Dictionary views of Oracle APEX metadata enables writing of custom documentation, performance of ad hoc metadata reporting and access to metadata from within applications, Oracle said.

An ISV using the product said it offers quick development of Web applications. "I'd like to say it takes a lot of the nonsense out of Web development," said Scott Spendolini, president of Sumner Technologies. The tool takes on functions such as session state management and optimistic locking schemes, he said.

"Basically, I started a company focusing in on building solutions with the tool and we're using it in all the major verticals," such as health care, federal government and education, Spendolini said. One application by Sumner is a Sarbanes-Oxley compliance tool, he said.

Oracle changed the name of the tool because customers asked for the change, Hichwa said. "Customers e-mailed Larry [Ellison, Oracle CEO] and said that the product was all about ease of use and simplicity and the name, HTML DB, made it sound really complicated," Hichwa said.

The tool is accessible here (http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/database/application_express/index.html).