If you’re in the world of Oracle Cloud, you are most likely busy planning your big switch to Redwood. While it’s easy to get excited about a new look and a plethora of AI features, I want to take some time to talk about a tool that’s new (at least to me) that comes along with Redwood. Functional users will come to know VB Studio as the new method for delivering page customizations, but I’ve learned it’s much more.
VB Studio has been around since 2020, but I only started learning about it recently. At its core, VB Studio is Oracle’s extension platform. It provides users with a safe way to customize by building around their systems instead of inside of it. Since changes to the core code are not allowed, upgrades are much less problematic and time consuming. Let’s look at how users of different expertise might use VB Studio.
Oracle Cloud Application Developers
I wouldn’t call myself a developer, but this is the area I fit into. Moving forward, I will not be using Page Composer or HCM Experience Design Studio…and I’m pretty happy about that. Every client I work with wants customization, so having a one-stop shop with Redwood is a game-changer after years of juggling tools.
Sandboxes are gone. VB Studio uses Git repositories with branches to track and log every change. Branches let multiple people work on different features without conflict, and teams review and merge changes into the main branch in a controlled process.
And what about when these changes are ready for production? By setting up a pipeline from your development environment to your production environment, these changes can be pushed straight into production. This is huge for me! It reduces the time needed to implement new Oracle modules. It also helps with updating or changing existing systems as well. I’ve spent countless hours on video calls instructing system administrators on how to perform requested changes in their production environment because their policy did not allow me to have access. Now, I can make these changes in a development instance and push them to production. The sys admin can then view these changes and approve or reject them for production. Simple!
Low-Code Developers
Customizations to existing features are great, but what about building entirely new functionality and embedding it right into your system? VB Studio simplifies building applications, letting low-code developers move quickly without getting bogged down in traditional coding. With VB Studio’s visual designer, developers can drag and drop components, arrange them the way they want, and preview changes instantly. This is exciting for me because I feel like it is accessible for someone who does very little coding. Of course, for those who need more flexibility, you can still add custom logic using familiar web technologies like JavaScript and HTML (also accessible with the help of AI). Once your app is ready, deployment is easy. This approach means quicker turnaround, less complexity, and applications that fit your business needs perfectly.
Experienced Programmers
Okay, now we’re getting way out of my league here, so I’ll be brief. If you really want to get your hands dirty by modifying the code of an application created by others, you can do that. If you prefer building a completely custom application using the web programming language of your choice, you can also do that. Oracle offers users a wide range of tools and stays flexible in how they use them. Organizations need tailored systems, and Oracle keeps evolving to make that possible.
https://www.oracle.com/application-development/visual-builder-studio/
