for mobile and sheet-based apps, but lacks SQL-first design.
  4. 🧩 AWS Honeycode and Mendix vary in feature sets, but trail in native SQL and enterprise scalability.

📝 Why It Matters​


Choosing the right low-code platform depends on your goals:


  1. For data-heavy internal apps, APEX stands out.
  2. For simple workflows or quick prototypes, AppSheet and Power Apps may suffice.
  3. For cross-cloud flexibility or open standards, Mendix is worth exploring.

❤️ Why Developers & Teams Love APEX​


  1. Rapid app delivery
  2. Native database performance
  3. Secure, extensible, free to try
  4. Works in-browser — no install required

🙌 Wrap-up​


From spreadsheet to dashboard — all in under 5 minutes.


🧡 Try it yourself at [apex.oracle.com](https://apex.oracle.com/ or from [cloud.oracle.com] --> Developer Services --> APEX)

📎 Resources​


  1. Oracle APEX Free Tier
  2. Download customer sales workbook CSV
  3. Oracle APEX Documentation

🔚 Call to Action​


Choosing the right platform depends on your organizations needs. For more insights, subscribe to our newsletter for insights on cloud computing, tips, and the latest trends in technology. or follow our video series on cloud comparisons.


Need help launching your app on AWS? Visit arinatechnologies.com for expert help in cloud architecture.


Interested in having your organization setup on cloud? If yes, please contact us and we'll be more than glad to help you embark on cloud journey.


💬 Drop a comment below if you'd like to see part 2 (add maps, filters, and REST APIs!)