Oracle offers two tools Application Development Framework (ADF) and Visual Builder Cloud Service (VBCS) for developing responsive design front-end applications. These frameworks are based and implemented through Oracle JET.
In this post, I am going to show you what is the difference between VBCS & ADF and which would one prefer over another. With competing technologies both have value, So the question arises what both have to offer.
If you are new to OIC and want to get familiarise then check our blog Oracle Integration Cloud (OIC) For Beginners Overview
Visual Builder Cloud Service (VBCS)
Oracle Visual Builder is a visual and declarative cloud environment for developing and hosting engaging mobile and web applications.
Oracle Visual Builder provides easy access to data from any REST-based service and enables the creation of custom reusable business objects for storing and managing data. Using cloud-based visual development tools, you can create and test responsive web applications and native mobile apps without the need to install any additional software. The visual designer enables you to quickly layout pages in your applications by dragging and dropping UI components, customizing their attributes, and defining their behavior.
While Oracle Visual Builder provides a rich set of visual designers to enhance productivity, experienced developers always have access to the source code of their applications. Developers can enhance their application’s functionality using the code editors to write custom JavaScript functions and edit application metadata. Oracle Visual Builder leverages the open-source Oracle JavaScript Extension Toolkit (Oracle JET) to create engaging web and mobile interfaces. The reusable Oracle JET Composite Component Architecture (CCA), built based on the Web Component standard, can be added to the application to further enhance the user experience.
Also Read: Our blog post on process cloud service.
Oracle Visual Builder also provides the following tools for building and publishing applications:
- Data management tools for managing business objects and importing and exporting data
- Publishing tools for staging and publishing your applications
- Advanced tools for configuring role-based security and user access management
- Collaboration tools for sharing application resources between team members
- Robust tools for describing requests and responses to Oracle SaaS REST services in the integrated catalog
Check Out : New Homepage of Oracle Integration Cloud .
Advantages VBCS Of Over ADF
- It is not a server-side framework so the client connects with the server just when is needed. This avoids overload of requests to the server and network latency.
- The responsive design behavior of the graphical components is smoother and easier to maintain.
- The CSS implementation and graphical component changes are easier to do due to the fact that the CSS is applied in oracle jet components that work with javascript and HTML. On the other hand, ADF works with ADF Rich components which are harder to maintain graphically through CSS.
- The effect on refresh components is smother and unnoticeable to the user. There is no need to refresh components programmatically because they automatically refresh themselves when their binding values change, unlike ADF where we need to refresh them by code sometimes.
- Use the SPA technology that makes the interaction within the app way more efficient because of the benefits of the Single page application.
- It is made to consume services by REST architecture which usually passes JSON objects, these objects are lighter than XML payload implemented by soap protocol.
- It is not needed to redeploy the app to see any change in the logic of client events, once the change is done a browser refresh is enough to see the app.
- The PAAS is way more efficient to use than the JDeveloper, JDeveloper is a really powerful tool but to use it you need to have a significant amount of RAM memory available in your machine, it consumes a considerable quantity of resources once is running and sometimes with ADF design mode the editor get stuck.
- graphical designer to develop the actions flow logic of the button event, unlike ADF where the action event method has to develop most of the time by java code.
- It works for mobile applications unlike ADF that it is just for the desktop app. MAF is used instead ADF for phone
Read this to know more about what is Web service, API and the difference between SOAP Vs REST API (Simple Object Access Protocol & REST Representational State Transfer) and how are they related.
Application Development Framework (ADF)
Oracle ADF simplifies Java EE development by minimizing the need to write code that implements the application’s infrastructure allowing the developers to focus on the features of the actual application. Oracle ADF provides these infrastructure implementations as part of the framework. To recognize a set of runtime services is not enough, Oracle ADF is also focused on the development experience to provide a visual and declarative approach to Java EE development through the Oracle JDeveloper 11g development tool.
Oracle ADF implements the Model-View-Controller design pattern and offers an integrated solution that covers all the layers of this architecture with the solution to such areas as Object/Relational mapping, data persistence, reusable controller layer, rich Web user interface framework, data binding to UI, security, and customization. Extending beyond the core Web-based MVC approach, ADF also integrates with the Oracle SOA and WebCenter Portal frameworks simplifying the creation of complete composite applications
Check Out : Our Previous Blog On How To Change Visual Builder Tenant DB To Oracle ATP
Advantages ADF Of Over VBCS
- If you are mainly a java developer and JSF specialist, you will not be able to use any of the capabilities and benefits of this technology. This lead to a significant change from Java to Javascript.
- Although you can have your back-end representation on the business object, in most of the real case scenarios you are going to need other tools as OIC, Java CS, SOA CS, ADF BC to expose REST services as is required for the front-end consumption. This requires using other tools, whereas in ADF is easier to do everything just with one code editor “JDeveloper” through ADF BC.
- The use of the oracle PAAS varies depending on use, bytes, times, and messages and can cost more than the use of the ADF framework.
- When it comes to the complex logic of web service data java is more convenient because of its properties “Encapsulation, Polymorphism, and heritage”.
- It is noteworthy to mention some of the cloud disadvantages. It is impossible to work without the internet. If something with the PAAS is not ok, you will not be able to work, it is something out of the developer’s hands because is in the cloud and not on the local environment.
Go through this Oracle Integration Cloud Service Blog to understand the Advantages Of HDL For HCM Data Integration
Difference Between ADF And VBCS
- The most important difference to mention is that ADF is a JSF based framework and most of its functionality is written in Java and on the other hand VBCS is based on Oracle JET so is a javascript based toolkit.
- The services consumption is done by the REST architecture model in VBCS and the type of code that is used most of the time to make the payload size smaller is JSON and in ADF the consumption has to be done by SOAP services and the payloads are represented in XML code.
- ADF is a server-side framework that means that most of the action and function did in the client interact with the service meanwhile VBCS apps do its graphical events and function just in the browser client.
- The editors are different, JDeveloper for ADF and VBCS PAAS editor for VBCS.
- The debugging and monitoring of logging are different for ADF is done in the server and VBCS is done all the browser.
- VBCS is based on an open-source tool-kit with documentation of all components while ADF is hermetic in its framework implementation.
Check Out: OIC vs SOA, To know the major differences between them.
Summary:
- VBCS fulfills all the requirements of modern front-end tool development.
- The refreshment of graphical components in VBCS is smooth and comfortable to the user.
- VBCS avoids overloading of request to the servers and latency network.
- In terms of maintainability VBCS and has better responsive design behavior.
- VBCS is suitable for phone and desktop users.
- In VBCS everything is easier and it is a more productive tool with a better assistant with added graphical data mapping and logic.
- The ADF banner has been the Business Components which is an efficient way to consume the databases as well as maintainable and scalable components to apply complex logic through java code and BC libraries.
We Cover Oracle Integration Cloud OIC in our course where you will learn to Provisioning OIC | Connectors | Agents | FTP Adapters | File Adapter Database Adapter | SaaS Adapter (Salesforce) | Troubleshooting | Customer Case Study | Security | Monitoring Integration.
Related Links/References:
- Oracle Integration Cloud (OIC) For Beginners Overview
- Oracle Integration Cloud (OIC) ADW/ATP Adapter
- Oracle Integration Cloud (OIC) Notification Activity
- Our best blogs for Oracle Integration Cloud – OIC
- Managing & Monitoring Integration Errors in Oracle Integration Cloud (OIC)
- 6 Docs Every Oracle Cloud Integrator Must Read
- How to exporting Business Data and Visual Builder Cloud Service (VBCS)
- SOAP Vs REST APIs In Oracle Integration Cloud (OIC)
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Dai Software says
This is an informative post. Got a lot of info and details from here. Thank you for sharing this and looking forward to reading more of your post.
Rahul Dangayach says
Hi Dai,
We are glad that you liked our blog!
Please stay tuned for more informative blogs like this.
Thanks & Regards
Rahul Dangayach
Team K21 Academy